Onmanaging

Professional,David?
Thiswasmybossspeaking,thirtysomethingyearsago,whenIwasdeeplyimplicatedinprofessionaljournalism,editinganAsian
businessmagazine,andalliedtediouspublications.
Ihadusedthewordcarelessly,intheconventionalway,tosuggestthatsomeofthehabitsandpracticesofthecompanywerenotfully
professional,andmightbeamendedtomakethemmoreso.ButwhatIactuallymeantwasthingscouldbedonetodelivermore
quality,asanendinitself,quiteapartfromanycalculationofmarketdemand,nowthatwedacedthecompetition.Igrantedthatmy
proposalwaseccentric.Imentionedethicsatsomepoint,thusdiggingmygravealittledeeper.
Professional,David?Youcantevenspelltheword.
Thiswasunfair.Ihadmadeaspecialstudyofthespellingofprofessional,carefullynotingthedoubleS,which,foramnemonic
device,IassociatedwiththeSchutzstaffel,andimaginedinArmanensigrunes.
Wefellintoadebateonthemeaningofthewordprofessional,whichwaspromptlydecidedbyrank.Professionalturnedoutto
meananoperationthatproceedssmoothly;thatisimpersonal;thatisfreeoftemporaldistractionsandunnecessarycosts;andinwhich
everyonedoeswhathestoldwithoutthinking.(Thislastiscalledteamwork.)Itisproductoriented,andtheimportantthingisthat
theproductshouldpreservemarketshare,whileremainingprofitable.Letthephilosophersdecidewhetheritwereanygood.The
productshouldratherbe,initself,smoothandmechanicallypredictable:anythingwarmlyhumaninthepackagingtobecarefully
fakedbytheexpertsinaprofessionaladvertisingagency.Costsandbenefitsshouldbeenumerable,andtransparenttomanagementat
everystage.Quality,bycontrast,ispurelysubjectiveaquestionoffashion,forthosespecialistsinhype.
Thisisabusiness,notanartform,Iwastold.(Tobefair,thisbosswouldhimselfhavepreferredtobeanartist;buttheartform
wouldhavebeenacting,andsoheplayedhisrle.)
Now,ethicsdocomeintothis.Acompanythatisflourishingwillhaveclearpolicies.Alotofmoneycouldbelostifthecompany
werecaughtcheating,ontaxesorwhatever;andsecrets,asweknow,canonlybekeptbetweentwopeopleifoneofthemisdead.
Therefore,variousoptionsthatmightfurtherstreamlineaprofitableoperationmustberejectedonsight,asaddingunconscionably
torisk.Butethicscannotextendtoanybackgroundworldview,thatisagnosticonthefundamentalhumanvirtues,andthusessentially
exploitativeandsleazy.
AsIhavelongobserved,ethicsareforpeoplewhohavenomorals.
Ithinkprofessionalismcamein,tothemarketplace,aboutwhencraftstandardsweregoingout.Itwasdiscoveredthatamass
markethadcomeintobeing,asaconsequenceofthetechnologicalinnovationsofsomeIndustrialRevolution.Productswereno
longermadeforspecificbuyers,butfordemographicgroupstopurchaseofftheshelf.SoulscouldnowbecountedintheGogolian
manner,asconsumersintermsofheads,eyeballs,littlefeet,&c.Broadfranchiserepresentativedemocracywasaparallel
development,andfinally,theprinciplesofmarketingcouldbeappliedacrosstheboard.Farfromconsiderationasanimmortalsoul,
theindividualcouldnowbedenominatedasacapriciouscypher:aoneorelseazeroatthecashpoint.
OnethingIlearntfromthemarketinggurus:theremustneverbehumouratthecashpoint.Afinancialtransactionisadeadlyserious
thing.Jocularandamusingadvertisementsarepermissible,butthecashpointisnojoke.Itistheholyofholiesforthecapitalist,the
placewherehissoulisweighed,andhisworthdetermined.Iwasoncetold,byoneofthemoneybags,thatIshouldlightenupabout
clownsinthesanctuary,duringtheCatholicMass.ButsolemnhebecamewhenIsuggestedclownsathiscashpoints.
Wordsdochangeinmeaningandflavourovertheyears.LikeeveryotherconceptinourWestern,breakingnewsenvironment,
professionaldescendsfromtheexperienceoftheCatholicChurch.Theoriginalprofessorswereofreligion,andifIamnot
mistaken(andhowcouldthatbe?)thewordprofessionalitselfwascoined,inEnglish,atthetailendoftheMiddleAges,tomeana
personwhoprofessed.Thatwouldnothavebeenabusinessman.

Mind:theideaofdoingthingswell,doesnotcomeintothisdiscussionatall.SaintCeciliawas,Ishouldthink,acapableaswellas
inspiredmusician.Again,craftstandardsprecededtheprofessionalones,andwhatoncecamefromthechoirsofourChurchwasin
nowayinferiortothecongregationalkaraokeweusuallyhear,today.
Nor,strictlyspeaking,wouldthisXVthorXVIthcenturyprofessionalhavebeenanemployee.Thenatureofhisobediencewas
differentinkind:toGodinChristJesus.Forthatmatter,themanagerialrevolutionwhichhasbroughtuseverythingfrom
TwinkiestoBergenBelsenwasstillsomecenturiesoff.
Thesurvivalofancient,monasticideals,inthemodern,cubicledofficeenvironment,shouldbeeasyenoughtodiscern,oncewe
realizethattheidealshavebeentwistedapproximately180degrees,sothatwhatwasdownisnowup,andwhatwasupisnowdown.
Opposingtheprofessional,instillcurrentusage,istheamateur.Weallknowtheetymology,fromthosewhodosomethingfor
theloveofit.Butthishascometomean,peoplewhodothingsinanunprofessionalway,whichistakenasuntrained,unqualified,
inexperienced,andklutzy.Whereas,undertheoldregime(Catholicandmediaeval),LovewasacknowledgedasthegreatTeacher,
andthosewhoactedfromlovewould(immortally)succeed.
Bynow,gentlereadershouldrealizehowbackwardIam.WhileIhavenohopewhateverinourcapacitytowormholeintothepast,I
amgiventoinvidiouscomparisons.
Allthisbywayofexpressingmylament,upondiscoveringanoticeinthelobbyofmyapartmentbuilding,thatthemagnificentand
belovedScottishharridanwhowasthesuperintendentofthisplace(shethrilledtobecalledthatbehindherback)theCardinal
BurkeofMaynardAvenue;theladywhofromsheeruncompromisingwill,inviolablecommonsense,stridentintoleranceforevil,and
blankindifferencetoallprofessionalcreeds,raisedthistoaparadisalislandofpeaceablehumanityinthemidstofInnerParkdale
hasbeenretired.Andthathersingularauthorityhasnowbeentransferredtoaprofessionalmanagementteam.
WhereistheHighDoganatetomove,Iwonder?