Re: Manipulation LO812

GAWNE, SEAN (gawnesm@songs.sce.com)
Mon, 17 Apr 95 17:42:41 PST

C. J. SAFT wrote in LO800:

For the definitive operational terms for manipulation, I always return
to Niccolo` Machiavelli's THE PRINCE.

When I read this I was vividly reminded of an incident that occurred last
year. I'll relate this to you, it may either amuse or horrify you, on
different days I have either response.

I was part of a team which was to "sell" top management of this 17,000
employee, unionized company on the LO approach (which we did, and I promise
to give more details at a later date). The team was a real cross-section of
the company (an electric utility); we had people who'd spent their whole
life in HRD, people who'd always been engineers, alongside generalists who
had worked all areas of the business; you name it, we had them. There were
16 of us. There was quite a range of personalities, as well. Everyone had
other responsibilities, often the team project was not their highest
priority. Meetings weren't always fun, but always interesting.

I became pretty friendly with a fellow who was very outcome-focussed. He
has a position of great influence in our company, and I guess he liked me,
because he offered me a position where I could pretty much do what I
wanted, as long as I supported his efforts to reengineer his part of the
company. Big pay raise, nice office, company car, to boot. As I was
considering this offer, he introduced me to his boss and their management
guidebook: The Prince, by Machiavelli. I kid you not.

I had to turn down the offer, sometimes I still wonder if I made the right
decision when I have trouble with the mortgage payments, but I don't think
I could have slept nights as part of that "team." I wonder how much
learning is going on in that part of the company?...

Sean Gawne, gawnesm@songs.sce.com