The Fawner

The Fawner hides in a corner at meetings, where she can be heard but not seen. She makes the smallest noises but they grow on you. She murmers approval at every breath. Mmmm. Ooooh. Wow. She cannot help herself, if the speaker is powerful and important. Everything he says is deserving of assent. Oh. Okay. He may not hear her, consciously, but deep down somewhere something hears, and knows, she approves, she thinks he's wonderful. He likes that.

I see, she barely whispers. My goodness, oh wow, oh gosh. She's a babbling brook of consent. She especially loves presentations, with charts that go up amidst bullet points. Interesting. Oh. Oh yes.

She can also jump in without notice, if she needs to prove herself competent. She had failed to answer the previous question, but oh my never again. Now, when someone else answers, she leaps up on board, repeating their words just slightly after they're said, and then she'll tail off, and let the other go on. Did you see how she defers? She is gracious, and now everyone knows she is smart.

She has "emotional" intelligence.

The Fawner is easily impressed. Anyone in a position of authority can be nodded at. The boss is to be complemented on every occasion. She plays no favorites, has no bias. You can be young or old, man or woman, black or white, if you're in charge, she's right behind you, all the way.