Working Up

by Dwayne Phillips

Is it alright to declare that we behave erratically and that others just need to watch out for us and be cautious?

Recently, while driving on the Interstate, I saw a sign posted on a car:

• CAUTION
• Sudden lane changes
• Frequent stops

Oh, just declare that we drive erratically, so just watch out for us. Silly, of course. How could someone declare to the world, “I don’t obey the rules. If you are near me, be cautious because you just don’t know what I will do?” And do this on the public roads? Watch out! I swerve in and out of traffic and drive fast and slow and all kinds of crazy things. It’s okay for me to drive like that because I put a sign on my car. Huh?

Consider this: CAUTION, this is an R&D project. We don’t know if we can build the system we want. We only have a 50% chance of succeeding. Senior management knows all this and approved funding for it. Here we go. Let’s see what happens.

Oh, well, that’s okay, I guess. I sure wish senior management would let me work like that. If I goof and don’t deliver, that’s okay. Right?

Sigh. I don’t know. Wise groups of people can declare CAUTION, THIS MAY NOT WORK on a few projects. How many is a “few?” Wise persons need to decide. We can do better.