Guy stumbles and trips over a thousand foot high cliff...and the fall doesn't kill him.
The landing, though...
Hold that thought.
And check this out
Now, allowing for that oldie but goodie about the road to Hell being paved with good intentions, here's something I've offered, more than once, on the radio shows with my tongue planted firmly in my cheek.
Doesn't take a brain surgeon or a rocket scientist or a Rhodes Scholar to see the serious lack of "benefit" of a drug designed to cure your particular ill when 45 seconds of a 60 second commercial for that drug is taken up telling you all the ways that particular drug can dent, damage and/or kill you.
Common sense, at the very least, would have you thinking twice....uh, three....no, actually make that four or five times before popping one of those precocious little pills in your pie hole.
Right? Yes?
Well, for heaven's sake, of course.
You're not an idiot.
Okay.
Now, let's try this.
Your workplace, once the home of your dream job, has become more of a nightmare in recent weeks and months. Working conditions have deteriorated drastically, morale has plummeted to the point where you're thinking the old country witty "been down so long, looks like up to me".
In short, things are not good and you are not only angry and frustrated about having to put up with it throughout the majority of your waking hours, you are, for the first time in your professional life, seriously thinking about leaving the only job you've ever really loved, let's even say for the sake of our little example here, that it's the only job you've ever had.
Suddenly, though, you find yourself given the green light to find and hire a new general manager for your company.
And you have found one you think will absolutely turn things around.
This potential workplace savior is highly experienced in the managerial field, boasting a long and diverse list of accomplishments. You're particularly impressed with their attitude, not just your garden variety "can do", but a direct, unflinching, maybe even, fair to say, blunt "WILL do" attitude.
Your gut is telling you that this is someone who will get things done like things have never gotten done before.
Now, you're asked, by those who are interested, to describe this potential git er' done candidate for the job in 60 seconds.
All the qualities you admire and the traits you find attractive in this applicant take you, give or take, 15 seconds.
Thing is, though, that, to be completely honest and paint a true and fair picture, you find that you need 45 seconds of your 60 to point out some not so appealing traits.
What is seemingly a way above average amount of self confidence on their part gives off just the slightest hint of arrogance, even superiority, arguably a thin line in successful people, but still enough to make you just a bit uneasy.
You notice, as well, by the answers to your questions and the general tone of the conversation, that your candidate there seems to dislike the questions you're asking, you're even getting a little sense that they're not even crazy about being questioned in the first place, as if its some kind of affront to their skills and talents, as if you should simply take them at their word when they tell you that no matter what the problem is with your company, they're going to make those problems go away, they're going to turn things around, they're going to get it done.
And, for just a few seconds, again, just being honest, you have to admit that there are a couple, well, wait, make that a few things about this potential leader of your organization that you simply don't like. They make comments about women and minorities and gender groups that make you uncomfortable, comments that some might want to write off as the price one has to pay sometimes to recruit extraordinary talent, but comments that trouble you, nevertheless.
And, one last nagging little thing about this particular dynamic managerial applicant.
By their answers, observations and general comments, you realize that underneath whatever exterior confidence they exude in the ramped up atmosphere of an important interview and how attractive that confidence might be, there is a written in stone belief on their part that they are never, ever, ever wrong in any way, shape or form at any time about anything that they hope to do, want to do, expect to do.
Or do.
Hmmm.
45 seconds to describe arrogance, intolerance, impatience with others opinions, an appearance of self infallibility, even, admittedly, a little sexism, a little misogyny and, yes, be honest with yourself, some racism.
And 15 seconds to describe the skills, the talents and potential that this candidate, if chosen to be the new general manager will, no matter what the problem is with your company, make those problems go away, turn things around, get it done.
Make your company great again.
Doesn't take a brain surgeon or a rocket scientist or a Rhodes Scholar to see the serious lack of "benefit" of hiring someone when 45 seconds of a 60 second description of them is taken up talking about ways in which they might actually further damage an already damaged situation.
Common sense, at the very least, would have you thinking twice....uh, three....no, actually make that four or five times before popping into a voting booth and pressing that button next to their name.
Right? Yes?
Well, for heaven's sake, of course.
You're not an idiot.
Pressing that button would, obviously, be a great big leap of faith.
From what feels like a thousand feet high.
Not to worry.
The fall won't kill you.
The landing, though...
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