Waiting outside the Principle's office

[laurence]

So I think I've explained I work for a big contractor. Well, right now the customer is here to review a new contract's "requirements acceptance criteria". The guy who was assigned to the security portion had a heart attack (no, really!) and called out sick this week. So I was introduced to the contract, got told what it was about, and was given 24 hours to present his portion.

This new guy a Major So-and-So ( I mean rank in the military - really) is a bit of a hard case, he's ripping everything. I have left since it will be hours before they get to me, they are going to page me when they get to my portion. My only hope is this guy will have punched himself out by then. From what I gather, officers have to do a stint like this as they climb the ladder, maybe he's just out to prove himself. I just hate presenting underprepared.

 

[cube_rat]

always exude confidence and NEVER let them see you sweat,

 

[laurence]

Went better than I thought, glad that's over!

 

[BunsGettingFirm]

Re: Waiting Outside the Principal's Office

Laurence, I know what you're talking about! I just did a finance presentation in which the guy who wrote the original report is MIA at a case competition. His analysis wasn't up to snuff, and I was already exhausted from doing another major team project. Ended up presenting the project on two hours' sleep + Red Bull, and we got creamed by the other team. The worst part is that the two other people on the team were both marketing people, so they were no help at all.

Trust me, I did the whole "exude confidence" routine. After all, I wasn't a public speaking champion for nothing, but at some point, the stuff has to be able to stand up to the pounding, and ours wasnt'.

I feel your pain!

 

[Gumby]

Laurence: Did you ask him why he wasn't a Colonel yet?

 

[Nords]

Laurence: Did you ask him why he wasn't a Colonel yet?

Yeah, and ask him why he's not wearing a Combat Infantry Badge or campaign ribbons or a Purple Heart-- they love that!!

I can't defend his behavior (because it's indefensible & inexcusable) but he's a product of his background & training. Military are frequently jammed into situations for which they have little knowledge & no credibility, let alone training, and expected to perform. Their easiest short-term solution is to be as offensive mount as strong an offense as possible. If they're the friendlies in the contract, then you're the enemy (not the partner). Of course officers also interpret any response to these tactics as "weakness". Unless your co-workers & bosses actually screwed up, you guys really hold all the cards. Which is scant comfort when you're paged at 10:30 PM.

If you're looking for some entertainment, ask one of your veterans if they've ever heard of the Nuclear Propulsion Examing Board and their Operational Reactor Safeguards Exam. It's the prime gold standard for determining a submariner's quality of life... as in "These second-degree burns sure are painful and that flooding really caused a lot of damage, but at least they postponed the ORSE!"

 

[laurence]

Ha! I had the good fortune of dispelling the tension between two opposing parties with a self deprecating joke and got the crowd rolling. It was afternoon, and everybody was tired from 8 hours of meetings and feeling a little punchy anyway. I then added on by answering a question exactly as he thought I should answer it ( hopefully it was right, too.).

Of course, now this morning some other big wig on a conference call disputed an assumption and is trying to get a third of our requirements changed. We are trying to politely undermine change his point of view, since the horse is already out of the barn, so to speak....(sigh)