Posted by Rick Denney on September 13, 2001 at 20:56:29:
In Reply to: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Colorado anyone?? posted by D.C. on September 13, 2001 at 09:19:32:
You were not listening, or I was not clear. Let me try again, from a different angle.
Let's say that I'm a public servant, and I want to build a traffic signal system for my town. I know, because I attend professional society meetings, that Fred is a true expert, honest, hard-working, and productive. I know that Jim is even smarter, a little over-committed right now, but would do credible work if he could make the time. Let's say I also know that Rick is way overworked and lazy, because he spends all his time talking about tubas. I know these things because it is my job to know them.
So, I write a request for proposals, and I get three proposals from Fred, Jim, and Rick. All are excellent and address my needs admirably. I also get an unexpected proposal from Bob, who didn't display an understanding of what I wanted. Sure, my RFP may not have been clear enough for him, but he also hasn't hung around me enough to know what I want and need, and the other three have.
I therefore invite Fred, Jim, and Rick to give oral presentations. Fred is my favorite, Jim would be okay, and I don't particular want Rick. I COULD tell Rick that I don't want him, and save him the trouble, but I'm not so sure of myself that I want to take away my option, and also his proposal was excellent. Have I betrayed honesty or integrity? Absolutely not.
Let's say that Fred's presentation was cocky and full of B.S., giving the impression that he thought he had it in the bag and wasn't taking the process seriously. And let's say that Jim didn't show, but sent a junior colleague who would actually have time to do the work, but that the junior colleague's experience didn't impress me. Finally, let's say that Rick came in charged up, absolutely on target on everything he said, and that he persuaded me that he would give this project his fullest attention and would shut up about the tubas. I select Rick. Won't I be glad that I didn't tell Rick that he had virtually no chance when he showed up?
Or, let's say that it all happened as I expected, and Fred's presentation was solid, Jim's distracted, and Rick's unprepared. I give the work to Fred. Will Rick be justified in thinking me dishonest because I invited him to a presentation where he had virtually no chance?
In both cases, I have made the selection that will provide the citizens of my town with the best product, according to the criteria I think are most important. That's what I'm paid to do. I have not violated honesty or integrity in any way. But I still had a favorite throughout the process, and that favorite had the advantage all the way through. No rights were violated, because it is not the right a of a person with no reputation to be treated the same as a person with a proven reputation.
You do not have a right to an equal hearing at an audition. And you have no moral reason to expect such a right. That's why you have to be dramatically better to be sure of winning.
Rick "who thinks people don't know the meaning of 'rights'" Denney