Guest Blog Filed by: IoGT Executive Director of Human Resources, Mr David Fernbacher
Many people constantly overlook the vital role that basic career planning plays in determining how far we climb up the slippery corporate ladder. Despite our best efforts, I am sure everybody occasionally feels as though his or her career isn’t quite working out as planned. While it is sometimes difficult to put a finger directly on the exact source of our anxiety, one thing is for certain- everyone has the odd regret.
Perhaps if I had studied a bit harder in high school?…Perhaps I should have bolstered the old resume with a CPR course or re-skilled with a few night school computer courses…..Maybe the wife is right to when she says I should get off my lazy behind and finally get an MBA?……I bet that’s exactly how this guy feels.
I think we can safely assume the grand plan isn’t working out here.
For me, the most amusing aspect of this example is that the poor chap in the photo appears to be sitting on a soil base soft enough for plants to grow freely through it. This leads me to think that it probably wouldn’t be too difficult to simply push the two poles into the ground and have it stand up of its own volition allowing the man to flee the target zone. Perhaps this will occur to him once his colleagues open fire on the paper target two feet above his head. Alas, I think we can safely assume he isn’t the sharpest bulb in the knife draw.
And just when you thought the man at extension #12 couldn’t possibly appear any more comically worthless..… let us not forget the fact that his role could in all likelihood be adequately performed free of any ongoing cost by attaching a third wooden pole to stabilize the reverse side. I wouldn’t like to estimate the costs involved with fully sourcing, retraining, and equipping a replacement for this man, but basically what his employer appears be saying is that it is less than an additional piece of plywood. My guess is they have quite sensibly hedged this risk by providing the adorable little stool that allows him to position his vital organs further away from the center of the target. That’s what I would have done.
I also giggled when I realized that families seem to have constructed their homes and restaurants directly behind the target range.
In hindsight, was there no better area of town to bring up the family or start a small business!? I suppose I shouldn’t be too surprised though, everybody knows that Chinese people love a bargain, and they probably got the land for a steal. I just hoped they moved in afterwards because the target range would have absolutely destroyed their resale value.
On a personal note, I want to finish by saying that despite this poor chap’s precarious predicament, I suspect its perhaps well deserved considering his choice of combination dark pants & white sox. At my former office we used to call this the “Michael Jackson Look”.
Given that everybody already knows the late King of Pop is the only person conceivably capable of pulling this difficult look off, it is best considered an offence worthy of open and overt ridicule when any mere mortal tries it.
If I only had ten Yen for the number of times I have rolled my eyes at some poor chap sitting in the morning train reading the paper with his pitiful old white terrors on full display to all and sundry.
