At the Office: Random Rambling

At my workplace, we used to say: "What is common sense to one, is not common to another." It emphasises how different the thoughts humans can have on a single matter.

And with the monstrous number of departments or humans affecting a decision, or a work procedure, after much deliberation, all could turn up utterly preposterous. There is no place for "thin-slicing" (as defined by Malcolm Gladwell in his book "Blink"), considering the red tape and bureaucracy. Maybe a slight twist to the original saying is apt: "What is common sense to one, is not common to many."

There are also matters of the heart such as "public sentiment" that could ruin something like the best cost-saving innovation. That's why sometimes I think that the public service should remain what it is: all for the people (that is, existing to serve the public, including it's employees), instead of all for profit. It all seems so hypocritical if you could just outsource government departments wholesale to a GLC, put an ex-military officer in-charge, and voila! Suddenly, taxpayers' money is saved and we are supposed to act like we've been in the private sector for ages. Hell, if only the people further up the corporate ladder could see what I see. To wit, "What is common sense to one, is not common to many."

So, do you see what I see?