If you’re a proposal minion, you might want to watch for irrational reactions in yourself, as hard as that is.
If you’re a proposal manager, you might want to keep an eye out for irrational reactions in your team.
They signal overload, and they shouldn’t be ignored.
Not that I was irrational, you understand. Just in case you or those you work with ever get like that.
In business, someone who delivers a product or service to an external client or who manages a group that does.
Most often used to distinguish someone from a “marketer,” who sells products or services but does not create them, or from someone providing an in-house service like accounting.
It has no negative connotations as in, “He’s such a slippery operator.”
Then what is time again?
One of Seth’s recent posts reminded me of this little gem from Volunteers (see the dialogue clip below the fold).
If less is more and more is better then less is better, right? Something about the commutative principle? Actually, that is right, at least in Proposal Land.
The next time you’re trying to stuff 10 pages of response into a 2-page limit (or even just the next time you have 10 pages of response), think of Seth’s rant on lo-fi communication. And then think “better.” Not more.
Because better is better.
As for opium, time, and money, well, you’re going to have to work that one out for yourself.
CHUNG MEE
Opium is my business. The bridge means more traffic. More traffic means more business. More business means more money. More money means more power.
LAWRENCE
Before I commit that to memory, would there be anything in this for me?
CHUNG MEE
Speed is important in business. Time is money.
LAWRENCE
No, you said opium is money.
CHUNG MEE
Money is money. And money is my objective.
LAWRENCE
Then what is time again?
There’s a strong argument for writing the executive summary just as soon as you have your operations concept figured out:
But who can forget the joys of writing an executive summary under time pressure? And under a watchful eye? Even better.
Condescension is death to all relationships, I expect. It’s certainly hard on proposal-team coherence.
Diversity is our strength? Well, maybe. But when the teams include retired military and life-long civilians, and technical and seriously non-technical personnel, there are lots of opportunities for disrespect to rear its ugly head. Preventing it (ideally) and dealing with it when it does arise (inevitably) are two tasks they don’t mention when you get press-ganged into proposal management.
On a lighter note, mansplaining *can* be funny, and so it was this time. Right after my blood pressure subsided.
And on a helpful note, here’s a training flowchart on this very subject: BBC Worklife.