A manager's lexicon

Statements that paint the picture of an organisation that operates as a team, but could well turn out to be cruel lies.

We're in the game for the long haul. A visionary statement with a Zennish sheen to it that magically melds the joys of contemplating the far distant mountains and the joys of marathon running. As one proceeds to run, unknown and dangerous obstacles loom in one's path, much like the traps in Indiana Jones movies! As one dodges to survive, the distant ranges shimmer like mirages and the marathon run is reduced to short bursts of speed interspersed with painful crawling from time to time. 

We will all have to tighten our belts in these tough times. An unexceptionable statement of intent much observed in the breach. The problem mainly relates to the amount of belt tightening that people at different levels of the hierarchy are supposed to do before the belt vanishes altogether into one's midriff. A safe rule: Tightening happens in inverse proportion to hierarchical levels. Can also be paraphrased as: “We will all have to pull up our socks in these tough times.” Insofar as the socks are concerned, it can only apply to those who wear them; most folks at the bottom of the pyramid go barefoot anyway. 

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