Conditions in La La Land have not changed. I am emotionally convinced that the ‘powers that be’ do not WANT to finish this building.
Recently I was directed to install two pieces of specialty equipment. It was rather simple, really. Thirty holes drilled into the concrete floor, thirty concrete fasteners in the holes, tighten to manufacturer’s specifications, done. All told, it should have taken me less than two days from the time the equipment arrived at the door to being done with my part and moving on.
NOT!
I was required to use concrete fasteners that were specified by La La Land, not the equipment manufacturer. When I tightened these fasteners to La La Land specifications, they tightened up and interfered with the device itself. * To those of us who wear blue collars, the solution would seem obvious; cut the top off the fastener. I was told that I was not allowed to do this until I had a directive in writing as to what was acceptable.
I waited nearly two weeks with no direction. I brought it to management attention every day. I was told that I would have direction soon. Soon became a series of “reasons” that no one could give me direction in writing, and now telling me verbally to cut the tops off the bolts.
I called “bullshit” and demanded written direction, publicly and loudly.
I finally got the direction I needed. It took me less than 20 minutes to cut the bolts.
It took me over three weeks to do a job that should have taken me two days. Why? Because there were always “reasons” that things could not be done. **
I am convinced that there is so much “cover my ass” in La La Land that no one can even remember “get ‘er done” or what it means.
There are so many layers of specifications and requirements that no one even knows what is acceptable. If you ask the people who are supposed to know, they are afraid to commit because there may be something they missed or don’t know about and they don’t want to be responsible.
They are mired in the syrup of government protectionism. They are taking away any ownership the crafts can have of their work, and any pride a craftsperson had when they arrived. They are not trying to fix a system that obviously does not work.
And today’s quote is a long one;
Pournelle’s Iron Law of Bureaucracy states that in any bureaucratic organization there will be two kinds of people. First, there will be those who are devoted to the goals of the organization. Examples are dedicated classroom teachers in an educational bureaucracy, many of the engineers are scientists at NASA, even some agricultural scientists and advisors in the former Soviet Union collective farming administration.
Secondly, there will be those dedicated to the organization itself. Examples are many of the administrators in the education system, many professors of education, many teachers union officials, much of the NASA headquarters staff, etc.
The Iron Law states that in every case the second group will gain and keep control of the organization. It will write the rules, and control promotions within the organization.
*While I was drilling these holes, I was ‘observed’ by never less than one quality control inspector and three safety observers. These individuals did nothing other than watch me to make certain I was following proper procedures. Four people stood there and watched me work alone. It was almost like I was living a cliché.
**Not on my part. I was ready every time I could do anything and pushed the hell out of others to get their parts ready so I could do my job.
