Once upon a time there was a committee that wanted to stop a certain nasty club member from continuing in a position of power but they were all very afraid of the direct and honest route because that held the risk of confrontation.
So, instead they created a rule that would prevent that nasty club member from being eligible for positions of power.
They clapped themselves on the back and thought fabulous – job done!
Then, the very next day a great club member came up to the committee and showed them how this new rule prevented them from being in power too.
This really upset the committee because this club member was hands down one of the best people to have in authority.
So, they were faced with a choice – do they get rid of the rule and risk confrontation? Or do they create another more nuanced rule to get them out of this jam? But also risk tying themselves in knots.
As Billy Beane said in Moneyball:
“Would you rather take a bullet to the head or five to the chest and bleed out?”
In my opinion the committee should have gone the direct route and risk confrontation rather than creating the rope that hung themselves.
Thomas Duggan 