M’s the word: Why I believe in strategy
Even a wrong decision is better than an endless debate
By on Mar 7, 2012Black and white means 2Tone, which means Ska, to anyone of my generation. I am guessing that it means a police car to some of you. Oh, heady days. It was Madness, of course. Anyway, one sentence in and already I digress. Which is actually what I want to write about.
We are in the middle of a discussion (when are we not?), this time about the future of a class of drugs. I am pleased we are having the debate, because I believe in strategy and I find it comforting to feel my activity has a purpose. Much as I enjoy Dilbert, I do not want to be him.
This is like mud wrestling. The two arguments, protagonists in the debate, are in the ring and are rolling around in the mud, trying to hold each other, trying to gain a dominant position. The fight is not getting anywhere, as the two opponents keep getting more weapons. We are building into a cold war, where the resources deployed now account for a significant proportion of the total faculty. And we are going nowhere. I suspect the audience is now disinterested, and the cost is becoming just another line item in the overall budget, hanging there like a burr on a dog.
Both the positions are valid, of course. We are a smart bunch, with a lot of intelligent and well thought-through arguments, which might be the problem. The debate on this issue has been running for six months now. As the fighters become more engaged, it is more difficult to tell where one ends and the other begins. There is this grey mass now, rolling around in the mud.
It has been running for so long that it has slipped from front page to somewhere in the middle and a small line item. I find this frustrating because of my need to build strategy based on this decision. For most of the people engaged in the debate, there is no need to find a solution, because it will not significantly affect them. It is the commercial gang who have to prepare for either alternative. In the commercial case, there is no grey zone here. A yes or a no requires completely different actions.
My new approach is to define a black position and a white position and remove all the grey areas in the middle. And then I make a decision, and we move forward. You see, I believe that even a wrong decision is better than an endless, energy sapping debate. So I have made my decision.
I was surprised by the sense of relief that flowed through the organization. It has become a force for change, with all participants accepting the decision and moving forward.
I remember, as a small child, receiving a screwdriver for my birthday. I spent a full day going round the house, finding screws that fitted and removing doors, handles, just enjoying the sensation as the screw wound out. So here I am, looking for more decisions I can take. So if you are Greek or Italian, watch out. I am on a mission.
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