Is You Smart Like Me?

[Superman]

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.

[Nostril Cheese]

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

dogs are cool

[svandamme]

Originally posted by MysticLlama
Sounds just like me, except that I live to make those comments.

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

[Superman]

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

[Moneyguy1]

SUpe has a point. There is an old adage:

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

[Jeff Higgins]

Originally posted by MysticLlama
So true....

But on the other hand, I hate being looked at like that at nearly every meeting.

Just yesterday we had one with the entire buying department and me, and they all really like this new software we looked at and then silence and all 8-9 of them look at me to get my opinion.

So I pointed out that the stuff that they thought was amazing seemed obvious to me, and what about these 3-4 drawbacks. Then also what about these 5 or 6 solutions to those, and this possibility of modifying it so this and that worked better, etc.

After the blank stares I just said I'll install a demo of it in a few weeks and they can see how it works in real life.

But yeah, I know the feeling real well.

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.

[tabs]

WOOF WOOF, WOOF

[MysticLlama]

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.

[fastpat]

Originally posted by masraum
I've thought about this and had discussions about this very subject with a coworker of mine. Initially it's difficult to imagine how the thought processes or brain function of two people can be SO different, but really it's not any different that muscle capacity, bone structure or even color of skin, hairs, eyes. It's just another organ that develops based on genetics.

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

[Drago]

Originally posted by jorian
We all have our strengths. We might be able to open doors but, dogs can lick their own balls.

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

[Drago]

Originally posted by Superman
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.

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.

[Superman]

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?

[Superman]

Originally posted by Drago
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.

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.

[Robert Coats]

Originally posted by LubeMaster77
Do not eat chocolate from Japan - it tastes bad.

+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!"

[Chocaholic]

[Jim Richards]

I like dogs.

[Brillo]

Dogs are great!

[pwd72s]

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

[VaSteve]

Originally posted by Superman
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.

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.



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

[Brillo]

Originally posted by pwd72s
I'm having trouble grasping the concept of a smart bureaucrat.

Oxymoron?