One of the ways I sort people is using the obstruction test. Do they obstruct my efforts, or do they assist me? From now on I’m giving people +2 points if they help me, -1 point if they block me, and +1 point if they just stay out of my way but don’t help me. Nobody remains neutral as there are only two choices: right and wrong.
“What exactly do you need that for?” — war cry of obstructionism, -1.
“Oh, you’re doing such-and-such. Have you tried blah-blah-blah?” — could go either way, generally helpful, +2
“I need to get this in writing from your boss” — I just asked you to add me to a vendor’s support website so I can stop bugging you when I want to know if product X works with OS update 9. You don’t need a note from my boss, but I’ll get yours to give you a note. -1
“I think what you’re doing is great but none of us will have time to help you for a couple of months.” — could go either way. If what you’re doing is small, they get -1. If what you’re doing is huge, +1 for being honest. Most people get -1.
“Oh, group Z was just working on that, go talk to person X.” — sweet, thank you, +2.
“This system is only for our group.” — battling business units doesn’t work, -1.
“Well, I set it up for my group but I can certainly add you guys to it. We have a site license, after all.” — I’m going to hug you for not making me reinvent things. +2.
“We should really stop and think this through more.” — could go either way, generally -1. Sometimes you have to stop talking about stuff and start doing things.
Anybody who says the word “facilitate” — stop it, you’re scaring people. Go touch yourself. -1.
“Page 17 of our project status document indicates our progress on this matter” — You have at least 17 pages in a project status document? Die. -1. Another -1 for not just telling me what I want to know.
“I don’t know. Go ask person X.” — you didn’t waste my time. +1
“I don’t know.” — however, it’s your job to know. -1
“I don’t know but I’ll look it up and email you.” — okay, if you do it you are +2. Forget about it and you’re -1 for wasting my time.
“This task force isn’t big enough to encompass all the stakeholders.” — yes, it is. Didn’t I tell you to go touch yourself after you used the word “facilitate?” -1
“What are you actually trying to do?” — only people who want to help you get something done ask this. +2.
“I can’t help you right now because I’m reading your blog.” — +5, you rule.
I do think there’s an awful lot of similarity between:
“What exactly do you need that for?” — war cry of obstructionism, -1.
and
“What are you actually trying to do?” — only people who want to help you get something done ask this. +2.
I wouldn’t want innocents to get maimed in the crossfire.
The first one has emphasis on the ‘exactly’… I should rethink this a little, because they are quite similar. The second one is someone who is trying to figure out how best to help you, by figuring out what you’re trying to get done rather than just blindly doing what you ask.
Innocents get maimed all the time. 🙂 I think I can phrase it better so I don’t hit any this time, though. Thanks dude!
Unfortunately this has in some cases been stolen by the obstructionists for use in dragging feet. Also, as one who often asks that question, you are often berated to stop being difficult, especially when they firmly believe that the answer they already have to whatever question is right (and your line of questioning begins to illustrate that he or she may be wrong).
You get -1, though, for using HTML Entities for quotation marks instead of <q> … </q> 😛