A useful thought follows, dredged up from an old copy of ‘Bluffers Guide‘ re consultancy which, in many ways, continues to be relevant today whilst also raising a chuckle or two
The German army was once renowned for its efficiency – but how did they manage this?
It was said to be because of the way in which its officers were selected
At the outset, all its officer cadets were assumed to be brave and responsible – however, on completion of their training course, they were divided into four categories:
- Clever or
- Stupid
- Lazy or
- Hard-working
Lazy and stupid cadets were drafted into the infantry
Lazy and clever cadets were sent on for training as General Staff officers because clever and idle men always find the quickest way of getting things done
Clever and hard-working cadets were dispatched for training as Administrative Staff officers where their qualities were those exactly needed
And stupid, hard-working cadets were returned to civilian life
It’s another useful way to categorise complex whole populations into more manageable groups, much like the Boston and Ike’s grids do