Plum Crazy

Remember this e-mail? I'm going to highlight the number of times I outright said "high-level" in it.

E-mail 1:

Lesley XXX
09/02/2004 02:11 PM
To: A, B, C … W
cc: X, Y, Z
Subject: The Budget Gauntlet

We’ve scheduled the Budget Gauntlet for Wednesday, Sept. 8th from 12 pm - 4 pm in Conf. Rm. 6E. Lunch and refreshments will be served. Mark this day in your calendars.

I’d like to start with the high-level overview of the strategic projects, with those program managers also presenting a high-level overview (allow me to stress the words “high-level” again) of any of their non-strategic projects right afterwards . Hopefully a half-hour per will work out. It’s not necessary for the program managers to be present for other program managers’ presentations, although if anyone is interested, please feel free to stay. As a starting point, let’s go in alphabetical order.

12:00 pm Project 1
12:30 pm Project 2
1:00 pm Project 3
1:30 pm Project 4
2:00 pm Project 5
2:30 pm Project 6
3:00 pm Project 7
3:30 pm Project 8

I know that some of these time slots may conflict with other meetings you might have. Rather than send around 50 million e-mails, I figured it was easier to put a stake in the ground. I’ll first ask that you try to reschedule any meetings you can. However, if you cannot, let the horse-trading begin.

Thanks.

Lesley

P.S. High-level

I think I said that the overviews are supposed to be high-level a sufficient number of times (four to be exact). Perhaps, though, I needed to repeat the phrase in every sentence, because following is an e-mail one of the managers sent to his/her direct reports regarding the presentations (it was forwarded to me with a request for a copy of the DCW).

E-mail 2:

A
09/02/2004 2:58 PM

To: B, C, D, E
Subject: The Budget Gauntlet

Please be prepared to present your resource projections on DCW level at this meeting.

DCW level. That means at a detailed level, not at a high-level. Aaargh!!!!!