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Showing posts from June, 2008

Corporate self-sabotage

CMSWatch has pointed to such an unbelievably funny classic: the OSS Simple Sabotage Manual from 1944 (OSS is the Office of Strategic Services, predecessor to the CIA). Check it out here . You will learn how your cooperation is sabotaged: (1) Insist on doing everything through "channels." Never permit short-cuts to be taken in order to expedite decisions. (2) Make "speeches." Talk as frequently as possible and at great length. Illustrate your "points" by long anecdotes and accounts of personal experiences. Never hesitate to make a few appropriate "patriotic" comments. (3) When possible, refer all matters to committees, for "further study and consideration." Attempt to make the committees as large as possible — never less than five. (4) Bring up irrelevant issues as frequently as possible. (5) Haggle over precise wordings of communications, minutes, resolutions. (6) Refer back to matters decided upon at the last meeting and attempt to re