November 3, 2008 at 1:02 am
Comments posted to this topic are about the item Life is Like a Manure Spreader
November 3, 2008 at 1:28 am
Reminds me of a Tom Lehrer quote - "Life is like a sewer; what you get out of it depends on what you put into it", although I prefer to ascribe to the Small Faces analogy - "Life is just a bowl of All Bran; you wake up every morning and it's there" (opening line to "Lazy Sunday Afternoon").
Regarding the more serious point, my general feeling is "of course". In almost any form of business, you can't achieve what you want without convincing someone to do some thing for you. Since that means collaboration of some sort, the idea of "we've got to work together" is self-evident. And, as in any form of collaboration, it'll work best if you take the trouble to find out what the other person/people's motivators are.
Semper in excretia, suus solum profundum variat
November 3, 2008 at 3:33 am
Compromise - No! Never!
Evaporating Cloud resolution - Yes!
Theory of Constraints - Yes!
Google it and reap the wisdom - here endeth the lesson. 😀
Hiding under a desk from SSIS Implemenation Work :crazy:
November 3, 2008 at 4:01 am
Like the theories, Shaun. Unfortunately, they both state one basic assumption in common - that everyone is working towards a common goal - which may well not be correct.
As a simplistic example, two friends going into business together, each with a 50% stake, clearly have to work together to be successful. However, if one believes the overriding priority to be market penetration whilst the other believes it to be maximisation of revenue, there's no "right" viewpoint, and a compromise will be necessary.
Semper in excretia, suus solum profundum variat
November 3, 2008 at 4:06 am
The purpose of a business is to make money now and more in the future, nothing else. viva capatalism. 😀
Therefore the only goal is maximum revenue.
Anyone who does not believe this has already failed.:)
Of course one should pursue the goal with ethics and doing the right thing. 😉
Hiding under a desk from SSIS Implemenation Work :crazy:
November 3, 2008 at 4:11 am
Steve, your sentiment could not be more appropriate for a day-before-election editorial. 😀
It applies to so many aspects of our existence.
November 3, 2008 at 4:14 am
'Politicians are like manure spreaders' - hmm has a certain oder to it 😀
Hiding under a desk from SSIS Implemenation Work :crazy:
November 3, 2008 at 5:58 am
Steve, wouldn't it make sense to just train the horses to use the top of the hill and avoid you manually spreading it around yourself? Doesn't manure roll down hill?
Good editorial. I've gotten better at listening and compromising as I've aged, but the hard part is that if both sides aren't doing it, it still doesn't work out so well. I haven't reach the zen plateau where I can listen and compromise without expecting the other party to do the same. One technique I've used that helps some is to use a white board or flip chart to center the discussion, rather than having two people go toe to toe. List the points on each side, make them get it all on the board, then you've got a puzzle with limits.
November 3, 2008 at 6:02 am
It takes two parties to compromise. I find out even I am willing to compromise, the other party refuses. It is people's pride getting in the way. Some people feel if they compromise, they lose power.
November 3, 2008 at 6:56 am
top of the hill would be nice, edge of the gully better. Unfortunately some seem resistant to that training. Like in business, some are happy to drop where they eat (work), even if that's inside the barn.
Of course we have a few nice ones that will go over to the same pile and make deposits on a regular basis.
November 3, 2008 at 7:05 am
Steve, I wish you'd get back to talking about horses all this about politicians is getting a bit much!
Hiding under a desk from SSIS Implemenation Work :crazy:
November 3, 2008 at 8:47 am
Hey, it's a big election year, what can I say 🙂
Maybe a few politicians should read this one.:P
November 3, 2008 at 9:15 am
In the old days we tried to get others to think that it was their idea in the first place and we worked to hone the skill. It worked from time to time and saved a lot of grief.
And as far as politics is concerned there have been so many negative adds on all sides here people are wondering no matter who is elected if the world will still exist past tomorrow.
It has been particularly bad this past few weeks.
Not all gray hairs are Dinosaurs!
November 3, 2008 at 1:58 pm
Politician AND a manure spreader - http://www.tomlynch4supervisor.com-a.googlepages.com/pastisprologue
By the way, what's the second half of the title?
"Life is like a manure spreader" . . .
. . . If you're not careful, you can get $^&* everywhere
. . . without compromise, you end up being the only one handling the poo.
. . . but it doesn't taste anything like a box of chocolate!
. . . contributions encouraged . . .
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November 3, 2008 at 9:01 pm
Heh... I beg to differ, Steve. You did NOT compromise. You simply made it easier for someone else to do the work and, as it turns out, may have saved your own back in the process. You "enabled" someone else!
And THAT's the secret to success... "LET them see it YOUR way". In order to do that, you sometimes have to help them along. As David Poole once noted, the extraordinary DBA is the one you seek out first, not use as a last resort.
By the way, you once suggested that throwing hardware at performance problems was the way to go... why don't you take a ride to the local tractor store and buy one of those hand-crank, wheeled tounge posts and make it so easy for the Mrs. that she'll actually thank you for making it easier to do a "crap job"? 😛 Extraordinary DBA... :hehe:
--Jeff Moden
Change is inevitable... Change for the better is not.
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