The Smart Rat
A close friend has found herself in a challenging situation. She’s bright, a hard worker, and a tremendous asset to her company. In fact, her efforts have improved multiple projects, and the managers have promoted her. Wonderful! Right? Well, no.
Her job is frustrating because the company is large, meaning there is endless. Well, have no fear. The owners hired an outside vice president to fix all the problems. When it came time to update her department, she was put in charge of several projects. The result is more work and responsibility without authority. To make matters worse, her manager is spineless and takes on every project without pushback. Now, she is swamped with work; the projects are slower, and she is getting more blame.
It gets worse. Her main project is writing a government proposal. Like all such projects, the government has strict procedures, and if they are done per their guidelines and the questions are thoroughly answered, then the proposal might get accepted. The VP wants to skip the first step (safety) to save time. Is the government going to allow that? Of course not.
There is an even bigger problem. Three other companies have approved excellent solutions, but their proposed solution will be less than 30% effective. Why on earth is the company going in this direction? It is a big market, and the owners only see dollar signs. The result is that she is working like crazy on something that will never be approved or used. I see the frustration in her eyes every time we talk.
What is she going to do about it? Because the company is huge, correcting the multiple issues across all departments will take a gigantic effort, and the VP shows no signs of heading in that direction. This leaves one viable solution for my friend. Find a new job.
This woman has had several interviews, and I anticipate that next week, she will turn in her resignation. Will the managers be surprised? Of course, but her coworkers will not because they are looking, too. I have seen this pattern many times. Great coworkers see problems, get frustrated, and leave. There is an old saying, “The smart rats leave the sinking ship first,” which perfectly explains what is happening to my friend.
What is going on? One can view society and companies like waves gently rolling in the sea. Sure, there are storms, but usually, they gently roll by. Something to be ignored. The key is watching the waves and ensuring your ship is positioned to capture their energy. What is a wave? It is anything substantial that can be considered good or bad.
Take the computer and the cashier. Let’s pretend it is the early ‘80s. For a cashier to do their job effectively, they spend years learning prices and how to operate a mechanical cash register—completing a refund? Wow, learning how to do it effectively is a big part of the job.
Then, a big wave approaches. A company invented a cash register that has a computer inside. This technology has a price database and a barcode scanner. Suddenly, the cashier sees the future. All their skills are meaningless. The smart cashier sees two options: Learn how to use a computerized cash register or take their career in a new direction. The oblivious cashier did not see the big wave, and a few months later, the owner bought computerized cash registers. Now, the oblivious cashier is out of a job.
This pattern is all over modern society. We desire the latest entertainment, a time-saving kitchen gadget, look for a shorter route to work, avoid an unpleasant situation, ignore a problem, or do something stupid when we know better. The trick is to see the big picture and make the best decisions for the long term. This means paying attention to innovations and taking advantage of the situation, technology, or windfall.
As always, I try to tie concepts into writing. In this case, the smart rat. This character type would be wise, make good decisions, see the trends, avoid unpleasantness, and do their best to lead a happy life. Err, I’m describing a lazy know-it-all. Yeah…
Take the situation my friend is in. No reader wants depressing work descriptions. How about some conflict? Tell that VP to shove it! And the cashier? Why spend pages lamenting about learning how to use a computerized device? It’s easy. Move on!
My point is that an author must be careful when creating characters that mimic real-life situations. Readers like typical characters who live exciting lives. They dislike tedious situations, apparent solutions to big problems, and characters who seem to think they know everything. Yet, this is precisely what people must do to remain ahead. Be the smart rat. It is interesting when life mirrors art, but even more fascinating when the opposite is true.
You’re the best -Bill
November 20, 2024
Her job is frustrating because the company is large, meaning there is endless. Well, have no fear. The owners hired an outside vice president to fix all the problems. When it came time to update her department, she was put in charge of several projects. The result is more work and responsibility without authority. To make matters worse, her manager is spineless and takes on every project without pushback. Now, she is swamped with work; the projects are slower, and she is getting more blame.
It gets worse. Her main project is writing a government proposal. Like all such projects, the government has strict procedures, and if they are done per their guidelines and the questions are thoroughly answered, then the proposal might get accepted. The VP wants to skip the first step (safety) to save time. Is the government going to allow that? Of course not.
There is an even bigger problem. Three other companies have approved excellent solutions, but their proposed solution will be less than 30% effective. Why on earth is the company going in this direction? It is a big market, and the owners only see dollar signs. The result is that she is working like crazy on something that will never be approved or used. I see the frustration in her eyes every time we talk.
What is she going to do about it? Because the company is huge, correcting the multiple issues across all departments will take a gigantic effort, and the VP shows no signs of heading in that direction. This leaves one viable solution for my friend. Find a new job.
This woman has had several interviews, and I anticipate that next week, she will turn in her resignation. Will the managers be surprised? Of course, but her coworkers will not because they are looking, too. I have seen this pattern many times. Great coworkers see problems, get frustrated, and leave. There is an old saying, “The smart rats leave the sinking ship first,” which perfectly explains what is happening to my friend.
What is going on? One can view society and companies like waves gently rolling in the sea. Sure, there are storms, but usually, they gently roll by. Something to be ignored. The key is watching the waves and ensuring your ship is positioned to capture their energy. What is a wave? It is anything substantial that can be considered good or bad.
Take the computer and the cashier. Let’s pretend it is the early ‘80s. For a cashier to do their job effectively, they spend years learning prices and how to operate a mechanical cash register—completing a refund? Wow, learning how to do it effectively is a big part of the job.
Then, a big wave approaches. A company invented a cash register that has a computer inside. This technology has a price database and a barcode scanner. Suddenly, the cashier sees the future. All their skills are meaningless. The smart cashier sees two options: Learn how to use a computerized cash register or take their career in a new direction. The oblivious cashier did not see the big wave, and a few months later, the owner bought computerized cash registers. Now, the oblivious cashier is out of a job.
This pattern is all over modern society. We desire the latest entertainment, a time-saving kitchen gadget, look for a shorter route to work, avoid an unpleasant situation, ignore a problem, or do something stupid when we know better. The trick is to see the big picture and make the best decisions for the long term. This means paying attention to innovations and taking advantage of the situation, technology, or windfall.
As always, I try to tie concepts into writing. In this case, the smart rat. This character type would be wise, make good decisions, see the trends, avoid unpleasantness, and do their best to lead a happy life. Err, I’m describing a lazy know-it-all. Yeah…
Take the situation my friend is in. No reader wants depressing work descriptions. How about some conflict? Tell that VP to shove it! And the cashier? Why spend pages lamenting about learning how to use a computerized device? It’s easy. Move on!
My point is that an author must be careful when creating characters that mimic real-life situations. Readers like typical characters who live exciting lives. They dislike tedious situations, apparent solutions to big problems, and characters who seem to think they know everything. Yet, this is precisely what people must do to remain ahead. Be the smart rat. It is interesting when life mirrors art, but even more fascinating when the opposite is true.
You’re the best -Bill
November 20, 2024
