Guest
02-23-2009, 05:49 PM
Any impressions? Of course we do not know the details of the individual sessions and there actually may be some meat there, but the closing session brought back many bad DC memories. I attended innumerable similar cross-organizational meetings over the years where issues were discussed in an honest manner and solutions were sought. Then at the wrap-up session where the Big Bubba thanked everyone for all their work and everyone else tried for face time, you got a somewhat optimistic feeling. We might have nailed some problems and agreed upon some solutions. Walking out, everybody felt great.
Then the host's report comes out and somehow issues and especially decisions differ greatly from how you remember them. Meanwhile, all the participants have returned home and rice bowls regain their supreme importance. Minor concessions are now deal blockers. Nobody signs off on the never quite finished product.
But I always felt such meetings did have benefit. It gave you one day of hope and it showed that no matter how badly you thought your organization was progressing, you discovered that you were no worse off than the others.
But we got some good sound bites/bytes out of today's summit.
`
Then the host's report comes out and somehow issues and especially decisions differ greatly from how you remember them. Meanwhile, all the participants have returned home and rice bowls regain their supreme importance. Minor concessions are now deal blockers. Nobody signs off on the never quite finished product.
But I always felt such meetings did have benefit. It gave you one day of hope and it showed that no matter how badly you thought your organization was progressing, you discovered that you were no worse off than the others.
But we got some good sound bites/bytes out of today's summit.
`