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Management 101

Possibly it’s time to come to the conclusion that our government is not very good at preventing prisoner abuses. Yes, it happens occasionally, and a single incident doesn’t mean it’s endemic. But when DIA agents are being threatened in order to keep it quiet, and when the FBI is concerned about generally used coercive techniques, there is a clear problem.

I manage people for a living. After a certain point, if a given problematic behavior pattern repeats, I figure out what the root cause is and I fix it. I do not say “well, that’s just one incident; it’s bound to happen now and again.” If you don’t think that torture is acceptable, you’ve got to ask why Donald Rumsfeld continues to allow this pattern to persist. And, of course, why George Bush doesn’t correct Rumsfeld’s failure to act.

Not complicated.

2 Comments

  1. I’ve always noticed that the best managers or owner/operators are those who are willing to correct problems with employees — either by sitting them down, explaining the problem, and giving them the training or direction they need … or, most often, just firing them.

    Those who keep turning a blind eye to bad situtations never understand why things blow up in their faces. It’s sad, and its hard not to empathize with these folk — no one wants to be the bad guy — but it is the difference between a good manager and a bad manager.

    A President especially needs to hold his (or her) staff up to the highest levels of ethical responsibility. That doesn’t seem to be happening here.

  2. Heh, exactly. I forget who had the lengthy riff on how silly it is to call Bush the CEO President, but he was right on target. The guy couldn’t manage his way out of a paper bag.

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