This Focused Performance Weblog started life as a "business management blog" containing links and commentary related primarily to organizational effectiveness with a "Theory of Constraints" perspective, but is in the process of evolving towards primary content on interactive and mobile marketing. Think of it as about Focusing marketing messages for enhanced Performance. If you are on an archive page, current postings are found here.
Tuesday, June 10, 2003
Word of the Day - Procrustean -- From The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language: Fourth Edition, via Bartleby...
Procrustean SYLLABICATION: Pro·crus·te·an
PRONUNCIATION: (audio link) ADJECTIVE: Producing or designed to produce strict conformity by ruthless or arbitrary means.
ETYMOLOGY: After Procrustes, a mythical Greek giant who stretched or shortened captives to make them fit his beds, from Latin Procrustes, from Greek Prokrousts, from prokrouein, hammer out, to stretch out : pro-, forth; see pro + krouein, to beat.
In order to avoid sempiternal, profligate projects, some managers rely on procrustean adherence to milestone schedules and budgets, only to encounter iatrogenic loss of quality.
(Eschew obfuscation.)
posted by Frank - Permanent Link -
|
View Frank Patrick's profile
