I love movie references and analogies we can often find that resemble what happens in workplaces.
“Margin Call” is set at an investment bank right before the 2008 financial crisis. It depicts how the discovery of the algorithmic mistake with financial calculation might have revealed a large-scale problem with the global economy.
I particularly like this movie because it focuses solely on the interactions between people at various organizational levels and how the decision-making chain happens as a result. And nothing more.
The piece of advice I like the most comes from the CEO once the problem reaches his level:
“Please, speak as you might to a young child, or a golden retriever”
I love it because it emphasizes funnily two essential things:
1. Be specific — say clear and concise what you want to say
Many people talk too much, typically when they are experts or have nothing tangible to say. So these about being brief and to-the-point, something I think we don’t experience often is the swarm of meetings happening at the corporates.
2. Be transparent — say it as it is, make it factual
Sometimes people tend also to avoid or lessen the negative information, usually when it’s stressful or problematic, and they are somehow involved. But to resolve the situations satisfactorily, one must understand how the case looks in reality.
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