The Screaming Tyrant

There can be
Enormous frustrations
Associated with
Working with
And supervising
Host nationals
In any foreign country,
And particularly
In the war torn
Nation of Iraq.
Communication is often
A major challenge,
Exaggerated by
Differences
Of language, culture
Customs, education
Understanding
And social styles.
I have witnessed
A wide variety
Of managerial styles
In action,
Trying to compensate
For those difficulties.
Unfortunately,
The most frequent,
And least effective
Version I see,
Is that of the
Raging tyrant,
Screaming insults
And commands,
Absolutely livid
With righteous indignation
And pent up fury.
They approach
Project management
Like a drill sergeant
Terrorizing a bunch of
Mindless recruits,
Trying to break them down,
And make them jump
In orchestrated terror
At their slightest command.
No single approach
Is more successful
At breeding hostility
And resistance
To cooperation,
And is more doomed
To abject failure
Than this one
Common technique.
Eventually,
All who resort to it
Will bite the dust
Of the havoc wrought.
The more ranting done,
The more that
Has to be done,
And the less
Actually gets done.