Play The Man

No, this is not a post about Anthony "The Man" Mundine's comprehensive beating of Danny Green, but rather a comment I posted on Out Of Ur in response to a critique of Andy Stanley's approach to leadership. It doesn't seem to matter where you look or listen, the approach to critique that I highlight is a very common tactic. Anyway, the comments are screened in case they are malicious so it may not make it. I thought it was satirical rather than malicious: you be the judge...

Corporate Approaches to Winning Arguments 101:

1. Quote someone out of context
2. Create a straw man from the quote NB a "straw man" (or person of non-specified gender if you prefer) must stretch the person's point beyond what they themselves actually believe - otherwise you are reflecting their position accurately and you don't have an argument...
3. Proceed to batter the straw person into insensibility - you do this by exaggerating the worst features of the point under discussion
4. In no circumstances should you point to any positives (either from the person's actual point or the straw man position)
5. Drop in that you don't actually believe the person's original point is really the straw man that you have just assaulted so thoroughly

This will guarantee your success in the boardroom, or wherever really - a principle is a principle after all.