Intro: In Continuous Improvement, we refer to constraints
Key Points:
At some point, common sense has to prevail.
We have short or selective memories if we forget how central the dollar is in strategic decision making. A version of this story happened many years back and the very definition of ‘profiteering’ was on full display. This time the ruse of ‘it was an auction’ seems to be enough to sedate us back to sleep.
At what point do we stop to think: is it simply our expectations that have to change? Scaled organizations can find creative ways around policies to commoditize our personally identifiable information; we should stop blindly trusting them as if we have read or authored.
This is hard to write, because my knowledge of the organization is of it’s enduring reputation, focus on rare diseases, shareholder value (yeah I know) and focus on the real version of ‘communal good.’ However, when we consider that people, warts and all, are running the ship – this kind of power must not be wieldable in the first place.
Why does history repeat itself? Shelley Levene got the Glengarry leads at the end of the story because the pot was sweet. When the incentive (read: profit motive) is this strong, ethical standards tend to crumble, as offenders continue thriving off of ambiguity and distraction.
When we find in a few years that something questionable or litigious has taken place (or we may not find out), we can do the surprised song and dance again. The real issue is the system that permits this kind of alliance, where the tea leaves blatantly indicate the motives are tactical. This is not about human good, this is another chapter of booming industry at risk to everyday people like you, me, and our neighbors.
Problems of scale can not be solved with policies alone.
With gratitude,
