The tale of a Restaurant Manager, in the Isle
of the absurd
 

Ibrahim Mead Political analyst
Ottawa, Canada

Prelude
 

When he took over that job the restaurant was not in good shape but it was functioning. It  n eeded renovations, rehabilitation and reshaping in policy and programmes, in capacity as well as capability in management. A change was needed and that was what the manager  campaign ed for and promised the islanders that change will come! In fact that was what the islanders wanted all along. The islanders had a great expectation for a positive change. A real change, a change they can believe in.

The manager seemed for too many, a caring and cable man, an honest man on the core. Some one you could put your trust in! But the above assumed characteristics were not found in him at all! He exhibited that later by himself!

“One is never too old to do some thing stupid, however in the end it will haunt the authors the reof”

The manager and the expected change:

The new manager started putting up a new name and a new management style. He chose [or chosen for him] a lot of advisors to help him in this endeavor

The 1st advisor came to the manager soon after the take over of the restaurant. He suggeste d for the manager, ‘why not the restaurant got a new attractive and vibrant Sign like all the renewed eating places?’ the first advisor suggested for the manager that he has to put on-“R estaurant with Finest Food”. The sign was painted and put up.

The 2nd advisor came up with another idea. He suggested for the manager to be more specific. He said, “It might mean any old restaurant.” He told the manager to add the word ‘Served he re’ so that the sign would complete-‘Restaurant with finest food Served here’. The manager was impressed. He thought this was it, thus he had the sign board duly altered.

The 3rd advisor came up yet with another idea! He gave the manager this suggestion, he said, “you wouldn’t put the word ‘Here’. People see where the place is. Take it out. The manager ex ecuted that advice; he changed the Sign so the word ‘Here’ was taken out! Only ‘Finest Food served’ remained

The 4th advisor recommended for the manager that the word “Served” is redundant because all service providers serve, so he (manager) is advised to take it out. The manager headed th at advice as he did with the others and the word was in effect removed thus only-‘Finest Food’ remained

The 5th advisor threw his hat in the advisors arena. He said to the manager,” if you continue to use the phrase “Fines Food” some people may wonder whether it really is the finest, and as a result may not agree, so to avoid criticism and contention you are here advised to remove the word “Finest”. The manager accepted that suggestion as well! Now only the word ‘Food ‘ was left on the notice!

The 6th advisor asked the manager ‘why he got the word’ ‘food’ on his restaurant for people can see that he serves food there after all?
The manager acted on that advice as well and thus removed the word ‘food’ out!
Now nothing which might distinguish from its (restaurant) original state was left, and that was how the first 100 days of this manager’s tenure in the Isle’s Restaurant ended! “Nothing left for the Restaurant!”
 

Conclusion:

One wonders to ask this question: “how do any one see what has happened in this enterprise with this new manager?” “I think it is a classic result of ‘hands-off- policy on the part of the new manager! this story is about a tired man -probably mentally! And because of this problem, other entities seem calling the shots! That entity seem employed these bad advisors for the manager!”

“I think it is a story of a bad manager with no vision, and no intuition! He seems he is a false man” another wondering man put it that way! “No, the guy knows what he is doing and means what he is doing! I think. It was not an accident why the gutsy and the strong advisors were avoided and abandoned! That was done for a purpose! But either way the unfortunate Restau rant of the Isle is the looser!” concluded another wondering person

To be sure of hitting a target, shoot first and call what ever you hit the target! That seems one strategy the Restaurant manager is telling to his aides or advisors so that they can pass on this to the investors as well as the public!

What the false manager forgot was that the people and the investors have their own mind to think and their own eyes to see! Another one, another failure!” another man added.

End of the story