Steering committee: Difference between revisions

From The Jolly Contrarian
Jump to navigation Jump to search
No edit summary
No edit summary
Line 3: Line 3:
These are truths we hold to be self evident.
These are truths we hold to be self evident.


Yet, thousands upon thousands of well-intentioned employees spend their lives on, subject to or being vigorously propelled about the confines of their employer's premises, like tiny passengers in a deflating balloon, by [[steering committees]]. These poor folk are pummeled at every random turn by obstacle, intransigence and sheer bloody-minded stupidity, at the “direction” of a [[steering committee]]. Usually several.
Yet—every day, in every organisation, thousands upon thousands of well-intentioned employees spend their lives on, subject to, or being vigorously propelled about the confines of their employer's premises like tiny passengers in a deflating balloon, by [[steering committee]]s.  
 
Most [[metaphor|metaphors]] don’t bear close examination. This one does.


{{seealso}}
{{seealso}}

Revision as of 14:06, 23 May 2018

We do not find it remarkable that, in a century and a half of automotive technology, the drafters of the Highway Code have never found the space to sanction the operation of a vehicle by consensus. A car is more likely - these days, far more likely - effectively to drive itself than been driven by a committee. A committee will steer it into the nearest wall. Indeed, only the physical impossibility of a unitary object travelling in two distinct directions at once would prevent a committee steering into every wall.

These are truths we hold to be self evident.

Yet—every day, in every organisation, thousands upon thousands of well-intentioned employees spend their lives on, subject to, or being vigorously propelled about the confines of their employer's premises like tiny passengers in a deflating balloon, by steering committees.

Most metaphors don’t bear close examination. This one does.

See also

Dramatis personae: CEO | CFO | Client | Employees: Divers · Excuse pre-loaders · Survivors · Contractors · The Muppet Show | Middle management: COO · Consultant · MBA | Controllers: Financial reporting | Risk | Credit | Operations | IT | Legal: GC · Inhouse counsel · Docs unit · Litigator · Tax lawyer · US attorney Lawyer | Front office: Trading | Structuring | Sales |