Responding to the dog eat dog or what I would call shark infested
waters of David Markham's posting LO1773.
While I have dealt with organizations who are accurately
descirbed by Davids work environment, I am encouraged in the fact
that I have worked with more corporations who are not at this
extreme, or are at least not AS extreme as what David described.
The life expectancy of sharks, big dogs, whatever you choose to call
them, is short--a factor overlooked by many businesses. Eventually
the supply of victims begins to diminish and, because one's list of
enemies continues to grow, one's opponents grow wise and more wiley,
the supply of ready victims wanes, the strategy eventually collapses
on itself leaving in its wake a devasted workforce and sacrificing
a more profitable market position.
As Paul Kordis writes, "The reason why there is not wider
acknowledgement and recognition of this phenomenon is that the supply
of human sharks appears endless. There are always sharks bloodying
the water, but the chances of any individual shark surviving are
alarmingly slim. Those who do make it frequently do so because of
their savy in migrating to the Trade-off strategy. Failing to lick
them, they will now try to join them." Robert Kuhn describes the art
of compromising in "Dealmaking: All the Negotiating Skills and
Secrets You Need" and Alfie Kohn in "No Contest: The Case Against
Competition" also address the issue of trade-offs.
I can only hope that David is not in the danger zone of the
sharks' feeding waters.
Pete
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__(*)/' (*)_______________________________________________
| |
| Peter L. Heineman, Manager of Contract Training |
| University of Nebraska at Omaha |
| College of Continuing Studies |
| 1313 Farnam Street |
| Omaha, NE 68182-0335 |
| (402) 595-2340 FAX (402) 595-2345 |
| Internet: pheineman@unomaha.edu |
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You will become as small as your
controlling desire; or as great as your
dominant aspiration.
James Allen