Extreme anti-Woke among the young

[Cold_Collation]

I’m a fan of the old MOD Effective Writing style myself: introduction, detail, conclusion.

The introduction can highlight that canteen culture is discriminatory. The detail can then provide examples of why and the negative impacts. The conclusion can then highlight possible solutions.

Then the discussions can begin.

Or you can just go wibbly and get ignored.

Personally, as the token civvy (and outsider) in an office full of hairy backsided matelots (and that includes the women) for a few years, I found the best way to getting accepted was to do your job to the best of your ability, own your failures, give as good as you got, and don't hold grudges.

Canteen culture is knocking culture. The point is that it knocks everybody.

There are also some more positive aspects. It can preserve a cultural norm where that cultural norm is healthy and needs preserving. It's also a neutraliser and a reinforcement of egalitarianism - but, where someone is determined to be 'special' that's going to ruffle feathers.

A certain poster above is not special for being unusual. We have people on this site who have served or are serving of many different genders and sexualities. I've no issue there; a human being is a human being and it's the person not the 'type' which defines the individual.

You'll get acceptance from me if you get on with getting on. I don't need to be constantly reminded of your needs because you're different. Moreover, you won't get acceptance from me if you're determined to constantly be seen as different.

That's as much my right of choice as a person as it is for whomever else to be whatever shade of unicorn they are today. Us straight white males are special too, you know.

But - and this is important - if 'different' means being constantly chippy then expect the invective to get ramped up. Because then you're just being a tiresome little shït and you'll get what you deserve. No, I'm got going to think about your feelings because you're not thinking about mine.

 

[lokiuk]

I’m a fan of the old MOD Effective Writing style myself: introduction, detail, conclusion.

The introduction can highlight that canteen culture is discriminatory. The detail can then provide examples of why and the negative impacts. The conclusion can then highlight possible solutions.

Then the discussions can begin.

Or you can just go wibbly and get ignored.

Personally, as the token civvy (and outsider) in an office full of hairy backsided matelots (and that includes the women) for a few years, I found the best way to getting accepted was to do your job to the best of your ability, own your failures, give as good as you got, and don't hold grudges.

ETA: to get back onto topic, going full wibbly is why there is a backlash against the woke. Accusing people of hating doesn’t make them change their behaviour, it just encourages them to view you (and your views) as stupid.

I was always told to put the conclusion first, on the basis that might be the only bit that is read, and if they have to wade through pages of detail to get to the conclusion they might just not bother at all

 

[Fiona_TG]

I’m a fan of the old MOD Effective Writing style myself: introduction, detail, conclusion.

The introduction can highlight that canteen culture is discriminatory. The detail can then provide examples of why and the negative impacts. The conclusion can then highlight possible solutions.

Then the discussions can begin.

Or you can just go wibbly and get ignored.

Personally, as the token civvy (and outsider) in an office full of hairy backsided matelots (and that includes the women) for a few years, I found the best way to getting accepted was to do your job to the best of your ability, own your failures, give as good as you got, and don't hold grudges.

ETA: to get back onto topic, going full wibbly is why there is a backlash against the woke. Accusing people of hating doesn’t make them change their behaviour, it just encourages them to view you (and your views) as stupid.

Agree, for anyone to be respected (by mature adults at any rate) that has to be earned, which can only be done by both applying yourself as you say and expecting no preferential treatment.

I find it annoying and patronising if I think anyone overlooks me screwing up when anyone else would be taken to task for the same. Don't treat me worse but don't treat me better than anyone else please. Either of those is insulting and the latter likely to raise the ire of my teammates, it doesn't help them, me or anyone for that matter.

The woke movement, it's various branches and associated belligerent followers are no place for those who see merit as an admirable quality and treat people on that basis. Avoid like the plague I say, and do.

 

[WightMivvi]

I was always told to put the conclusion first, on the basis that might be the only bit that is read, and if they have to wade through pages of detail to get to the conclusion they might just not bother at all

I’ll back out and save face by agreeing that the introduction can include the BLUF (Bottom Line Up Front) which has became more prevalent over the decades following my initial Effective Writing Course.

 

[Cold_Collation]

I was always told to put the conclusion first, on the basis that might be the only bit that is read, and if they have to wade through pages of detail to get to the conclusion they might just not bother at all

There you go., leaping to conclusions...

 

[Fiona_TG]

I was always told to put the conclusion first, on the basis that might be the only bit that is read, and if they have to wade through pages of detail to get to the conclusion they might just not bother at all

Advice in civvyland that I have been guided by says to put the Executive Summary first, then the audience can decide if the really want to read any further. This could include a summary of the conclusion though, mind you conclusion always has to be a single one rather than conclusions.

 

[Fiona_TG]

...and the absolute golden rule I would give to the woke movement (and they really need to learn this, really really) is don't take offence where none was meant, especially if you want to get on with people outside of the woke bubble.

 

[Oyibo]

I was always told to put the conclusion first, on the basis that might be the only bit that is read, and if they have to wade through pages of detail to get to the conclusion they might just not bother at all

In the exec summary it should contain a brief intro, summary of the body of the doc, and conclusions. Preferably one page or two. As you say, some people do not have the time or inclination to read and digest 50+ pages of detail.

 

[jrwlynch]

I was always told to put the conclusion first, on the basis that might be the only bit that is read, and if they have to wade through pages of detail to get to the conclusion they might just not bother at all

Exec Summ up front because that's all that the Busy Important People(TM) will read, unless you really shock, surprise or challenge them. Table of contents and introduction next so that if someone wants to check on why we should buy left-handed veeblefetzers, they can go to the relevant part.

Rule of thumb: SO3s will be told to read the entire report, SO2s will skim through the main body, SO1s and above will read the executive summary.


The rest is either there for audit trail (we tested this scary torpedo battery, it works, here's the autopsy data) for the day when "we tested this scary torpedo battery, it caught fire" happens and there's the evidence to go back to see if it's a one-off or a trend and how we avoid recurrence; or it's there to provide detailed support that folk like D Scrutiny will pick through once the Important People have said "like the look of this" and there's a chance someone might spend money on your Really Good Idea.

If it's neither of those... then why do you need it?

Some folk seem to believe that volume of documentation equals value and "the more pages, the more important": I prefer the Churchillian "This report, by its very length, defends itself against the risk of being read".

 

[Lindermyer]

Some folk seem to believe that volume of documentation equals value and "the more pages, the more important": I prefer the Churchillian "This report, by its very length, defends itself against the risk of being read".

With you there, sometimes however theres just no avoiding it.

The RNZAF Life of Type Study for example

Breakdown of Avionic supportability

Thorough review of condition of wiring -including photos and specific examples unfortunatly the entirely accurate and succint*
The cabling is 30 yr old - it wont like being moved, Dinitrol has been sprayed** on electrical harnesses - Dinitrol will damage said wiring looms the only thing worse will be trying to clean it.


I did get the newest office computr though - to the annoyance of those who felt they were next in line, since my machine couldnt handle the document and senior management found me in their office inconvinient

*For the official report the Kiwi liason who was given copies of my rough draft had no calms in expressing it thus ( He did say youve done a good job of telling us gently - its buggerred - we need a rewire or new aircraft)

**Or Possibly painted - it wasnt a simple fine coating of over spray.

 

[Cold_Collation]

Some folk seem to believe that volume of documentation equals value and "the more pages, the more important": I prefer the Churchillian "This report, by its very length, defends itself against the risk of being read".

Oh, don't. I had to deal with someone a few years ago with someone who calculated a report's 'greatness' according to word count. 11,000 words was clearly better than 3,000.

It got to a ridiculous point where the most exquisite curate's eggs were being created - seemingly never for publication but getting ever-longer.

An exasperated colleague suggested to the author that a one-page summary of something was needed, and he got on and wrote one.

Followed this conversation:

Author: "Your executive summary misses some of the detail."
Colleague: "Yes, it's an executive summary."
Author: "Could we add in some detail?"
Colleague: "It's in the report."
Author: "Could we extend the one-page summary and make it two pages?"
Colleague: "The clue's in the name..."
Author: [Puzzled and slightly rancorous silence]

The author eventually retired, to the visible relief of several people.


Several people, including Churchill, have been attributed with the line, "Sorry I wrote you a long letter, I didn't have time to write you a short one."

 

[Ryder02]

Yawn ...

it's almost as though canteen / crew room 'culture' is something that you don't realise exists .. .nor the way in which assessment processes can be culturally loaded...

I guess most white men can hold a conversation in a social setting about rugby, soccer and cricket and that many men from South Asian or Carribean backgrounds can join in those conversations about cricket at least ... could you hold your own a similar conversation about Ballet ?

Having not all that long ago dated a former ballerina, quite possibly - if only enough to understand the conversation if not add meaningfully to it.

On the other hand I despise football, barely understand rugby and cricket is like something from another planet.

Sorry I don’t fit a neat little stereotype.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Cold_Collation]

Sorry I don’t fit a neat little stereotype.

How dare you not allow yourself to be pigeonholed.

So typical...

 

[Fiona_TG]

Oh, don't. I had to deal with someone a few years ago with someone who calculated a report's 'greatness' according to word count. 11,000 words was clearly better than 3,000.

It got to a ridiculous point where the most exquisite curate's eggs were being created - seemingly never for publication but getting ever-longer.

An exasperated colleague suggested to the author that a one-page summary of something was needed, and he got on and wrote one.

Followed this conversation:

Author: "Your executive summary misses some of the detail."
Colleague: "Yes, it's an executive summary."
Author: "Could we add in some detail?"
Colleague: "It's in the report."
Author: "Could we extend the one-page summary and make it two pages?"
Colleague: "The clue's in the name..."
Author: [Puzzled and slightly rancorous silence]

The author eventually retired, to the visible relief of several people.


Several people, including Churchill, have been attributed with the line, "Sorry I wrote you a long letter, I didn't have time to write you a short one."

...and this reminds me, new management team in where I was working a number of years ago at Standard & Poor's and they were looking to stand tall. Cue review of my ITDR and BC plan that managed a (sensible) scope as agreed with the business. The new management thought my plan deficient because it didn't cover matters outside of the scope, so essentially it got knocked back because it didn't do what is was not meant to do even though it managed what is was meant to do perfectly well.

New manager directed me to include all sorts of irrelevant crap that extended the plan to over 100 pages. It was useless and would have helped no-one in a real incident. I pointed out that we seemed to be preparing for good audits and tests rather than being sure we would be ready for an event if it happened for real.

Rather than argue with ********* it was just easier to not argue and leave them with the crap they had created.

On another note a junior lad (nice bloke, all enthusiastic and ready to apply what he had learned) and on speaking with him I figured out he had not realised the IT facts of life. I asked him what Change Management was for. He started on the "to ensure that change is managed with due risk mitigation, communicated as necessary so reducing the chance of unscheduled service impact...." and so on. I stopped him, I advised that is what we tell people but in reality it is there to stop him getting sacked when something goes wrong as it surely will at some point. If he does not follow process then he gets sacked regardless of what the actual cause of unexpected impact was. If he follows due process and it goes wrong then he is fine, it is the fault of the process and so he won't be sacked. That pretty much gave him one of the most valuable lessons he had in negotiating the minefield that the office is.

Anyway I have retired from all that office bollocks now; monthly management reports, appraisals, objective settings and progress measurement along with paradigm shifts, focus groups, workshops and breakout groups, water cooler conversations, working lunch (ha, scoff s sandwich while poring over a spreadsheet) PPTs, blue sky thinking, leveraging this and that while thinking out of the box are now firmly (and thankfully) in the past for me.

 

[jrwlynch]

How dare you not allow yourself to be pigeonholed.

So typical...

Isn't that a microaggression that must be punished?

I'm having trouble keeping track...

 

[dogmeat]

Isn't that a microaggression that must be punished?

I'm having trouble keeping track...

Hold your cruelly coerced and enslaved load-pulling quadrupeds.

We don't punish people any more.

We "need have this conversation" in order to "educate yourself" instead.

 

[jrwlynch]

Hold your cruelly coerced and enslaved load-pulling quadrupeds.

We don't punish people any more.

We "need have this conversation" in order to "educate yourself" instead.

Of course, I forgot, I'm required to volunteer for the entirely optional self-criticism sessions...

 

[enpointe]

Who calls you "freak" and "delusional," and why do you think that occurs ?

ignorant fools who have an obsession with my medical history and bedroom activities

 

[enpointe]

Given that I took ballet lessons when younger, yes.

Oh, and for information, don't **** with a ballet dancer. Typically, she may be 5 foot tall and built like a twig, but she's lithe, supple and strong enough to kick your face through the back of your head.

an apt description of of the skills and abilities of serious dancers

 

[lokiuk]

Of course, I forgot, I'm required to volunteer for the entirely optional self-criticism sessions...

Is it a disciplinary offence if you don't volunteer?