The decision tree

I have been driven to distraction by the way decisions seem to be made at work! This seems to be the format.

The vice -commander gets told what the budget is for next year. Somehow it is always less than it should be but the commander-in-chief always manages to convince the vice-commander that it is the same as last year even though it is less.

Vice-commander writes down lots of figures and numbers on a scrap of paper and then looses it. Vice commander then calls a 10 minute meeting with her wing commanders and asks them what they think. Wing commanders ask for the budget to be explained and for some detail about what the options are but by this time the 10 minutes is up and everyone is on holiday the following week.

Vice-commander decides to meet with each one of the troops individually to ask them what they would like to do next year. She is often surprised and taken a back when what they want to do is not what she wants them to do.

Vice-commander ignores the problem for 2 weeks and in the meantime the troops get restless and unsettled and mutter amongst themselves. Requests are made for clarity.

Vice-commander calls another urgent meeting with the wing commanders but they are all away.

Vice-commander meets again with a few individual troop members that happen to be in the corridor.

Troops get even more unsettled. Vice-commander is away on a course so the troops decide to sort it out without her and make a decision.

This means that the troops can then get on with the strategic planning for next year.

Order is restored.