PROMISES PROMISES
Tuesday June 26, 2018
How much time is wasted on promises that aren’t kept?
I had some frustration the other day. A company I did a transaction with recently (one of Canada’s largest) made a promise, as they often do, about when they pay …
Needless to say their promise wasn’t kept. Leaving out the details, the amount of time, energy and the number of people involved has grown way beyond proportion appropriate to the magnitude of the transaction. I wonder, if they had just done what they said they would, how much good work and productivity would have been possible given that at least eight people have had to revisit this transaction at least four times each – and each time there is communication it seems the first victim is truth telling as ‘something gets left out or distorted’ with each volley.
Eventually it will be solved, but what a waste. Is it the administrative bureaucracy of three organizations in three cities, is it one of those eight people – or is it me being curmudgeonly, simply wanting people to live up their promises – or better yet, live up to their potential? That big company, and the smaller one I am associated with, could both to better. Simpler, quicker and more cost effectively. The cause of the delay? ETF (electronic funds transfer). Somebody had to do a paperless transaction on or about March 27th. It’s May 7th. Wow, with this much efficiency I don’t know if we could stand it going back to the good old days of producing a cheque, or waiting for the next cheque-run – and then the postal service. Even if they sent it by Dog-Sled Courier …
Ranting about something any Monday morning is one part therapeutic, one part eff*%$!@%ing frustrating, one part educational and a testimonial to how life is. In the paper this morning I read a piece about missions to Mars that can only happen every 27 months. I wonder if the pension fund that owns the landlord (that big company) would get to Mars if they didn’t get their timing right. I’m sure, given their size and breadth of portfolio, they are invested in Mars. Surely, they aren’t invested in doing basic things right or with any sense of urgency.
