"Too Few Hilliers: The general goes where Ottawa mandarins fear to tread"

[MarkOttawa]

Kirkhill: It's the pressure not to dissent even before any decision is taken that rots the PS.  That's what I meant by its being made pretty clear which way the wind is blowing; i.e. one knows what advice is wanted so one is pressured to give it regardless of honest analysis or doubts.

Mark
Collins

 

[Kirkhill]

Understood Mark, and agreed.

Chris.

 

[Colin Parkinson]

Mark:

What is the difference between "stfu when it's been made pretty clear which way the wind is blowing" and a section commander, after taking questions at the end of an O-Group and hearing objections saying: "Right.  Carry on with the plan as briefed."?

A time and a place for everything.

And while I dispute the continuity of the impartial Civil Service that Edward cites I don't dispute that the instincts of both Elizabeth and Burghley were key in creating a successful government and have been key to all successful governments before and after.   And that includes not just Civil governments but all institutions including those that are Commercial and Military.

Dissent before the decision is required.   Dissent after the decision is intolerable.

One of the differences is that you are expected to be a team player even before the decision is finalized, the senior management does not take criticism very well and god forbid that you point that their latest and greatest idea has been tried before or that their “diversity” plan is discriminatory to certain non-political correct groups. Also when things do derail, those “champions” of the program are nowhere to be found as they have moved on to the next best and greatest thing, they don’t like to dirty themselves with details.