If you work in a large organization you will undoubtedly be exposed to some level of bureaucracy; the only variable is the degree to which we are mired in it. I work for the federal government, so I’m exposed to it more than some. Every so often a directive is issued that makes absolutely no sense — the action simply will not address the problem that it was meant to tackle. When I was younger and less experienced with how the system works (or doesn’t work), I’d start making a list of reasons why the directive was stupid and a waste of time and effort, and offer these up in an attempt to save myself (and others) from these drains on our productivity. Sometimes I succeeded, but usually I failed.

The key is knowing where the decision-making power lies. When arguing with someone who doesn’t have the authority to make a decision (or is too dim to understand the issues), logic and facts are dull weapons. It’s like a Nerf vibrator; it has the vague appearance of something effective, but when push comes to shove (as it were) it’s not going to get the job done. So it happened again recently — work that needs to be completed, because someone high up in the food chain decided “we need to do something, and this is something.” Everyone who agrees it’s pointless is someone not able to make a decision.