A Most Unusual Artifact (8)

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The executive leaned back in his chair.

"Demand," the executive intoned, echoing McGinty.  "Supply and demand.   I guess that's what the public understands.”

He placed his hands together and fixed McGinty with a confidential look.

"There's actually a good deal more to business today."

"Hmm?" said McGinty.

"Whole schools have come and gone.  Managing by objectives.  Managing for excellence.  Total Quality Management.  Managing change.  Maybe that's the most critical part"

McGinty made a gesture that might have been interpreted as assent.

"Not everybody understands what a knowledge explosion there's been in business.   In a lot of our meetings today, you'd need an MBA just to understand what people are talking about."

He paused for emphasis.

"Sometimes even I have to keep the consultants around for a few minutes afterwards—I mean, just to brush up a bit on the newer conceptual models, and so forth."

McGinty nodded vigorously.  Then he realized that the enthusiasm of his assent might be interpreted in an unintended way.

© COPYRIGHT 1994 ROBERT WINTER.  ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.