Elena stood up. “James, the result I need is to not be fired next Tuesday. The illusion of speed is better than the reality of bankruptcy.”
“But… the process,” he stammered. “Stoner says that skipping steps creates only an illusion of speed and never produces a satisfying result.”
“James,” she said slowly. “The hostile vote is in eight days. You’re proposing a six-month committee.”
And for a while, it worked. His department’s error rate was the lowest in the company. His budgets were never overdrawn. The quarterly reports from his section arrived like clockwork, as sterile and perfect as a numbered list.
He droned on for twenty minutes. He described the six-month timeline for phase one. He explained the need for a new software system to track the “change initiatives.” He showed a flowchart that looked like a plate of spaghetti.
Elena stood up. “James, the result I need is to not be fired next Tuesday. The illusion of speed is better than the reality of bankruptcy.”
“But… the process,” he stammered. “Stoner says that skipping steps creates only an illusion of speed and never produces a satisfying result.”
“James,” she said slowly. “The hostile vote is in eight days. You’re proposing a six-month committee.”
And for a while, it worked. His department’s error rate was the lowest in the company. His budgets were never overdrawn. The quarterly reports from his section arrived like clockwork, as sterile and perfect as a numbered list.
He droned on for twenty minutes. He described the six-month timeline for phase one. He explained the need for a new software system to track the “change initiatives.” He showed a flowchart that looked like a plate of spaghetti.
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