Living With Difficult Women [Tuesday, Period 5]
"I feel like breaking into groups last week ended up being quite productive," Max began. Even if he was worried that some of his students were learning far too much for his peace of mind. Still, considering that some of his students insisted that they didn't know any difficult women, it was well worth increasing the world's supply.
"Additionally, I believe seeing some of the things I'm trying to teach in action provided a better understanding of what we're trying to learn here. Demonstrations are always more useful than theory, after all. So with that in mind, I've asked someone else to assist me this week, and luckily for all of you, she graciously agreed."
He grinned over at Ghani, waving for her to introduce herself to anyone who didn't already know her.
The Ghanima that stepped forward was a very different one than anyone who'd taken her classes was used to seeing. Head up, shoulders back, and a slightly haughty cast to her features. She'd even pulled out one of her crowns. Max so owed her for this. "As Professor Maximus stated, he asked me to attend your class today."
"For those of you whom are not familiar with me, I am Lady Ghanima Atreides, Princess Royal, and heir to the Imperium and the Known Universe," she said briskly. "'Difficult' is perhaps one of the kinder names I have been called behind my back."
"But," Max smirks, "not to your face, I hope." He suspected that anyone foolish enough to do that deserved what they got. "Anyway," he waved, "while I understand that some of you come from worlds where women are not placed in positions of authority, most of you are from places that make it virtually inevitable that you'll one day be placed under the orders of a difficult woman. In fact, those very women tend to make rather effective leaders. So you'll need to have a good idea of how to deal with them effectively."
"You do not 'deal' with an effective leader," Ghanima cut in, surveying the class coldly. "You serve, and you obey. If you are a member of the counsel, you can object, beg, plead, and challenge, but in the end it is down to the mandate of heaven. The strongest hold the throne, and you do not want to undermine a ruler that is otherwise effective with your own petty grievances or moral quibbles. The manner with which you approach a problem can make all the difference in the world."
"Many of the techniques used here are used for anyone in a position of authority," Max added. Okay, so they were all identical, but this class was about difficult women, and since the techniques happened to work on that subset, well... that was close enough. "The thing to remember is that you can not defy your superiors." Openly. "If they're competent," he nodded at Ghani, which he would have done even if she hadn't been incredibly competent, "this doesn't matter as their orders will be good ones. But even if they're incompetent you can't defy them." Again, openly.
Max paused and glanced over at Ghani to see if she had anything to add on the subject.
"You can't defy them openly." What? Ghanima was going to say it. "There are usually a number of ways to work around someone in power, although Max has an excellent point. If they're competent, you don't need to worry about their orders, as they will usually be well thought-out. You may not always like them, or know the reasons behind them, but your leader sincerely believes it to be the best option available."
"When faced with an incompetent and unapproachable authority, sometimes subterfuge is your best option. However, if you are caught out, resist the urge to deflect or deny. If you are going to make the decision to subvert an order, you must be prepared to take responsibility for your actions. You must never ask anyone to do something that you are not willing to do, or risk consequences that you are not prepared to face."
"One option to consider is that sometimes you can fulfill inane orders quickly while appearing to do so slowly. This allows you to undertake actually valuable projects 'on the side' as it were. But, again, there is a risk if you're caught. Not as much of one, since you're actually doing as ordered, but it is an unfortunate fact that plenty of terrible leaders are clever enough to pick up on what you're doing."
"Still, if you're lucky, whoever's in charge is a reasonable person." He smiled over at Ghani. 'What would you say is the best way to approach a reasonable leader, whether they're competent or not?"
"Have your facts together. Be able to state your case concisely and reasonably. Do not go casting blame and pointing fingers, but offer viable, practical solutions to the problem at hand," Ghanima answered. "Do not try to fix all the problems at once. Start small, build credibility, and work your way up to being known as being someone dependable and reasonable, rather than just some troublemaker that wants to overhaul everything. If you have a reputation for being responsible and of sound judgement, then you are that much closer to being taken seriously. Not just by your leader, but by your comrades as well. Without their support, you will never met your goals."
"Exactly," Max agreed. "Now, much like last week, we'll be splitting into discussion groups. Both Ghnima and I have been involved in these sorts of situations from different directions, so we each have different perspectives. Pick the one you think will be most helpful to you."
"Additionally, I believe seeing some of the things I'm trying to teach in action provided a better understanding of what we're trying to learn here. Demonstrations are always more useful than theory, after all. So with that in mind, I've asked someone else to assist me this week, and luckily for all of you, she graciously agreed."
He grinned over at Ghani, waving for her to introduce herself to anyone who didn't already know her.
The Ghanima that stepped forward was a very different one than anyone who'd taken her classes was used to seeing. Head up, shoulders back, and a slightly haughty cast to her features. She'd even pulled out one of her crowns. Max so owed her for this. "As Professor Maximus stated, he asked me to attend your class today."
"For those of you whom are not familiar with me, I am Lady Ghanima Atreides, Princess Royal, and heir to the Imperium and the Known Universe," she said briskly. "'Difficult' is perhaps one of the kinder names I have been called behind my back."
"But," Max smirks, "not to your face, I hope." He suspected that anyone foolish enough to do that deserved what they got. "Anyway," he waved, "while I understand that some of you come from worlds where women are not placed in positions of authority, most of you are from places that make it virtually inevitable that you'll one day be placed under the orders of a difficult woman. In fact, those very women tend to make rather effective leaders. So you'll need to have a good idea of how to deal with them effectively."
"You do not 'deal' with an effective leader," Ghanima cut in, surveying the class coldly. "You serve, and you obey. If you are a member of the counsel, you can object, beg, plead, and challenge, but in the end it is down to the mandate of heaven. The strongest hold the throne, and you do not want to undermine a ruler that is otherwise effective with your own petty grievances or moral quibbles. The manner with which you approach a problem can make all the difference in the world."
"Many of the techniques used here are used for anyone in a position of authority," Max added. Okay, so they were all identical, but this class was about difficult women, and since the techniques happened to work on that subset, well... that was close enough. "The thing to remember is that you can not defy your superiors." Openly. "If they're competent," he nodded at Ghani, which he would have done even if she hadn't been incredibly competent, "this doesn't matter as their orders will be good ones. But even if they're incompetent you can't defy them." Again, openly.
Max paused and glanced over at Ghani to see if she had anything to add on the subject.
"You can't defy them openly." What? Ghanima was going to say it. "There are usually a number of ways to work around someone in power, although Max has an excellent point. If they're competent, you don't need to worry about their orders, as they will usually be well thought-out. You may not always like them, or know the reasons behind them, but your leader sincerely believes it to be the best option available."
"When faced with an incompetent and unapproachable authority, sometimes subterfuge is your best option. However, if you are caught out, resist the urge to deflect or deny. If you are going to make the decision to subvert an order, you must be prepared to take responsibility for your actions. You must never ask anyone to do something that you are not willing to do, or risk consequences that you are not prepared to face."
"One option to consider is that sometimes you can fulfill inane orders quickly while appearing to do so slowly. This allows you to undertake actually valuable projects 'on the side' as it were. But, again, there is a risk if you're caught. Not as much of one, since you're actually doing as ordered, but it is an unfortunate fact that plenty of terrible leaders are clever enough to pick up on what you're doing."
"Still, if you're lucky, whoever's in charge is a reasonable person." He smiled over at Ghani. 'What would you say is the best way to approach a reasonable leader, whether they're competent or not?"
"Have your facts together. Be able to state your case concisely and reasonably. Do not go casting blame and pointing fingers, but offer viable, practical solutions to the problem at hand," Ghanima answered. "Do not try to fix all the problems at once. Start small, build credibility, and work your way up to being known as being someone dependable and reasonable, rather than just some troublemaker that wants to overhaul everything. If you have a reputation for being responsible and of sound judgement, then you are that much closer to being taken seriously. Not just by your leader, but by your comrades as well. Without their support, you will never met your goals."
"Exactly," Max agreed. "Now, much like last week, we'll be splitting into discussion groups. Both Ghnima and I have been involved in these sorts of situations from different directions, so we each have different perspectives. Pick the one you think will be most helpful to you."