The 9 Principles of Giving (and Receiving) Advice Effectively

Wise men don't need advice. Fools won't take it. - Benjamin Franklin

For by wise guidance you can wage your war, and in abundance of counsellors there is victory. – Proverbs 24:6 (ESV)

Those of us who have been around for a bit can attest to the reality that we are often asked to provide advice on Life, work, relationships and the like whether we feel (or actually are) qualified to answer such questions.  Most of us who have been taught by Life (either at our request or against our will) eventually discover that we are often asked more questions than we ask of others when it comes to such guidance.

After a couple of very deep conversations this week, I got to wondering about the process of giving and receiving advice, the best ways to accomplish it and the  reasons for doing it.  In addition to my own conversations, as someone who spends more time than I should in coffee shops where free advice flows copiously and as an ardent observer of the human experience, I am fascinated by how advice is offered and accepted.

As I reflected today on the conversations I participate in or observe and I thought about the exchanges that went well versus the ones that failed miserably, I got to thinking that maybe a checklist of how to make the exchange more helpful might come in handy.

Here’s how my checklist would look for giving and receiving advice effectively.

For those who offer advice

• Listen

You have been asked to offer advice.  What does the other person really need?  Why are you the person who has been solicited?  Are you  qualified or have you agreed because you like to hear your own voice?  Were you asked for advice or are you offering it without solicitation?  If not solicited, your opinion may not be relevant or welcome.  Listen carefully – solutions are often revealed early in the conversation by the person seeking advice.  And remember, even free advice is never free – do you (and they) understand the cost of offering your advice and whether your advice is accepted or rejected?  Time itself is of immeasurable value regardless of the advice offered and received.

• Give counsel to the doubtful

Many people who seek advice actually know the answer to the questions they are asking but a level of self-doubt or hesitation has set in.  Don’t presume that just because you are being asked for help that the other person doesn’t know what they are doing or what they need.  It is possible they just need an affirmation of self-worth or value.

• Instruct the ignorant

Ignorance comes in multiple forms and may exist as lack of knowledge, lack of understanding, lack of Life experience or plain old stupidity that needs to be corrected.  Understanding the difference is tremendously important when it comes to understanding the type of advice being offered and how it is being delivered.  If you don’t know the answer, say so.  Don’t send someone spinning in the wrong direction because your voice of authority and Life experience doesn’t have the humility to say “I don’t know” or “I can’t help you”.

• Admonish sinners

When people screw up, you have to be direct and tell them so when asked (and sometimes, even if not asked).  Candy coating answers is likely to send a message that their mistake was minor enough that repeating it is acceptable when doing so may be fatal.

• Comfort the afflicted

The strongest of people need support whether they admit it or not.  Words of support that lift rather than tear down are important.  Even those whom you believe have everything going perfectly in their lives need to hear and feel “the love” more than you realize.  However, don’t insist on comforting the ignorant who don’t accept advice well (or at all) while they keep coming back to your well of knowledge.

• Forgive offenses

People make mistakes, especially the people offering advice.  It is because those who offer advice have made mistakes that their advice is so valuable.  Lecturing from a belief in self-perfection does not work and is not helpful.  That being said, repeat offenders requesting advice and offending anyway should be approached cautiously, lest they manifest as the person who claims to want help but is merely a time-waster, a dreamer not grounded in reality or an emotion / energy vampire.

• Bear patiently, the troublesome

Nobody’s perfect, being a product of their Life experiences and genetics.  If you had their Life experiences and genetics, you would be exactly like them in behavior and potentially in result.  That being said, don’t let that be a reason to become a whipping post for someone who would rather drag you down with them than follow your advice or those who insist on asking for advice while repeatedly telling you that you are wrong.

• Pray for them

However you do it, whether it is actual prayer, positive thinking about them or their situation, or some other way, thinking about how you feel about them will impact the quality and intention of the advice you offer.  Negative thoughts will produce negative results for both of you.

• Listen

The conversation is over.  Did you offer the right advice, the right way for the right reason?  Was it received well?  Was it acted upon or rejected?  Was it appreciated?  How do you know?

For those who receive advice

• Listen

You have asked to receive advice from someone. Have you asked the right person?  Do they seem to care about you or do they just want to hear themselves talk?  For those whose opinion you respect, are you really listening or are you disrespecting them and their time by dismissing or rejecting the advice they are offering because you already know you are right and wanted them to say so?  Did you ask for this advice?  If not, does it still have value and if so, do you have the humility to accept it?  Even free advice is never free – do you (and they) understand the cost of accepting or rejecting their advice?  Time itself is of immeasurable value regardless of the advice offered and received.

• Give counsel to the doubtful

Does the person offering you advice understand that maybe you just need some moral support or encouragement or do they talk over that need with the belief that you need to be told what to do and why to do it?  Do you point this out if it happens?  How do they respond?

• Instruct the ignorant

As someone who has asked for help, you may need guidance because you have lack of knowledge, lack of understanding, a lack of Life experience or that you made a major mistake that needs to be corrected.  Do you have the courage to admit the difference and to know which one applies to you?  Does the person helping you know which one applies?  How do both of you know?

• Admonish sinners

If you screwed up, you need to admit it.  Pretending you haven’t or being upset with someone who cares enough about you to tell you that you have screwed up is not going to help you get back on course and may discourage them from offering help in the future.  That being said, do not accept unnecessary criticism, unfair criticism or criticism meant to diminish as opposed to correct.

• Comfort the afflicted

One of the greatest issues with pride is that we can’t ask for help when we need it.  We need to learn that asking for help requires more strength and courage than traveling a difficult path alone but produces a much greater harvest.

• Forgive offenses

If you have made a mistake, it will likely be pointed out and you must accept responsibility for it.  As human beings, we need to be more gentle and forgiving with ourselves as well and accept that we make mistakes.  If we are repeat offenders, however, we deserve to be punished for it (whatever punishment means) and need to understand the reasons behind such punishment.

• Bear patiently, the troublesome

When we ask for advice, we walk a fine balance between not wanting to be too much trouble for someone while at the same time, not presuming that a request for help is a bother to others.  Do you show that you are learning from those who offer advice and do you put those lessons into practice or do you insist on wasting their time for a variety of reasons known only to you?  How do you know?  How do you demonstrate to the person offering advice that you value it and are putting it into practice?

• Pray for them

However you do it, whether it is actual prayer, positive thinking about yourself or your situation, or some other technique. think about how you ask for advice, how you receive it, how you weigh what is appropriate, how you put good advice into practice, etc..  How you feel about yourself and the people you ask for help will impact the quality and intention of the advice you receive and how it is offered.

• Listen

The conversation is over.  Did you  receive the right advice, the right way, for the right reason and from the right person?  How did you react to it?  Will you act upon it or reject it?  Did you show appreciation and gratitude for it?

Whenever you ask a question, whether it be offering advice or listening to it, make sure that it stands up to the scrutiny of “Why?” (why am I saying this, why am I asking this, why am I doing this, etc.) and “How do I know?”.

Because if both parties cannot answer these two questions honestly and adequately, then the advice exchange will not produce the desired result.

The Bottom Line

We must always remember that it is easier to offer advice rather than to receive it and it is always easier to solve someone else’s problems (or so we think).  We must also pay attention to the exchange when solicited for advice because we may discover that we learn more than the person who asked for the advice in the first place.

We must also remember that advice comes in many forms and sometimes the greatest advice we will ever receive doesn’t come because it was solicited or from the sources we would have expected.

Sometimes we are qualified to offer advice.

Sometimes we are not.

It is important to know the difference.

We must remember that it is always ok to ask for advice as long as we appreciate and honor those whom we ask advice from.

And finally, offering or receiving advice must be grounded in true listening and true humility.  It cannot be offered or accepted properly without both in play at all times.

When I am asked for advice, people are often surprised by my directness, that I get right to the core of a matter quickly, specifically and in its raw form and during the exchange I call things the way I see them.

Such directness is not a licence to offend, to be rude or to be insensitive although those who are used to more passive conversations or who merely seek affirmation that they were right all along tend to react with surprise (or anger) when on the receiving end of such directness.

However, when they realize what my motivation is for getting to the matter so quickly and they recognize that a heart of humility accompanies my direct, inquisitive mind, they acknowledge that my approach is refreshing and was something they needed.

Do you have a specific approach to offering or accepting advice?

Does it work?

Is it right?

How do you know?

Someone in your world needs help or advice today.

Maybe it’s you.

What are you waiting for?

In service and servanthood,

Harry

PS Outside of the principle of listening, the remaining 7 principles are from the The Spiritual Works of Mercy as listed in the Roman Catholic Daily Missal (1962 edition).

Due Diligence: The 7 Deadly Sins and 7 Bountiful Gifts

The first step in a person's salvation is knowledge of their sin. - Lucius Annaeus Seneca

Over the years, I have done a lot of due diligence of “stuff”, whether it be of individuals, teams, merger and acquisition targets, start-ups seeking investment, “fact or fiction” assessments and the like and in the process of conducting so many (and having some conducted on me), I have come up with a process that many have found intriguing and infuriating.

Due diligence in itself is pretty straight forward and pretty much any type is well documented ad nauseum.  For this reason, whenever I conduct due diligence, I am often disappointed when the basic “stuff” is not presented for review, since in absence of a business degree or vast Life experience, a simple Google search can prepare just about anybody for a positive due diligence experience.

So while I look for all the classic stuff such as cash flow, competitive analysis, business plans, sales and marketing plans, investment to-date, principal backgrounds / bios, partnerships, channels, market opportunity, blah blah blah, I ask two questions that either fascinate or infuriate.

The two questions are Why? and How do you know?

The questions matter to me.  How people respond to them provides deep insight into the deadly sins that threaten to derail them or the gifts that they have that provide the potential to create unlimited success.

Here are the 7 deadly sins I am exploring when asking my two questions:

Pride – does the entity being evaluated feel that they are just so awesome that they believe that the laws of business, ethics and morals simply don’t apply to them or applies to them in a fashion that suits them?  Do they feel that their understanding of risk and reward is so perfect that they can ignore the classic warning signs that have doomed many before them?  Do they invite people in to help them and then promptly ignore the help offered because “they know better” or tell the person whom they asked for help how the help will be provided (setting the terms when they are in no position to do so)?

Covetousness – does the entity focus more on the end result (particularly wealth or market dominance) and in doing so forget that there is much discipline, rigor, focus, intelligence and hard work necessary before “the harvest” appears?  Nothing drives me crazier than when questions for data are responded to with things like “I don’t have data but can’t you see how big this opportunity is?”.

Lust – does the entity talk incessantly about power or money as they try to sway customers, investors or team members, forgetting that there are other equally important things being created?  If power and money are the lone sources of inspiration and motivation, success will often become more elusive, especially during times of struggle.

Anger – is the entity quick to anger, especially when things don’t go as planned or when someone points out that they are doing something incorrectly?  Do they insist on “my way or the highway” even when they have gone to someone for help and then walk away in disgust when the other side doesn’t comply, only to realize later that their anger was a major reason for their demise?  Do they often blame others for their own mistakes?

Gluttony – is the entity able to share credit, success, equity, etc. in a fair and appropriate fashion when approaching customers, team members, investors and the like or do they insist on harvesting the majority of the harvest while allowing others to obtain a reward far too small for the risk they assumed or for the contribution they made?

Envy – is the entity so caught up in establishing envy in competitors that they become all form and no function, forgetting that results speak far more loudly than glitzy commercials, dazzling convention booths, slick taglines, sexy mission statements and cool swag?  Does it matter that they believe they have the coolest place to work if they go out of business prematurely because they didn’t focus on what mattered while bragging about stuff that is “neat and cool” but is not the sole reason they existed?

Sloth – is the entity so caught up in the previous sins that they feel that effort is not required where it matters in the areas of strong strategic planning, tactical execution, obstacle anticipation / resolution, communication, team building / execution, knowledge acquisition / application or any other appropriate business rigor?

Oh the pain that comes when I am conducting due diligence and see a phenomenal opportunity that will never see the light of day because of these sins in the form of ego as it empowers the sins that destroy instead of the gifts that enable.

Meanwhile … the gifts ….

While I am researching whether an entity is guilty of these sins, I also seek examples of brilliance in the following areas:

Wisdom – does the entity have the Life / business experience to accomplish what they need to accomplish?  If so, how do they leverage / share it to create breadth and depth in their team?  If not, are they able to put pride and ego aside to acquire wisdom from others and to allow others to be compensated appropriately for sharing their wisdom?

Understanding – is the entity able to process new information in a way that can be applied to make their result better?  Can they work with others (listening more than talking) in order to obtain and apply this information?  Do they show understanding when someone else makes a mistake, not forgetting that they make mistakes also?

Counsel – does the entity proactively seek / accept counsel from those who have more experience or the right data / connections, can they apply it when it is appropriate to do so and can they reject it when it is inappropriate / incorrect?  Saying yes or no to counsel for the right reasons requires courage and humility.  Does the entity have both?

Fortitude – does the entity demonstrate that they can persevere through the difficult times in a positive way that builds relationships / opportunities instead of destroying them?  Do they panic at the first sign of challenge or can they methodically, measurably, strategically, tactically, ethically and morally navigate through difficult times?  Do they keep their eye focused on what matters when weaker people would have collapsed or are they easily distracted / retasked based on the emergency / opportunity du jour?  Most people who tell you that success came quickly and easily with little or no struggle (read: terrifying moments) is either a liar or psychotic.

Knowledge – does the entity believe that knowledge is power and that one must always be attaining and applying knowledge, whether it be in the technology they use, the market they exist in, the customers they target, the competitors that exist, the regulatory changes that occur, the sales and marketing tools / channels that exist, the nature of building strong teams, the state of the investment market, the nature of how information is captured and expressed or any other aspect that can empower or destroy an opportunity?  Do they accept knowledge offered by others and more importantly, do they apply it effectively?

Piety – does the entity demonstrate appropriate levels of humility and servant leadership?  Victory cannot be achieved by being a doormat but is short-lived when one’s hubris is so strong that they run over everyone with the belief that they know / have everything they need and can succeed without the collaboration of others.

Fear – does the entity demonstrate a healthy amount of fear and respect for what they are attempting to accomplish?  I’m not referring to fear that paralyzes and makes one paranoid but rather, the right amount of fear and respect that keeps them grounded in the importance of doing the right things ethically, morally and with proper business rigor.

While none of us are sin-free, it is important that our gifts more than compensate for our sins otherwise the greatest sin is yet to be experienced – the experience of failure in the face of unlimited potential and success and when defeat was snatched from the jaws of victory because our pride or ego made it so.

Bottom Line

As a measurable outcomes guy, data is everything to me and if it can’t be created, provided and rationalized, the due diligence process is pretty much over.  If the entity being evaluated can’t explain to me what they are doing, why they are doing it, how they are getting there, who they are partnering with / targeting and when they plan to get there, they are done and the conversation ends.

But when the data aligns perfectly and the “next big thing” is clearly in front of me, I or the people I represent are still ultimately investing in people and their ability to get stuff done and that’s where understanding the sins and the gifts matter.  On a side note, I measure the sins and gifts mathematically – that’s a long story for another post.

Success doesn’t happen by accident.

The art and science of due diligence, both conducting it and surviving it, is in finding the balance between reality versus fiction and passion versus madness.

Due diligence regarding the financials and other measurables is critical.  Due diligence of the human element is equally important.

Do you live more by your sins or your gifts?

The answer is often revealed if failure comes and if it does, whether you have mastered the art illustrated below instead of the ones you should have mastered?

Blame - The secret to success is knowing who to blame for your failures.

Are you sure you live by your gifts rather than your sins?

How do you know?

To your success, in service and servanthood.

Harry

PS The sins and gifts are adapted from the 1962 edition of the Roman Catholic Daily Missal for those who wish to explore further.

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Addendum – The Double Standard – February 24, 2015

In an interesting conversation with a colleague, we both laughed when we remembered cases of people undergoing due diligence who expected (or insisted upon) little process to be applied against them and yet expected to perform maximum process and oversight against entities that they were reviewing.

We also shared some funny stories about playing cliché bingo with some due diligence targets who were lacking in the areas of facts, knowledge and a basis in reality but they compensated with a superb repertoire of clichés intent on convincing someone to take action in lieu of data.

Ego has the interesting ability to fuel someone to success or to cause them to ignore the essential elements required for success.

Which way does your ego carry you?

How do you know?

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Addendum 2 – Leadership – February 25, 2015

I have always found it important, whether on the execution or receiving end of due diligence, to make sure that the leading partners / principals reach out to the person conducting the due diligence.  Even if the partners / principals are not participating directly (which is unlikely), meeting the person conducting the due diligence, committing any resources necessary, etc., are important elements of relationship building and a successful due diligence experience.

When I or others conduct due diligence and the significant stakeholders don’t care enough to reach out to establish a relationship, when they negotiate only through their minions or when they protest results through their minions knowing that the deal may be “going south”, it tells me that those stakeholders are either aloof, lazy, incompetent, insufficient leadership material, too busy to understand appropriate prioritization or are hiding something.

I wouldn’t want to be accused of any of these things.

Would you?

The Four Cardinal Virtues–Which One Are You?

The purpose of human life is to serve, and to show compassion and the will to help others. - Albert Schweitzer

Love one another and help others to rise to the higher levels, simply by pouring out love. Love is infectious and the greatest healing energy. - Sai Baba

The #1206 “fiction” series continues …

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Frank knelt in silence in the Cathedral, staring upward at the statue of Jesus on the cross.  The lights of the Cathedral were off and he knew he didn’t have long before the encroaching darkness on the outside forced him to leave the building.

But he found himself unable to leave anyway.

As he knelt, his mind churned as he contemplated the difficulties before him.  “Pray”, people had told him and pray he did, fervently and often, but it seemed to produce no results for him.

“Why has God abandoned me?”, he asked himself as his eyes misted over.

“Why do you think He has abandoned you?”, a deep, gentle voice asked beside him.

He practically jumped out of his skin as the voice broke the sacred silence of the Cathedral.

Looking to his left, he found himself looking into the eyes of a non-descript man who stared intently back at him.

“Why do you think He has abandoned you?”, the man asked him again.

“I’m sorry”, mumbled Frank, “You startled me.  I didn’t hear or see you sit down.  Why did you ask me that question?”

“I didn’t mean to startle you”, replied the mystery figure. “You seem to have something on your mind and I felt that you needed to talk about it.”

Caught unawares by the mystery figure’s easy demeanour, Frank suddenly found himself explaining his dilemma.  The mystery figure sat in silence and absorbed the story, occasionally nodding his head in understanding but saying nothing.

“I may be able to help you”, the mystery man said as Frank finished his story.  “Please come with me.”

He stood up, stepped into the aisle and paused, waiting for Frank to join him.

They walked behind the altar and down a long corridor to a meeting room.  Peering tentatively inside the door, Frank saw four people seated around a table inside.

“Please”, said the mystery man, gesturing for Frank to enter the room as the occupants smiled warmly at him.

Frank and the mystery man stepped inside, with Frank sitting at the head of the table while the mystery man sat down towards the other end.

“Frank has a problem that he needs help with”, said the mystery man.

Frank frowned as he didn't’ recall telling the man his name.  Nonetheless, he explained his story again and the occupants of the room said nothing, allowing him to tell his story in its entirety.

When he finished his story, there was a brief moment of silence.

The individual closest to him, adorned with a well-groomed goatee, leaned forward.  “Thank you for sharing your story, Frank.  I can see why your mind is full regarding this.  What is important for you to realize is that in your deepest struggle, you are never alone and that there are always people around you who want to help.  We in this room will not let you fall.  Always know that all it takes is for you to ask for help or to let someone help you should they notice you in distress.  Do you understand this?”

Frank swallowed hard as Mr. Goatee’s gaze burned into him and he nodded, his mind going numb as he wondered what was going on.

The large, broad-shouldered man sitting across from Mr. Goatee leaned forward and looked Frank in the eye.  “What my colleague says is true”, he said.  “It is also important that you separate that which you imagine from the realities of your situation.  Having done this, you can truly see what is worthy of your mind and what is merely noise, adding fear and confusion to a worried mind.  Remember that basking in fear never removes danger or solves problems and eventually if you are not careful, you will drown in your own fears.  Stand up for what you represent, for who you are and with the gifts that you have been given and do so uncompromisingly and you will find a way that honors the person that you are.  People who do this in the name of service to others are always served in turn.”

Frank nodded quietly as his mind struggled to comprehend what these strangers were telling him.

“It is so hard to keep moving forward”, stammered Frank, “When everything seems to be going against you and no one is listening.”

He paused before continuing.

“Not even God.”

The brunette at the far end of the table spoke softly to Frank.  “I know why you feel this way.  It is at the moment when solutions are at hand that it is most important that you not give up.  You have heard the old adage that most people give up within sight of their goals.  These people fall into traps of self-abuse, whether emotional, physical, spiritual or otherwise, and they condemn themselves to the very failure that they fear.  It is at this moment that you must be strongest in order to persevere through to the success that your potential demands of you.”

Frank could feel emotion overwhelming him and he broke down in tears.  The other occupants of the room said nothing as he composed himself, wiped his eyes and mumbled an apology.

“No apology necessary”, said the fourth stranger, a silver-haired lady.  “Here is what you need to do.”

Frank listened as she explained a plan for his Life and the best way to accomplish it.  He sat in stunned silence as she referenced details in his Life that she could not know and yet she referenced them casually as if she had known Frank his entire Life.

As she finished, Frank said nothing and the mystery man who had escorted him into the room stood up and walked over to Frank. 

Placing a hand on Frank’s shoulder, he turned to the four strangers and addressed them.  “You have presented a lot of information to our friend here and there is much for him to absorb.  If you could headline in a couple of words what you have told him today, how would you do it?”

Mr. Goatee smiled at Frank and said, “Be strong.”

His companion opposite him said, “Fight for what you believe in and for what you are worth.”

The brunette smiled as well and said, “Be gentle with yourself.”

The silver-haired woman smiled at Frank but paused before speaking.  “You have been given the gift of knowledge”, she said, her eyes piercing through him.  “Make sure you apply it.”

“Well said”, said the mystery man.  Shaking Frank’s shoulder, he looked down at Frank.  “Time to leave”, he said as he smiled.

Frank stood up and followed the mystery man out of the room and back down the hall, lost in thought as he walked back into the Cathedral.

As they sat down in the pew where the conversation had started, Frank stared at the mystery man.  He struggled for words before finally asking, “Who were those people?”

The mystery man smiled.  “Ah yes”, he said, “I neglected to introduce them to you.  You may know them by their proper names, Fortitude, Justice, Temperance and Prudence.  Many know them by other names as well.”

“What kinds of names are those?”, Frank said as he frowned.

The mystery man gestured slightly with his head and said “Perhaps you should ask him.”

Frank turned to his right and saw a priest walking towards him. The priest smiled at him as he approached.

“Good afternoon, Father”, said Frank.

“Good afternoon, my son”, replied the elderly priest.  “It is always good to see someone enjoy solitude in our holy sanctuary.”

“Well, I’m not completely alone ….”, replied Frank as he turned to his left but his voice faltered as he realized that the mystery man was no longer with him.

“Is something wrong?”, asked the priest as he noticed Frank’s confusion.

“I’m not sure”, replied Frank, “I just had a meeting with this guy and four other people in a meeting room down the hall and now he seems to have disappeared.”  He frowned as his confusion overwhelmed him.

“Meeting room?”, asked the priest, “We have no meeting rooms here.”

“But that’s impossible”, protested Frank, “I went with him to this meeting room and we had a meeting with four other people that he called Fortitude, Justice, Temperance and Prudence.”

“Indeed”, said the priest, pursing his lips. 

“Tell me more”, the priest said as he sat down beside Frank.

Frank paused and began to speak.

To be continued.

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© 2015 – Harry Tucker – All Rights Reserved

Background:

I was reading about the Four Cardinal Virtues the other day in the 1962 edition of the Roman Catholic Daily Missal.  The virtues are Fortitude (courage in pain), Justice (objectivity), Temperance (self restraint) and Prudence (wisdom) and it occurred to me that in a world of complexity where people need help, many of us have an opportunity to embody one or more of these virtues in an opportunity to help others.

At different times when we have such opportunities, it is important to realize that while we don’t always embody the same virtue to every person for every situation, we always have an opportunity to embody some virtue in some way.

What virtue have you embodied for someone who needs help today?

What are you waiting for?

Series Origin:

This series, a departure from my usual musings, is inspired as a result of conversations with former senior advisors to multiple Presidents of the United States, senior officers in the US Military and other interesting folks as well as my own professional background as a Wall St. / Fortune 25 strategy and large-scale technology architect.

While this musing is just “fiction” and a departure from my musings on technology, strategy, politics and society, as a strategy guy, I do everything for a reason and with a measurable outcome in mind. :-)

This “fictional” musing is a continuation of the #1206 series noted here.

National Security: Saying Everything By Saying Nothing

A writer should have this little voice inside of you saying, Tell the truth. Reveal a few secrets here. - Quentin Tarantino

The #1206 “fiction” series continues …

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The job candidate squirmed nervously in his seat as he waited for his interviewer to return.  The room was empty of furnishings with the exception of a brushed aluminum desk, the chair he was sitting in and one for his interviewer, a fake plant in the corner, a large mirror and a large framed print on one wall.

He reflected back on the job ad he had responded to on LinkedIn.  It seemed innocuous enough.  Fishing out his phone, he found the ad and reread it.

“Hmmmph”, he thought to himself, “It didn’t say that you’d be working for a bunch of weirdoes”.

He looked up at the print on the wall.  In large letters at the top, the print was captioned with title The 9 Ways of Being an Accessory to Another’s Sin.  His eyes rescanned the list underneath the title:

I. By counsel
II. By command
III. By consent
IV. By provocation
V. By praise or flattery
VI. By concealment
VII. By partaking
VIII. By silence
IX. By defense of the ill done

He was still studying the list when his interviewer returned.  Noticing the candidate’s interest in the print, he smiled and said “We call that our corporate compliance and confidentiality policy.”

He sat across the table from the candidate, adjusted some papers on his desk and then stared at the candidate intently.  “So are you interested in the job?”, he asked tersely.

The candidate squirmed again.  Clearing his throat tentatively, he looked at his interviewer nervously and spoke.  “So what you are asking me to do is to produce a web-based simulator that will allow any user on the web to explore different world-ending scenarios to see how they would be affected where they live.  The scenarios would include nuclear war, cyber attack on infrastructure, terror attack, financial collapse and even crazy stuff like alien invasion.”

He paused for a moment as he listened to himself saying this and then he continued.

“Is that right?”, he asked.

“That is correct”, said the interviewer.

“Why would you want to do that?”, asked the candidate.

“That’s not important for now”, replied the interviewer.

The candidate shivered a little.  “I don’t think I am interested in this opportunity”, he said quietly.

“I don’t think you understand”, said the interviewer, “Once you applied for the job, you were already accepted as part of the team.”

“How can that be?”, protested the candidate.

“I believe your answer can be found in point 2”, said the interviewer as he pointed at the print on the wall.

The candidate shivered again as he read point 2 – By Command.

Silence filled the room for several moments.

The interviewer quietly stood up and offered his hand which the candidate shook tentatively.  “Let me find someone who can begin your orienteering process”, said the interviewer, “I will be right back.”  With that, he left the room.

The candidate broke out in a sweat and wondered what he had done.

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The interviewer walked into the room next door containing several men who had been observing the entire interview.

“Do you think he is up to the task?”, asked one of the observers.

“He is perfect”, replied the interviewer, “His background in predictive analytics and scenario modeling is known throughout his industry.”

“What makes you think he will comply with our needs?”, asked another observer.

The interviewer pointed at the print that could be seen on the wall of the room next store through the one-way glass.  He smiled and said, “Pretty soon, he will qualify for almost every item on the list and by then, he will do whatever we tell him.”

He paused for a moment and then continued.  “Besides”, he said, “Do you know of any other way to warn people of what’s coming in the world and providing a means of educating them on preparing for world events without actually telling them anything.  If we actually told them what was coming, we’d all go to jail and the people-at-large would not be ready.  This way, they figure out what they need to do and take their own action.  It’s perfect.”

There was silence in the room.

“Good”, said the interviewer, “We are all in agreement.  Let’s begin his orientation process immediately.”

He turned and left the room quietly, closing the door behind him.

To be continued.

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© 2015 – Harry Tucker – All Rights Reserved

Background:

When I was a younger man, my former father-in-law, a Colonel in the USAF and now deceased, occasionally dipped into the scotch too much and told me interesting stories that he likely wouldn’t have told me if he were sober.  The exchange was always interesting.  He would offer a subject and then invite me to ask questions.  While he would never say anything outright, he would always say “yes” when I had hit upon a truth.  Our exchanges produced many a night of insight and horror for me.

The reality is that he never said anything although technically he said many things in answering yes or no to my questions.

There are many such people who walk around with great secrets, aching to tell their stories while rationalizing how to maintain the oaths that they have sworn.  They seek to serve their nation proudly while at the same time, they need to make sure that they warn people so that they might prepare for some problematic event in the future.

Politicians find reality to be problematic and doesn’t get them re-elected and with that, they prefer to hide reality from the people.  Terrifying people for no reason doesn’t serve much purpose either, potentially creating problems now while ignoring reality can leave the problems for someone else to deal with.  With these thoughts in mind and since there are many who would like to see people better prepared, I found the subject to be an interesting impetus for this musing.

The list of The 9 Ways of Being an Accessory to Another’s Sin is an actual list, contained within the 1962 edition of the Roman Catholic Daily Missal.  I thought it would serve as an interesting “motivation” to either recruit someone or keep them in line once recruited.

And finally, the job offer described in the post is real.  I know someone who has been offered such a job.

There are, after all, many ways to serve the people.

Some are obvious.

Some are not so.

Series Origin:

This series, a departure from my usual musings, is inspired as a result of conversations with former senior advisors to multiple Presidents of the United States, senior officers in the US Military and other interesting folks as well as my own professional background as a Wall St. / Fortune 25 strategy and large-scale technology architect.

While this musing is just “fiction” and a departure from my musings on technology, strategy, politics and society, as a strategy guy, I do everything for a reason and with a measurable outcome in mind. :-)

This “fictional” musing is a continuation of the #1206 series noted here.