7 Habits, or How to make a fortune from marketing common sense....
16 years ago (Jeez, was it THAT Long ago?!?) when I had been 2 and a bit years at the company, I was put on The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People course.
Our company had decided It was good thing for all its employees, and to be fair it was quite informative and quite fun. Plus we got to go offsite for a day once every 2 weeks for the course (6 days in all) with all food provided.
As the course went on, it dawned on me that what Covey had written about was basic Common Sense. He had found a way to take Common Sense, explain it in a methodical way, package it, market it, and make a killing thereby. Go Steve!

Then I thought 'why does the company feel the need to teach Common Sense to people that should know it already? Don't they hire 'sensible' people?'
The answer - I found over the years - is an emphatic 'NO', especially in the upper echelons.

Being a tech, I deal with realities. Its my job to know what can be done with what you have, and exactly how much blood you can get from a stone. Cold hard facts are my daily bread.

Most middle and upper management have their feet firmly planted in the air. Sadly, I have met few that haven't.
The average manager has a shelf life of 2 years approx - unless they totally screw the pooch - and very few last beyond 3.
Their only interest is themselves - the company is a vehicle for their career, and exists solely for what it can do to make them look good.
They talk in a patronising language that obfuscates what they are really saying, and just makes them come across as a complete twat.
They make big decisions in the company name because it will boost their reputation, and after they have gone and the realities of the decision have come home to roost, they are far away and oblivious to the fallout they have left for others to clean up.

My conclusion is that 7 Habits was designed for these clowns, as a way for the company to remind them that they have to make sensible, realistic decisions for the company's benefit, not just for theirs.
And because some people can't see beyond themselves, Stephen Covey made a fortune.

Six Sigma?
Arse!
(Sebulba continues to fight evil with evil....., Fri 24 Feb 2012, 9:53, 1 reply)

Well. Mormons, you know.
Seems to be de riguer to go thru the courses and use the Franklin products. That's quite a sizeable customer base to begin with, isn't it?

7 Habits was offered at $.99 on Amazon for Kindle the other day. I'll be arsed if I'll pay even that for such drivel.
( kila is reading clocks upside-down as usual, Sun 26 Feb 2012, 10:56, closed)