Depth charge: Difference between revisions

From The Jolly Contrarian
Jump to navigation Jump to search
No edit summary
No edit summary
Line 1: Line 1:
{{a|confcall|}}Continuing our theme of submarine warfare, another rare but, among the cognoscenti highly-prized, technique is the [[depth charge]]. Rare because you will only see this when an [[all-hands conference call]] has taken a decided turn<ref>Which may, but need not be, a [[crazy Ivan|hard-left turn at the bottom of the hour]].</ref> for the worse, and most experienced [[conference call]] convenors can easily avoid that outcome by avoiding controversial or even substantial topics in the first place. As any fule kno, a conference call is no place to raise anything of moment to which you don't already know the answer.
{{a|confcall|}}Continuing our theme of submarine warfare, another rare but, among the cognoscenti highly-prized, technique is the [[depth charge]]. Rare because you will only see this when an [[all-hands conference call]] has taken a decided turn<ref>Which may, but need not be, a [[crazy Ivan|hard-left turn at the bottom of the hour]].</ref> for the worse, and most experienced [[conference call]] convenors can easily avoid that outcome by keeping any matters of controversy or substance off the agenda in the first place. As any fule kno, a conference call is no place to raise anything of moment to which you don't already know the answer.


Anyway, a [[depth charge]]: That critical deal approval call has turned into a shit-show. The presenter — a junior on the deal team, hoping unrealistically for promotion — is unprepared, transparently does not understand {{sex|his}} deal and to boot<ref>''Das Boot'', needless to say.</ref> has committed that mortal error of not warming up the controller group who are due to hear {{sex|his}} application. Further, the cantankerous guy from Treasury legal got out the wrong side of bed this morning and is of a mood to make an example out of young sir in front of his boss.
Anyway, a [[depth charge]]: That critical deal approval call has turned into a shit-show. The presenter — a junior on the deal team, hoping unrealistically for promotion — is unprepared, transparently does not understand {{sex|his}} deal and, to boot<ref>''Das Boot'', needless to say.</ref>, has committed that mortal error of not warming up the controller group who are due to hear {{sex|his}} application. Further, the cantankerous guy from Treasury legal got out the wrong side of bed this morning and is of a mood to make an example out of young sir in front of the assembled.


The call proceeds, limply descending into a chaos of stuttering, patent fabrications and awkward pauses. A distant voice is picked up an a call microphone — whose, we cannot say<ref>This is getting harder to mask in the age of Skype</ref> — quietly but clearly — and sounding as if has come from a mouth turned away from the microphone, such that it might be serendipitous trading-floor chatter, but might also be a controller addressing a colleague in confidence, says “Man this deal is a piece of shit.”  
The young fellow proceeds and, in the face of the most innocuous question from [[compliance]] limply descends into a chaos of stuttering and patent fabrication, punctuated by awkward pauses, during which a distant voice is picked up an a someone’s microphone — whose, we cannot say<ref>This is getting harder to mask in the age of [[Skype problems|Skype]], sadly</ref>. The voice —is quiet, but clear, and sounding as though it has come from a mouth turned from the handset in a tone of surreptition, says, “Man this deal is a piece of shit.”


Sir Jerrold Baxter-Morley, MD of the deal team, wakes up. This is his deal, for his friend in the
 
“Who said that? WHO SAID THAT!?”
 
But there is no reply, just another awkward pause. But, by means of something that may have been serendipitous background buzz of trading floor banter the damage is done. Unfortunate cross-chatter or no, the remark has articulated only what every controller was quietly thinking, and it fortifies them in their opposition.
 
{{seealso}}
*[[Crazy Ivan]]
*[[All-hands conference call]]


{{ref}}
{{ref}}

Revision as of 10:44, 20 December 2018

Conference Call Anatomy™


Index — Click ᐅ to expand:

Comments? Questions? Suggestions? Requests? Insults? We’d love to 📧 hear from you.
Sign up for our newsletter.

Continuing our theme of submarine warfare, another rare but, among the cognoscenti highly-prized, technique is the depth charge. Rare because you will only see this when an all-hands conference call has taken a decided turn[1] for the worse, and most experienced conference call convenors can easily avoid that outcome by keeping any matters of controversy or substance off the agenda in the first place. As any fule kno, a conference call is no place to raise anything of moment to which you don't already know the answer.

Anyway, a depth charge: That critical deal approval call has turned into a shit-show. The presenter — a junior on the deal team, hoping unrealistically for promotion — is unprepared, transparently does not understand his deal and, to boot[2], has committed that mortal error of not warming up the controller group who are due to hear his application. Further, the cantankerous guy from Treasury legal got out the wrong side of bed this morning and is of a mood to make an example out of young sir in front of the assembled.

The young fellow proceeds and, in the face of the most innocuous question from compliance limply descends into a chaos of stuttering and patent fabrication, punctuated by awkward pauses, during which a distant voice is picked up an a someone’s microphone — whose, we cannot say[3]. The voice —is quiet, but clear, and sounding as though it has come from a mouth turned from the handset in a tone of surreptition, says, “Man this deal is a piece of shit.”

Sir Jerrold Baxter-Morley, MD of the deal team, wakes up. This is his deal, for his friend in the

“Who said that? WHO SAID THAT!?”

But there is no reply, just another awkward pause. But, by means of something that may have been serendipitous background buzz of trading floor banter the damage is done. Unfortunate cross-chatter or no, the remark has articulated only what every controller was quietly thinking, and it fortifies them in their opposition.

See also

References

  1. Which may, but need not be, a hard-left turn at the bottom of the hour.
  2. Das Boot, needless to say.
  3. This is getting harder to mask in the age of Skype, sadly