How to Work for an Idiot

How to Work for an Idiot is the debris they scraped off the wall after a management consultant’s head exploded. For over two decades, Dr. John Hoover wrote books on leadership, creativity, and organizational performance. He traveled far and wide extolling the virtues of flattened organizations, collaborative leadership, and shared responsibility in the workplace. His clients welcomed him and nodded approvingly as he taught the principles of teamwork and open communication. They politely waited until he had finished and left the building before ignoring his advice.

Dr. John was unaware of what was about to happen as he facilitated a two-day retreat with upper executives. As usual, he swallowed hard as the COO said, “We need to sharpen our saw.”

He narrowly avoided gagging when CEO said, “We need to think out of the box!”

He appreciated their good intentions, but how many clich s can one person digest in a single lifetime? Nevertheless, Dr. John was a pro. He even maintained his composure when the CFO said, “Who moved my cheese?”

The assembled executives burst into a spontaneous round of applause. The CFO continued, “No. I’m trying to make a sandwich here. Who moved my cheese?”

Dr. John knelt at his Marriott bedside that night spent time on his knees, praying for the strength to make it through the second day and collect his check. His Higher Power gave him the will to arrive fresh the following morning and embrace the executives’ enthusiasm as they endeavored to shift their paradigm and engender a culture of enlightened growth and change.

“Let’s continue where we left off yesterday,” Dr. John encouraged. “Let’s think out of the box!”

“Why do we want to do that?” the CEO spewed, as if he had just bit into a sour pickle.