Richard M. (Dick) Haney, of the CMT Group, a technology consulting company in Palo Alto, California, USA, specializes in product engineering, manufacturing and technical management

"Clichés and contrivances come to us in forms unbeknownst even to ourselves. We use them as a shorthand to skirt around responsibility. They save us the trouble of thinking deeply."

Brent Wade, Company Man
A novel of a black American in the Corporation

Having read various corporate position and mission statements, 10Ks, prospectuses, executive quotes in the business press and press releases for high-tech companies over many years, I realize that business people are not too removed, in some basic actions and attitudes, from some of the other earthly primates. At times of public proclamation we, as they, will stand on one side of the river, jump up and down, thump our chests, throw sticks into the air and scream diatribes of intimidation at the competition on the other side of the river…