MEMORANDUM Sixty million American spend a third of their lives working for corporations !"t no!

ody writes songs a!o"t that# $nstead we write man"als% how to compete implement re&engineer "pgrade down&si'e rightsi'e optimi'e and offload# (e have killed poetry and most of "s were too !"sy meeting deadlines to attend the f"neral# )"t poetry is alive and well in *apan in the form of haik"# +aving already learned a!o"t ,total -"ality. theory / and 0ai'en from *apan may !e we can take another lesson# After all corporate enterprise is h"rting for metaphors# 1ook how m"ch time we spend paradigm&h"nting# (e end "p with a short shortlist% the art of war and the teamwork of sports# 2ery !rave !"t is that all there is3 (hat a!o"t learning from the str"ct"re of a tree the strategy of a spider or the flight plan of a flock of d"cks3 +aik" can open windows of perception# 4he *apanese haik" dates !ack to the time of the Mayflower voyage and has even older roots in 5hina# 6lenty of time to develop an ela!orate r"le!ook# $n America they teach "s only one r"le for haik"% three lines distri!"ted into five seven and five sylla!les# Seventeen sylla!les is no ar!itrary n"m!er# $t e-"als one healthy l"ngf"l of air# (hen yo" capt"re a tho"ght in one !reath yo" -"ickly drop those fat !"''words yo" "sed in yo"r memo on organi'ational restr"ct"ring# +aik" are rightsi'ed for "s% a do'en will fit inside a coffee !reak# 4raditional haik" collections are arranged !y seasons of the year# A proper haik" is gl"ed to its season like we are gl"ed to this fiscal -"arter# $t incl"des ,season&words. called kigo to hint at where we are on the calendar# Serio"s American poets have treated haik" with great reverence# )"t a long face is not mandatory# 4he term was !"ilt from two 5hinese characters that mean ,playf"l phrases#. Some hail" are simply riddles&a two line -"estion pl"s a one line answer# And there7s a long tradition of haik" as satire called senry"# $n poetry as in management theory r"les are for !reaking# Even the classical poets messed aro"nd with the five&seven&five form"la# 4he nineteenth&cent"ry *apanese poet Shiki okayed a range of haik" from fifteen to twenty&five sylla!les# )"t there is one r"le with no exceptions# Dr# 0enneth 8as"da in his !ook 4he *apanese +aik" said ,All haik" worthy of the name are the records of9an instant of insight#. (hich means the last line of any decent haik" is always a s"rprise# A twist# A p"nch line if yo" will#

4he haik" in this !ook !reak a few r"les incl"ding those of corporate decor"m# 4hey are "na"thori'ed and a tad s"!versive: $ hope they may inspire yo" to some "na"thori'ed writing yo"r own# ;# Snowdrifts r"le the world: civili'ation is lost inside my !riefcase# <# Somewhere in *apan they will design a car that plows its own driveway# =# )efore first light while $ dream of deadlines rises the Enterprene"r# ># Ra!!it and dog tracks cross the snow% tell me timing isn7t everything# ?# +opelessly entranced !y the flight of n"m!ers $ no longer see !irds# @# Danger l"rks where a cr"shing avalanche of white has !"ried my desk# A# O!Bects reflected in a proBect sched"le are closer than they seem# C# 4his is my space% $ am content where ivy grows on a comp"ter# D# (e have come into a world of mystery and words like (8S$(8E# ;F# Slowly we ac-"ire management proficiency in slipping sched"les# ;;# 4he clocks disagree: yet they all acc"se men of mismanaging time# ;<# Solemn white gowns ha"nt the la!% we are possessed !y a phantom prod"ct# ;=# )y the vanishing -"antities of G"ality $ am nor p"rs"ed# ;># My task is to go where no one has gone !efore&and invent the wheel# ;?# 6ale in the moonlight a !lank page awaits !eckoning a moving target# ;@#Savor a deadline: it is merely an exc"se to stay "p all night# ;A# 4ime 'ones are magic% calling the East that lies (est calling the East that lies (est $ call tomorrow# ;C# )"t how can this !e3 My 4eacher commands me% 6ress EN4ER to exit# ;D# 4wo sides of one wall% over there sits yesterday# +ere sits tomorrow# <F# $n the glass towers of this town old ideas are cast in concrete# <;# 4wice the light comes to a corner office: $ wait for twice the vision# <<# 4he pondero"s ice of glaciers flow faster than my corporation# <=# 4he strategist is adept in the ancient art of expense acco"nts# <># A tropical !each at last# $ trace in the sand a la'y spreadsheet# <?# My glass is half f"ll&and the waiter !rings an empty fort"ne cookie# <@# 4he snow is gone: trees swell the sap# $n no way can my proposal fail# <A# An am!itio"s kite flies free&it seems to say 4his space Availa!le# <C# A m"shroom has p"shed thro"gh stone: it knows the art of negotiation#

<D# O"tside my window B"st one week each year lilacs are the !ottom line# =F# A marketing !irdH +e tells me tells me and then tells what he told me# =;# 4he first M)A of spring has perched s"pported !y an ancient !ranch# =<# +e has a certain sense that history !egins with his arrival# ==# $ know !y that stare he can reach no decision&taxidermy eyes# =># Nothing there !"t fog9and no light can penetrate that memorand"m# =?# A d"el at dawn% and the chosen weapon is a power !reakfast# =@# As a general st"dies the whole !attlefield learn yo"r enemy# =A# One nagging instinct p"rs"es and stings him% never !e acco"nta!le# =C#4horns !lock my pathway to the s"nlight&ten tho"sand little managers# =D# A!ove the nest of R I D slowly circle marketing v"lt"res# >F# Enlightened !eaver he has !"ilt a lodge witho"t corner offices# >;# So many !irdsongs# $n this conference each sings its own agenda# ><# 4he road we follow leads to Mo"nt J"Bi if we get past this meeting# >=# )y some mystery of scent we know o"r places aro"nd the ta!le# >># At the proBector a spider traces a map of his marketplace# >?# (ith care the spider navigates its we!&so with my strategic plan# >@# 6o"ring rain o"tside: in o"r meeting it7s raining apples and oranges# >A# O"r marketing plan% 4ho"gh it !e a small one sell it as a large one# >C# +arkH $ hear a !eepH Somewhere a new!orn machine cries for attention# >D# An "nmoved seag"ll faces the wind holding down its installed !ase# ?F# $t7s two A#M# and $ am watching 5NN: $ m"st get a life# ?;# +eat shimmers from cars s"rro"nding my parking space: they all want my Bo!# ?<# Safe in his garden the caretaker tends his t"rf a tr"e 5EO# ?=# Seeking paradigms $ find it always helps to see people as ants# ?># Ants toiling in line !ear fragments of leaves: each c"ts its own parach"te# ??# Ants "nderstand% they clim! !oth over and "nder a chain of command# ?@# A h"ndred horns so"nd fanfares for the Emperor7s newest prod"ct la"nch# ?A# 4he !allrooms of old glitter only with the light of graphs and pie charts# ?C# A podi"m calls for words of 6ower t"rning tr"th to rit"al# ?D# +ear the n"m!ers singH 4hro"gh a forest of words come glimpses of the tr"th#

@F# 4r"ly the (ise One is creative% he invents his own statistics# @;# A cele!rationH $n a grand hotel a feast of 1"cite trophies# @<# O"r at the !allpark my 5EO st"dies his management theory# @=# Eray hairsH 4his m"st !e the right moment to assert my vintage wisdom# @># Jields of white daisies gently nod consens"s as $ rehearse my speech# @?# Remem!er to thank the little people&for the years they slowed yo" down# @@# +eavy silence fills the room and points to me&$ spoke the tr"th too soon# @A# $ walk past miles of walls !"ilt stone !y stone learning to respect old work# @C# 4wo eyes in the grass% nothing there to fear&B"st a sneaking s"spicion# @D# 1one !ee in the field only yo" know the so"rce of !eehive salaries# AF# So !ea"tif"l the poison ivy as it chokes a weeping willow# A;# A twig snaps: the woods are alert# A !eginning&or may !e an end# A<# S"nset is never ensnared in a choice !etween cost and -"ality# A=# A !"'' then silence# +e for one can !e tr"sted% the fly in my so"p# A># No moon and no rhyme no reason no !lossoms $ drink my 5hardonnay# A?# $n adversity B"st what does the (ise One do3 And where is S-"are One3 A@# $n !ig sky co"ntry $ roam testing freedom and my Eold 5ard limit# AA# $t takes a great heart to view the Rockies as a sales territory# AC# Eeese honking so"thward&do their cries say they follow the (ay of the Dow3 AD# Jire in the river% salmon drive "pstream# O why did $ hire g"ppies3 CF# An old woodcarver his decisions on the floor !"ilds !y downsi'ing# C;# A flight of !irds splits into factions arg"ing a!o"t migration# C<# 1ight dawns with a th"d# All those apples on the gro"nd&which one was Newton7s3 C=# My cat on a hot car hood gathering warmth&is this why $ comm"te3 C># At my desk $ read exec"tive s"mmaries so to r"le the world# C?# 4he (ise One teaches witho"t words: $ follow his Unwritten R"le!ooks# C@# 4h"s it is "nwritten% never shall !e heard a negative word# CA# Only the pack rat knows where things are kept: that is Bo! sec"rity# CC# A safe prediction for the market is the time of the closing !ell# CD# As cherry !lossoms fall so fall the dynasties of a free market#

DF# 4he (ise One is most s"!tle# $ think his tho"ghts and think they are my own# D;# (hat the r"le!ook says will change: in time all ink is disappearing ink# D<# 4his old !"ilding stands a!ove o"r -"arrels inside watching its trees grow# D=# +"shed voices echo in the halls# Jrom the !oardroom so"nds like locking horns# D># (hat makes a sam"rai step down from his high horse3 A few !ad -"arters# D?# $n yo"th we learned that a company m"st grow: now we teach it to shrink# D@# $s it the greatest glory of a leaf when it flies free from the tree3 DA# $n those packing crates hides a !old vision of my next enterprise# DC# 1ast year7s proposal# Add wings: then it will !ecome a new idea# DD# Under a !l"e sky $ can !ecome a virt"al corporation# ;FF# A long winding road !ecomes the shortest distance !etween two ideas# ;F;# 4he mystery is% here is the fork in the road !"t which way is "p3