(noun) not to be confused with a thespian production, but often used by those with a flair for the theatrical, this term refers generically to a strategic initiative or action in a competitive environment, as in: “We’re making a strong play in the high-end market” or “There’s definitely a big play in the Asian space”; may derive from sports like American football in which formations are designed in advance and utilized when the particular circumstances require
I’m a management consultant and writer serving organizations both large (Fortune 500) and small (nonprofit) on a range of strategic issues
Pac-Man
Posted on October 31, 2018
(verb) an extremely obscure term meaning to make consistent progress at a steady and sustainable rate; refers to the arcade game that was extremely popular in the 1980s, in which the titular Pac-Man moved at a consistent speed that could not be changed by the player, steadily consuming dots; for example: “I’ve got a whole quarter’s worth of reports to compile so I’m just going to Pac-Man through them all evening”; not to be confused with the Pac-Man defense, in which the target of a hostile takeover turns around and attempts to swallow up its antagonist, as when the roles of Pac-Man and the pursuing ghosts are temporarily reversed through the former’s consumption of a power pellet
help me understand
Posted on October 24, 2018
a seemingly innocuous phrase often but not always used to subtly introduce disagreement or skepticism without appearing combative, as in: “Help me understand why you think that’s the right move”; has the strong implication that the recipient’s point of view is unconvincing to the user of this statement; generally stated by an individual of higher rank to a subordinate, the latter of which will then be responsible for providing further information to the interlocutor’s satisfaction; “help me understand” can be the coup de grâce if someone is already flailing in attempts to justify his or her position
leave fruit on the tree
Posted on October 23, 2018
to act in such a way that some resources remain available for when later needs arise; in the case of sales, for instance, this could mean not aggressively pursuing all potential leads in a target company at once, leaving a remainder that can be approached in leaner times, as in “Let’s not contact every VP this round, we want to leave some fruit on the tree”; alternatively the phrase can mean to intentionally omit something due to prioritization of other issues, in this way potentially avoiding boiling the ocean, as in “We don’t have to analyze every single customer demographic before we set our prices, it’s okay to leave some fruit on the tree”; related to juice not worth the squeeze, in which something is left undone due to minimal expected payoff
Slow down less
Usain Bolt and the rat race
Posted on October 15, 2018
On your marks
In the final of the men’s 100-meter dash at the 2008 Beijing Olympics the prohibitive favorite got off to a middling start, with most competitors managing to stay with him through the first half of the race. However by meter 50 Usain Bolt was starting to break free, and in the final stretch he pulled further away until at the finish he was almost two strides clear of the runner in second place—a huge gap in a track event at this level. While the seven other athletes gave everything they had, Bolt appeared to just accelerate away from them.
Or did he? Fans of track and field know that what looks like increasing speed in competitive sprints is actually an illusion. In Beijing, Bolt hit his top speed of 44 km/h (27 mph) around meter 60 but was actually about 4 km/h slower when he crossed the finish line. Yet by that point he was so far clear of the others that he had time to showboat, costing him a few hundredths of a second on what was still a new world record time.
In a 100-meter race runners are moving their fastest about halfway through, but everyone slows down towards the end; not even top athletes can maintain their pace. So what accounts for the growing gap between winners and the rest?
As it turns out, the best runners slow down less. Even though maintaining peak performance can’t be done for very long, they fight to lose as little as possible.Read more…
- Or more accurately, this 6-year old’s very enterprising parents ↩
- It’s a safe bet that the last time Donald Trump fired up a budget spreadsheet was, well, never. But that’s not a partisan observation – it’s doubtful that Barack Obama was running VLOOKUPs from the Resolute desk in the Oval Office either. ↩
- And no, sticking on a wig while you slum it with the rank-and-file to drum up publicity on an episode of Undercover Boss doesn’t count. ↩
- Snapchat makes little sense to those over 30 and is incomprehensible to those over 40. I would never want to overlay my face with that of an animated raccoon spewing rainbows from its mouth, would I? The very thought is absurd, no? Millions of users, and a commensurate amount of venture capital provided by salivating Silicon Valley types, beg to differ. ↩
- Even the great Usain Bolt knows when to hang up his track spikes, and move on to a career of massive endorsement contracts, plus a professional soccer career that’s not as quixotic as it sounds, all punctuated with his trademark lightning bolt pose. Very few top athletes maintain their careers into their late 30s, Tom Brady and his notoriously ascetic diet excepted. ↩
tough row to hoe
Posted on October 10, 2018
a specific task or challenge that will be especially difficult, particularly in comparison to related work that must also be completed; for example: “Getting the Asia-Pacific region to sign off on the global sales approach will be a tough row to hoe”; comes from the traditional preparation of farmland using an implement to till the soil and create regular furrows in advance of seeding; during this process certain areas would require more effort due to the presence of rocks, weeds, or other irregularities; this phrase serves as an alternate version of tough putt, for those more agriculturally-inclined, and may not be fully comprehended by listeners far removed from pastoral settings
set the cat among the pigeons
Posted on October 3, 2018
(chiefly British) to perform an action that will cause extreme agitation, nervousness, discord, or other states characterized by frantic activity; such an action is unlikely to have a productive outcome unless chaos itself is the desired end, as in: “I wouldn’t send the cost-cutting consultants out to meet the rank-and-file unless you want to set the cat among the pigeons”; evokes the terror of defenseless birds when faced with the sudden nearness of their deadliest enemy; can be done intentionally as a power-demonstrating move by those who have less of it than they think
circle the drain
Posted on September 26, 2018
to be caught in an accelerating process of imminent collapse or failure, as with objects in the swirling flow of water at the bottom of a sink or tub that is nearly empty; in a business context the phrase is usually applied to a company that is nearing bankruptcy; recognition that an organization is circling the drain can lead to increasing desperation as employees with alternatives flee as quickly as possible and suppliers and customers demand increasingly onerous terms or cease transacting entirely, all of which serve to hasten the company’s demise
poacher turned gamekeeper
Posted on September 19, 2018
when an individual previously opposed to a certain initiative, approach, strategy, etc., is suddenly charged with maintaining and advancing it, usually as a result of personnel changes; in organizations this is often the case when a new leader is appointed who suddenly has responsibility for the activities started by his or her predecessor; evokes the image of an outlaw prone to furtively sniping animals in a preserve now given the job of ensuring their protection from others who would do the same; the mindset shift that accompanies such a change in roles can make clear to the new “gamekeeper” how easy it is to detract from something, in comparison to building it up
points on the board
Posted on September 12, 2018
something that demonstrates concrete results, usually in reference to revenues or sales; usage of this phrase can imply a fundamental or expected level of performance, as in “We can’t expect to get any more investment from HQ until we start putting points on the board”; derives from the use of scoreboards in sports like basketball or American football, in which real-time outcomes are displayed publicly for all spectators; as with other jargon like uplift, attempts to elide plain talk about money
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