Two examples, in my view, of business stupidity:

1) The project I'm engaged on at work now has, get this, 5 project managers. There is:

  • 1 x Principle Project Manager
  • 1 x Project Manager
  • 1 x Project Manager - Quality Control
  • 1 x Project Manager - Risk, Issues and Finance
  • 1 x Project Manager (representing the consultancy I'm working for)

Therefore the main project team is comprised of 5 project managers plus 2 technical consultants - me and Ken, and I'm really only there so that there's cover for Ken when he goes on holiday next month. The phrase 'too many chiefs..' comes to mind. So that's 5 project managers, each of which love to have separate meetings and need constant status updates, all of which takes time away from myself and Ken actually working on delivery of the technical solution which is the reason for the project. Crazy!

2) Tomorrow, I'm taking Rachelle to the airport to catch a 6:30am flight to Sydney for a meeting. She's not actually going into Sydney itself. The meeting is being held in the Quantus lounge in Sydney airport, after which she's flying straight back again. So her company is flying the branch managers from each corner of Australia to Sydney for a meeting and then flying them straight back again. Have they not heard of tele-conferencing!