John Y’s Musings from the Middle: It Is What It Is

Whenever I hear someone say, “It is what it is,” I am going to respond, “That’s certainly true. But let’s not forget that it’s also not what it’s not.”

And then pause before adding, “Or is it? Know what I mean?” as I nod knowingly.

I think this will catch on and be the perfect confident rejoinder to the “Is = Is” breakthrough formulation devised just several years ago that no one is yet sure what exactly it means but we all sense it is something profoundly insightful that we can all agree on.

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A number of years ago a very wise friend of mine had this wry explanation about someone else we worked with who gave us fits but who somehow always seemed indispensable to management.

“His worth comes from being able to extricate our team out of crises that he manufactures.”

I laughed loud and hard at how right on the money my friend was with his observation.

And I swore I would never work again with anyone like the person he so fittingly described.

But sadly, I have discovered, there are more than just that one.