I was never a fan of Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher. One of the reasons that irked me was her constant repetition of the phrase, ‘There is no alternative.’ This was guaranteed to set my teeth on edge because I firmly believe that in the world of politics and management there is always an alternative and I distrust anyone who claims that there isn’t. That’s why I had to choose Mary Parker Follett’s quotation as a member of the Top Ten:
We should never allow ourselves to be bullied by an either-or. There is often the possibility of something better than either of these two alternatives.
Mary Parker Follett
ONE LESSON TO TAKE AWAY
As a manager, whenever you are presented with a binary decision, remember that you have the right to reject both options and seek an alternative. While you are checking out the options available, remember the difference between information and meaning. Never make a decision based upon information. Instead, base all decisions on what the information actually means in the real world (see Quotation 55). Okay, so that’s two lessons I want you to take from this section. So what? It’s Sunday and I’m running a special 2-for-1 offer and I was an accountant so I can make 1 + 1 = 1.