Managing Messages About Managing War
As I follow the statements and posturing by our nation’s leaders about what to do over the situation in Iraq and the Middle East, it all sounds more like a corporate management performance review than accepting ownership for causing what can only be termed as an unprecedented and horrendous mess.
Checklists … benchmarks … goals. We are imposing bureaucratic management consulting terms to measure progress on a government we put into power in Iraq and now are managing expectations on their performance by rules that may very well be unknown in their culture and experience. And, all the while, most statements from Capitol Hill are carefully framed in words with overtones of political aspiration.
Good grief! What must the rest of the world think about us?
About the Author: David is a veteran communications strategist ... writer ... blogger ... online publisher ... and Emmy Award winning former CBS Network News correspondent. He lives in Washington, D. C., area and works worldwide.
Rob Mark | Sep 12, 2007 | Reply
Bureaucratic managment is an interesting turn of phrase David, but I’d have been more surprsied if it were any other way.
If I was struck by anything watching and listening to the General, the Ambassador and the Senators all jabbering away, it is that everyone was so … well, nice.
Maybe if someone had been a little angry - like the guy in Network …”I’m mad as Hell and I’m not going to take it any longer,” we might have a chance.
Anarchy no, but nice, civilized debate at this point isn’t going to cut it either.
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