An Amusing Little Management Lesson

A man in a hot-air balloon realized he was lost. He reduced altitude and spotted a woman below. He descended a bit more and shouted, “Excuse me. Can you help me? I promised a friend I would meet him an hour ago, but I don’t know where I am.” The woman below replied, “You are in a hot-air balloon hovering approximately 30 feet above the ground.

You are between 40 and 41 degrees north latitude and between 59 and 60 degrees west longitude.” “You must be an engineer,” said the balloonist. “I am,” replied the woman. “How did you know?” “Well” said the balloonist, “everything you told me is technically correct, but I have no idea what to make of your information — and the fact is I am still lost. Frankly, you’ve not been much help so far.”

The woman below responded, “You must be in management.” “I am,” replied the balloonist. “How did you know?” “Well,” said the woman, “you don’t know where you are or where you are going. You have risen to where you are due to a large quantity of hot air. You made a promise that you have no idea how to keep. And you expect people beneath you to solve your problems. The fact is that you are in exactly the same position you were in before we met — but now, somehow, it’s my fault.”