Here are a few closing words I placed
in my annual report one year. It didn’t generate a reaction of any
kind. It makes me wonder if anyone reads the annual report; either
that or they have put me on “ignore” status.
Institutional Diplomacy
With no fear whatsoever we offer the
facts provided in this report. With some trepidation we also offer
some opinions and perceptions. We realize all too well that if the
opinions are unpopular, the King may choose to kill the messenger.
The movie character Jerry Maguire naively believed his organization
would benefit from the open and honest communication contained in his
mission statement. It was instead the end of his career in that
organization. We shouldn’t “kill the messenger” bearing
unpopular views, or views with which we disagree. Honest opinions are
hard to come by and should be encouraged. It is better to have
issues out in the open than to have those issues undermining the
operation.
It’s
been said that diplomacy is an obstacle to clear and effective
communication. With that thought in mind we hope that this report
minimizes diplomacy and maximizes communication.
