You Don't Get A Chance To Do Do-Overs

Friday, October 10, 2008

http://www.thestar.com/FederalElection/article/515263

Yes you do!

“Mangled TV interview shows Liberal leader wouldn't be able to manage economy, Harper says”

“A broadcast interview showing Liberal Leader Stéphane Dion struggling in English to grasp a question about the economy shows Dion is unfit to lead the country, Prime Minister Stephen Harper said last night.”

Thousands, Millions, Billions, Trillions of dollars at stake.

If I didn’t understand the question, I’d ask it be re-posed.

And re-posed again.

And again.

Until I understood the question.

Then I’d answer it.

Political wrangling aside (would you vote for anyone who’d resolve a $trillion issue in a glib answer?), my business is business problems.

My style is paper-and-pencil. Questions, questions and more questions.

I gingerly beat the client over the head with “Why do you say that?” and “How do you know?” and similar questions, until I have cornered them into some solid facts.

Then I issue the proposal.

But not before I really feel that I understand the real problem.

“Measure Twice, Cut Once”, our carpentry teacher taught us.

“Better safe than sorry” our mother taught us.

“Think before you act”. I read that somewhere.

“Don’t re-act, re-ask!”. I just made that up.

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