Indeed. I suspect the correlation is inverse. The less you say, the smarter they think you are.

Seriously though. I watch folks in meeting now, more closely than I used to. Some of my favorites are absolutely reliable. One of our very best construction managers says nothing, leans back and is actually a short distance from the table. Lots of others are leaning OVER the table, talking. This guy just sits, and picks his moment. No earlier than halfway through the expected meeting period. When the discussion is on a seque moment, he'll move his body a bit, and briefly ask a question. The question steers the discussion. If the discussion continues appropriately, he won't need to say anything else. If not, he may need to speak another time. When the meeting is over, I notice that he controlled the discussion, without having to do the talking. And everyone leaves thinking he was the smartest guy in the meeting.

Seriously though. In my original post, I was just reflecting on the difficult mental calisthenics that some folks require in order to make all the connections between the problems, the facts, the solution alternatives and the likely fallout from the alternatives. And some folks see all that.....pretty much at a glance.

Another way of saying this is that a small percentage of meeting attendees will essentially have it all figured out five minutes into the meeting. The other 55 minutes are spend educating the others, and bringing them through the five-minute thought process.

I wish I could lick my own balls....

dogs are cool

well , i do too ,
but i have to balance living the life with earning the paycheck...

It sounds like Rob understands. It's like watching an entire football game.......in slow motion.

SUpe has a point. There is an old adage:

"A fool may be seen as a wise man provided he keeps his own counsel."

I bet what impresses them the most is when you blast off into the sunset, about two inches off the ground. You should wear a cape, but it would probably just burn on the expansion chamber. ;)

WOOF WOOF, WOOF

If only I could drive one of those little shifters to the office, that would be pretty cool.

No cape today, just wearing my sunglasses and have my hood pulled over my head. Yep, came to work as the unabomber, and it actually seems to unsettle a couple people, even better.

Too bad there are no meetings today for me to sit in and play with poker chips in an irritating manner.

Re: Re: Is You Smart Like Me?
 

Genetics AND exercise. Without exercise, brain function slows way down no matter how fact it functioned when you were 20.

What? You can't? Am I the onl...nevermind. ;)

This is why I despise meetings. Even informal 2-4 person meetings at my desk. I show them 2-3 solutions to a given problem (airframe structural design on a CAD/Catia workstation) and inevitably the lead will ask me to create some pictures on paper so that everyone can understand. I'm showing them solutions in three dimensional space and they need two dimensional pictures on paper to understand anything. Drives me nuts.

The blastoff maneuver is old hat to them now, but the guys still marvel at my ball-licking capabilities.

I'm fairly typically male in many ways, and one of them is how very early I get my shopping done. I'll be stopping at the grocery store for candy. Which reminds me.........I hope to find a bag of Smarties. I love Smarties. I'm guessing they make you smarter. Right?

Yes, you do understand. Mark, they need to THINK about it for a while. Then after the thinking period, they'll come and ask you to implement the solution you liked best, because that's the one they like too. :rolleyes:

+1

...we often have Japanese staff visit and they bring some of the most, um, "unusual" treats. Usually small crackers or wafers, no English on the package. I take 'em home and dare my small kids to "eat the mystery FISH cookies from Japan! Yum!" :D

I like dogs.

Dogs are great!

I'm having trouble grasping the concept of a smart bureaucrat.

Makes me think of those dumb cop movies where the whole squad stands around doing nothing I guess until Wesley Snipes or whoever the hero is walks in and tells everyone what to do. :rolleyes:



I like thta "jarful of pennies..." saying. I'm adding that to my repetoir.

Oxymoron?