On Beating Dead Horses

Dakota tribal wisdom says that when you

discover you are riding a dead horse, the best strategy is to dismount.

However, in organizations like large companies, government, hospitals,

school districts, etc., we frequently try other strategies.

These can include the following:

  

Buying a stronger whip.

Changing riders.

Declaring, "this is the way we've always ridden this horse."

Appointing a committee to study the horse. Arranging to visit other sites to see how they ride dead horses.

Increasing the standards to ride dead horses. Creating a training session to increase riding ability.

Appointing a 'tiger team' to revive the dead horse.

Passing a senior management resolution that the horse is not dead.

Blaming the horse's parents and/or environmental conditions when it was a colt.

Harnessing several dead horses together for increased speed.

Declaring that, "no horse is too dead to beat."

Providing additional funding to improve the horse's performance.

Doing a study to see if outside contractors can ride it cheaper.

Declaring that the horse is "better, faster, and cheaper" dead.

Forming a quality circle to find uses for dead horses.

Revisiting the performance requirements for horses.

Saying this horse was procured with cost as an independent variable.

Promoting the horse to a supervisory position.

  

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