Well, it’s tough
“Of all those arts in
which the wise excel, Nature's chief masterpiece is writing well.” This quote
is attributed to both John Sheffield, 1st Duke of Buckingham and Normanby (1647–1721) and André Breton (1896–1966); however, I do not intend to make any issue of the
results of my internet search.
Writing well can be
viewed as both a wellspring and a craft. At least, this became my reading of
the quote, not as a sign of wisdom, but as a recognition that the willingness
to express oneself and the choice of expression have won changes in areas that seem
intractable.
Over the last few
weeks, the teams in which I work have found themselves subject to management's
pressing inclination to seek statistical successes with little consideration of
the effort involved that does not show up in the figures. It has been nigh on
impossible to communicate the difficulties in our battles to tackle the
problems we have encountered.
Well, Bad Faith
At one point, in what
was clearly a breach of trust and confidence, we were both threatened and
bullied. It was a particularly low exercise of managerial control, oblivious of
everything but meeting some arbitrary target. It rankled so much that I even found
my voice fading in agitation, anger, and angst whilst challenging the various
ungallant uses of office.
Much as I appreciate
that people in authority might be caught up in the illusions of power and
demands, they cannot defy the reality of the practical elements necessary for
achieving what they want. It is against this backdrop that I entered the fray
of another push for targets without a sense of effort.
My goal, expressed a
few days before, was for management to reward those putting in the most to
achieve the target, even if the seemingly impossible target could not be met
and the goalposts shifted in the meagre rewards they were offering. A difficult
exchange ensued that first challenged the premise, then conditioned the
situation, before adjusting the focus.
Well, Write Well
Fetching from the
writing well of wisdom, gauging the time to interject and pressing the case, I
first exposed the numbers malady before setting the perspective. This was
presented in an inadvertent comment from a manager; my response was a case of
writing well for effect.
It put the purpose on
the defensive and led to a reassessment of the goal, but I held back from
responding further. The ordered use of words is a skill demanding the scalpel
blade of teasing rather than the machete of chopping. What ensued included
receiving a slight rebuke, but the bruises of battle are part of being in a
fight, though it rarely feels like one when the other party needs to exert
authority.
The initiative
eventually came without my suggesting it directly. Whether the target is met or
not, the best-performing member of the team will be adequately rewarded. This
should have been done the week before, beyond empty platitudes. Is it any
wonder morale is so low?
Well, Just Write
The writing well is a
resource from which I have dug deep to fetch the fresh water of writing well in
the art of persuasion. The wounds matter less given the many victories won
through time. I don't even bother to celebrate the wins, except in appreciation
of the gift of writing well.
I suppose this is why
this blog exists. Of all the mediums of expression available to engage us,
writing has the potential to exist long after interest has been lost in hearing
and watching people perform.