Thought

Hey, this is interesting! I've recently stumbled upon something that felt incredibly relatable—CIA’s Simple Sabotage Field Manual. Originally crafted during World War II to instruct covert operatives on how to disrupt enemy operations, this manual mirrors my many daily office frustrations. It's fascinating how history repeats itself, improving yet somehow keeping us stuck in similar loops of behavior and experiences.

I’ve changed up the format of my posts to take a more minimalistic approach. We’re all busy, so let’s cut the fluff right down and get straight to the scoop.

Scoop

Historical Insights: The Simple Sabotage Field Manual was intended to guide those who were in positions to safely disrupt their occupiers. It details simple acts of sabotage that, surprisingly, can translate into modern-day tactics for improving or (for the evil sort) hindering efficiency.

Field-Tested Checklist of Office Sabotaging Tactics:

1. Insist on Going Through Official Channels: "Because who doesn't love a good bureaucratic adventure? Make sure every decision takes a scenic route through every remotely relevant persons, that will keep you visibly busy to all the bosses, nevermind getting lost in the paperwork jungle."

2. Love Giving Long Presentations: "Because who needs brevity when you can have a captive audience? Bonus points for keeping everyone guessing when it'll end, it’s your time to shine!"

3. Always Refer Matters to Committees: "Refer every matter to committees for a group discussion—because why have one decision-maker when you can have a committee to help you blur all responsibilities?"

4. Keep Bringing Up Unrelated Topics: "Because variety is the spice of office life! Keep meetings lively by sprinkling in unrelated topics—it’s called team building!"

5. Urge Extreme Caution in Everything: "Because fortune favors the cautious! Embrace extra caution and examine absolutely every orientation of detail before taking any action, if at all, just to play it safe!"

6. Constantly Reopen Decisions: "Why settle for closure when you can keep the conversation going? Keep the decision carousel spinning by revisiting past choices—keep things interesting!"

7. Demand More Studies Before Acting: "Because who doesn't love a good data dive? Demand more studies just because you can!"

8. Reject New Ideas That Don't Fit the Mold: "Innovation is great, as long as it fits neatly in the box. Reject any ideas that stray from the norm—because why rock the boat when you can sail smoothly filing printed emails?"

9. Insist on More Meetings and Conferences: "Because who doesn't love a good chat? Schedule more meetings and conferences—who needs free time when you can have more face time?"

10. Be Transparent About What Was Agreed Upon: "Because honesty is the best policy—especially when it's stating the obvious. Be transparent about every agreement you encounter, cc everyone. People love figuring out what to do with cc-ed emails with no request line. Be specific that the sky is blue—because accuracy and clarity matters."

Relevance Today: It’s interesting to be able to direct-connect wartime tactics with modern organizational or personal inefficiencies.

Philosophical Angle: This manual not only teaches about sabotage but also about the human condition—how certain behaviors and strategies are timeless, somehow built into our nature, looping over through generations. Are we ever able to break free?

Application for Self-Improvement: Understanding these tactics can help us identify and amend the 'sabotage' we unintentionally enact in our own lives. But hey, I’m all for it if it is intentional—ponder a lil’ further with my post on figuring out your why!

Last Word

The tiniest of our everyday (non-)actions can either hold us back for years or propel us way forward. Pick your one tiny thing and be ruthless with it—you’ll be unstoppable.

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