Always say 'no' initially
The scene in Ghostbusters, where the three parapsychologists are fired by the university, is among my all-time favorites. Dan Ackroyd's character warns the other two:
I liked the University. They gave us money, they gave us the facilities, and we didn't have to produce anything! I've worked in the private sector. They expect results. You've never been out of college. You don't know what it's like out there.The rule of survival in every bureaucracy is "Safety first." Corollaries are: "Don't make a mistake." "Keep your head down." "Do it by the book." "Don't make waves." But the central, unbreakable rule of a master bureaucrat is this one:Always say no initially. It's a matter of leaving room to retreat. You can retreat from no to yes, and the person asking you to do something is happy. If you have to retreat from yes to no, you've made an enemy.I remember that one clearly. It was the answer given to a reporter by the Washington bureaucrat with the longest tenure in 1976, upon her retirement. He had asked her how she had survived for so long.The free market's law is to say yes initially. The salesman wants the commission. To the question, "Can I get it in blue?" the salesman answers: "Will you sign the contract if I can get it for you in blue?" After the contract is signed, the salesman puts the pressure on the company to deliver it in blue. [Academia and Paralysis by Gary North]
