OK, I have to walk a fine line on this one.
I really do admire MBAs and the work they do. I am in awe of the intelligence, knowledge, vision, courage, diplomacy, hard work, and resilience that it takes to manage a company or a department. I know I could never do it; and I'm very grateful to those who can – and who create jobs and the accoutrements of the good life for the likes of me.
Still, it does bother me to see the way in which the MBA mindset is creeping into other areas of American life where, in my opinion, it doesn’t belong.
Take language, for example ...
Even fine-arts organizations are now communicating with us in MBA-speak – that dreadful language of pompous words and phrases meant to impress, obfuscate, demonstrate belonging – and, perhaps, to cover up deficiencies in vocabulary that make it impossible the speaker to express himself more precisely.
The Minneapolis Institute of Arts, for example, declared a few years ago that it was going to leverage its current collection.
And the Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra just announced an alliance with Greater Twin Cities Youth Symphonies.
A musical alliance? An artistic alliance?
No, a strategic alliance! In which, I suppose, they’ll share best practices, leverage synergies, address issues, and deliver global musical solutions.
To be continued …
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