EDITOR’S NOTE: This morning, I read a post by Tom Mills that stopped me in my tracks. I am not sure he will share his post on LinkedIn, although he should. However, I could not help but wonder why someone—Tom, in this case—should apologize for speaking his mind and sharing his true thoughts regarding procurement. I am not saying I agree with everything he has said, but the whole idea of honest and transparent dialogue is neither to seek consensus nor force compliance. It is to stimulate meaningful and respectful dialogue, leading to greater understanding versus blank-head agreement. Think of critical thinking and debate as being exercises for the mind – and you know what happens when you don’t exercise.
Tom, your words made me laugh, smile, and think, and yes, you even annoyed me—you arrogant little (fill in the blank). But you also made me better, and that is the whole point of putting pen to paper. I never always agreed with Jason Busch, but there were some great and memorable exchanges. I recently wrote this about Jason:
“Of course, there is Jason Busch’s subtle yet finessed wit—you should read some of his non-procurement-related articles. Like a skilled surgeon, with Jason, you don’t actually know how deep the cuts go until you stand up and your arms fall off. By the way, that is a compliment to his deft writing skills.”
We need more arm-dropping writing Jasons and dinosaur-chasing Toms; otherwise, we will evolve into dormant-minded ChatGPT denizens. Or, to put it another way: “Sticks and stones may break my bones, but names will never hurt me.”
One final point: We are heading towards rough seas with the pending AI Bubble Burst in 2025. We need more—not less — of hard truths, sober thinking, and meaningful discussion.
In the meantime, below is my comment on Tom’s post.
I read your post, Tom, reread it, and then read it again.
First, there is a little dinosaur and Next-Gen rebel in all of us, regardless of age.
Ask my teenage children what they think when I harp on the fact that a family of five could dine for under five dollars at a burger joint when I was younger. Or, one of the reasons I quit smoking so very long ago was when they raised the price above 69 cents a pack. And I still remember the nickel chocolate bar. I could go on, but you get the point.
Remember when I said you were a Next-Gen rebel? What was your response? You said: “At my age, I am honored to be called a NextGen rebel.”
Did you ruffle a few feathers? Does an exchange you had with Phil Ideson last year come to mind?
But here is the thing—while no one ever learned to be a good sailor in calm seas, not having the occasional ruffle to challenge the status quo shackles us to complacency and leads to the decline in critical thinking you lament in your post.
I respect your work.
30
Procurement Insights
Is It Time For Procurement To Speak The Unspeakable?
Posted on August 19, 2024
0
EDITOR’S NOTE: This morning, I read a post by Tom Mills that stopped me in my tracks. I am not sure he will share his post on LinkedIn, although he should. However, I could not help but wonder why someone—Tom, in this case—should apologize for speaking his mind and sharing his true thoughts regarding procurement. I am not saying I agree with everything he has said, but the whole idea of honest and transparent dialogue is neither to seek consensus nor force compliance. It is to stimulate meaningful and respectful dialogue, leading to greater understanding versus blank-head agreement. Think of critical thinking and debate as being exercises for the mind – and you know what happens when you don’t exercise.
Tom, your words made me laugh, smile, and think, and yes, you even annoyed me—you arrogant little (fill in the blank). But you also made me better, and that is the whole point of putting pen to paper. I never always agreed with Jason Busch, but there were some great and memorable exchanges. I recently wrote this about Jason:
“Of course, there is Jason Busch’s subtle yet finessed wit—you should read some of his non-procurement-related articles. Like a skilled surgeon, with Jason, you don’t actually know how deep the cuts go until you stand up and your arms fall off. By the way, that is a compliment to his deft writing skills.”
We need more arm-dropping writing Jasons and dinosaur-chasing Toms; otherwise, we will evolve into dormant-minded ChatGPT denizens. Or, to put it another way: “Sticks and stones may break my bones, but names will never hurt me.”
One final point: We are heading towards rough seas with the pending AI Bubble Burst in 2025. We need more—not less — of hard truths, sober thinking, and meaningful discussion.
In the meantime, below is my comment on Tom’s post.
I read your post, Tom, reread it, and then read it again.
First, there is a little dinosaur and Next-Gen rebel in all of us, regardless of age.
Ask my teenage children what they think when I harp on the fact that a family of five could dine for under five dollars at a burger joint when I was younger. Or, one of the reasons I quit smoking so very long ago was when they raised the price above 69 cents a pack. And I still remember the nickel chocolate bar. I could go on, but you get the point.
Remember when I said you were a Next-Gen rebel? What was your response? You said: “At my age, I am honored to be called a NextGen rebel.”
Did you ruffle a few feathers? Does an exchange you had with Phil Ideson last year come to mind?
But here is the thing—while no one ever learned to be a good sailor in calm seas, not having the occasional ruffle to challenge the status quo shackles us to complacency and leads to the decline in critical thinking you lament in your post.
I respect your work.
30
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