David's posting recounting the kind of problems he faced in
the workplace raises a whole set of important issues.
 
One of the most pressing as far as I'm concerned is simply that of
effective everyday communication.  I have found over the years that
most workplace problems come back to problems of communication-
instructions to subordinates that were not clearly understood (and
clarification not requested), critical information from subordinates
concerning a project's problems that was lost in the "buzz" of a
busy office with many conflicting priorities, etc.  All professions
suffer from these issues to some extent, but they seem to become
more acute in a "young" profession like consulting archaeology. For
better or worse (mostly worse), the dominate model for our work is
based on the academy where most of us get our first taste of the
profession. We all know just how disfuntional academic communities
are!
 
- Just my opinion. I'd like to hear (read?) what others think.
 
John P. McCarthy, SOPA
Vice President
IMA Consulting, Inc.
Minneapolis