[thechat] No Good Deed Goes Unpunished

[Joel D Canfield]

> As a consumer of the system, he has an obligation to *his* management
to
> point out what is going to work as well as to point out what he thinks
> isn't going to work.

he's obligated to point them out. he's not obligated to force anyone to
listen.

> Maybe if there were some way to turn 'weasel-wording' into a game?
Bonus
> point for finding the least confrontational way to say "this project
is
> utter shit"?

simple statements of fact, where possible. otherwise, it's hard.

here's a trick that's helped me: analyze your own (um, I mean, this
other guy's) motivations. when I get into a confrontational exchange, I
invariably realize afterwards that I was trying to win, not aiming for
The Greater Good.

sometimes, impassioned pleas are the right medicine. sometimes, they
become resume-generating events.

if you haven't read 'Crucial Conversations' do so. I consider myself a
competent communicator, but they codify and define some processes which
have made it easier for me to have even more peaceful exchanges when
things get difficult.

in the long run, my answer to broken business was to leave. I've been
self-employed for much of the past decade, and intend to stay that way,
'cause I can no longer bear implementing decisions I can't
professionally support. I know that's not an option for everyone, but
I'm also fairly surprised that you, um, I mean, this guy, is still
working for a huge faceless corporation when he's bright, personable,
driven, and obviously entrepreneurial material. where, y'know, he could
be the buckstop.

joel