5 Irrefutable Laws of Management

by Anthony Demangone

A few months ago, I shared the 10 Irrefutable Laws of Management.  Since scribbling those thoughts down, more of those pesky “irrefutable”laws have surfaced.  Now, I could have integrated the new laws into the old list.  But that would have taken some effort.

So, here goes…

1.  You haven’t seen it all.  Experience is grand, and historical trends are wonderful.  But no matter how much experience you have, and how clear the trends develop, there will be new, unexpected things that will fill your plate.  Like yesterday, when a colleague told me that a car ran into NAFCU’s building.  No joke.  Luckily no one was hurt.  Now, I could have uttered the phrase…”Now I’ve seen it all.”  But that only would have tempted the Gods to throw another lightning bolt or two our way.

As for trends, I always think of one of my favorite passages from one of my favorite books, A Walk in the Woods.  The author, Bill Bryson, is about to start hiking the Appalachian Trail.  Before beginning a new adventure, he always does something peculiar.  He researches everything that might kill him on the journey.  As he thought about hiking in the woods, he worried about bear attacks.  Folks tried to reassure him with trends.  Trends Mr. Bryson didn’t buy. 

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