CSotD: The intersection of caution and compliance
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"Dilbert" is a bit like "Cathy" in that it pioneered a particular niche for itself, but, once you've done that, the question becomes whether you've got a second act.
For "Cathy," the temptation was to simply send her back to the bathing suit store time after time, repeating the idea that, yeah, most women can become pretty insecure given the design of bathing suits.
"Dilbert" is a bit more like the TV show "The Office," where you create a brilliant standing cast of obnoxious and dysfunctional characters, but can end up just putting them through their paces with no underlying concept that ties it back into the business world.
But then the moment comes, and you connect with one.
Anybody who has reached middle management, or the rung just below it, has been in this position, and, yeah, those are your choices. Sam Rayburn famously advised that "if you want to get along, you've got to go along," but that was at a time when, and in a context where, "getting along" meant more than simply "holding on to your job."
These days, just holding on to your job can be as good as getting a promotion. Knowing how much input somebody wants is as important, and usually moreso, as knowing what rocks they are steering towards. And, yes, the most important thing is avoiding getting in trouble for giving unwanted advice while also avoiding being seen as responsible when it hits the rocks.
Scott Adams didn't quite stick the landing on this one, but he nailed the "been there" factor, and I'm gonna give him a 9.3.
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