My apologies for the site being down for a bit. We were doing a server upgrade and also doing some “under the hood” tinkering. But it is back up now.
There is a lot to write about this week – and very little of the news is good. So I thought for this TBT, I would go for something more lite-hearted, one of my early posts, when I was in my happy place, the far off land of Nihon.
The dynamics of most business meetings never really change though, so the truths of early 2006 are still the truths of today’s business world. From February 16, 2006. Enjoy.
The high muckety mucks are outta here!!!!!!! They are on the train to Narita, meeting is over, so now:
Like making sausage, getting to the end product is immensely painful, nobody wants to see how its made, but everyone wants a piece of the end product. And, if I do say so myself, we produced a good product this week, even if I did have to corner a couple of people at the bar and threaten to break out the naked pictures of their wives to get the job done…….
For a meeting like this one, it seems to me that the movie Casablanca is very instructive of the types of discussion that is generated. At any meeting in which the military is involved there are basically 3 types of people:
1) There are the Capt Renault types: ” I blow with the wind and today the prevailing wind happens to be from Vichy (Airspeed, Cost Wise Readiness, Five Vector Model, MCPON, CNO’s goals or any other trite phrase, fill in the blank as needed).
These are the folks who say one thing in the worker bee sessions and then totally change their opinion when they hear a flag officer say that he thinks that so and so would probably be a “really good idea“. Then just like Capt Renault, they are shocked, shocked I say, to find out that it: a) will not work or b) is going to cost them a lot of money.
Usually, at that point, the croupier comes along and says, “Your winnings, sir!”……..
2) The second type are the Rick Blaine’s of the world. “I stick my neck out for nobody. ” These guys are usually very skilled at showing up, eating the donuts, and flipping slides, talking in side conversations, and leaving as soon as they can. When pressed for an answer to a direct question they usually call a lateral and redirect the question or information to someone else. However, when cornered or they have to, they can get something done:
If you think I’m staying late tonight, think again!
3) Finally, there are the idealists, the Victor Lazlo’s of the world:
It’s a heck of a way to run a railroad!
These guys are the ones who want to make a difference and have either not yet been chewed up by the reality of bureaucratic indifference or have been through the wringer a couple of times and now know where are all the skeletons are buried. They argue the day forcefully and are either cut off at the knees, or sometimes, on those rare occasions when the moon and the stars align, are able to carry the day and have their idea heard, and more importantly, have their ideas accepted. Of course, there is a cost, by then the Rick’s and Capt Renault’s have run off with their girl………….
How extravagant you are, throwing away women like that. Someday they may be scarce.
Life is tough for Victor and those like him. To tell the truth these days, in the days of corporate groupthink, is a personally hazardous undertaking. Yet without the Victor Lazlo’s nothing important would get done. There used to be a lot more of them. However, 5 years of this guy, all but killed the breed. Hopefully, with careful management, the species can make a comeback. Unfortunately, all of his clones are still out there………
The flags Vorta serve the Founders, in all things!
Still, its a living. And right now it’s paying the bills so I guess I just have to deal with it. Someday, however, Someday…………..
Speaking of learning about cliches, it seems Dick Cheney has learned the old one about “bad news, unlike wine, does not get better with age!”
I told you, its rabbit season!
Murphy wins again!