Recommendation
OK, we rented Office Space, and it is funny. I believe Kevin Drum and Jonah Goldberg have both recommended it, from their different spots on the political spectrum. (See The Corner around Dec. 19).
Some favourites:
PETER
"We're not in Kansas anymore."
JOANNA
Yeah. Really. (laughs
PETER
It's on your - (points
JOANNA
Oh! That's, uh, that's uh, my pieces of flair.
[...]
MICHAEL
Nothing. Why don't you just tell Anne you're not into hypnosis and you
want to play poker with us?
PETER
Ah, I can't do that. She might get all pissed off at me. Besides, I
think the guy might be able to help. He did help Anne lose weight.
SAMIR
Peter, she's anorexic.
PETER
Yeah, I know. The guy's really good.
What strikes me is that this is the world of talk radio, except that the protagonists are a bit young for that, and not quite crazy enough. But they have insecure jobs they hate, at which they are not treated with respect. They are convinced things could easily be even worse, so they would be wise to cling to something that seems solid. And the idea that government or unions might help simply never crosses their minds.
UPDATE: One more:
____
BOB SLYDELL [Consultant/downsizer]
So what you do is you take the specifications from the customers and
you bring them down to the software engineers?
TOM
That, that's right.
BOB PORTER
Well, then I gotta ask, then why can't the customers just take the
specifications directly to the software people, huh?
TOM
Well, uh, uh, uh, because, uh, engineers are not good at dealing with
customers.
BOB SLYDELL
You physically take the specs from the customer?
TOM
Well, no, my, my secretary does that, or, or the fax.
BOB SLYDELL
Ah.
BOB PORTER
Then you must physically bring them to the software people.
TOM
Well...no. Yeah, I mean, sometimes.
BOB SLYDELL
Well, what would you say… you do here?
TOM
Well, look, I already told you. I deal with the goddamn customers so
the engineers don't have to!! I have people skills!! I am good at
dealing with people!!! Can't you understand that?!? WHAT THE HELL IS
WRONG WITH YOU PEOPLE?!!!!!!!
_____
I've actually had jobs a bit like this. Take material from real experts, which may not appear in a finished, readable document. (It may not be short enough for decision-makers, or presented in clear graphic form, or both), and translate it into exactly the document the decision-makers want and/or need. A one-pager is a noble accomplishment. A one-page graphic that conveys a lot of information is solid gold. It just seems true that the real experts can't be bothered with this--it seems superficial to them. Asked for information, they want to submit at least a 20-page paper--which decision-makers, in my experience, very seldom want. It really does pay to be the middle-person here. I think in some cases educated people from outside the organization have been brought in and paid a good salary--not to become experts on anything, but basically to produce these finished products. They are brought in over the heads of long-serving people, some of them real experts, which causes resentment. Many of them prove themselves to be management material, if you can accept that "management skills are not subject-matter specific," and it is all about producing the product that is actually wanted, on time.
Some of these new middle-people might start billing themselves as experts in "strategic communications"--producing the right documents, with a reflection on the audience, at the right time.
And yet it seems crazy. Couldn't the real experts just add your job to what they do? I guess so.
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