The Tinkerer

You probably know one. This guy cannot stop tinkering with stuff. Even when there's nothing wrong, he's gotta dive in, tear it apart and build it back up again. The tinkerer is exhausting in his all consuming pursuit of perfection - there's no detail so small that it escapes his attention. Fueled by an over-abundance of hubris, the tinkerer works 24/7....analyzing, measuring, evaluating and (yes) tinkering.

Back when he was just a kid (a loner...promoted ahead a grade and without friends) the tinkerer realized the need to form an alliance with someone that would compliment, but not threaten, his skills. The tinkerer found the stress-tester perfect for this idea.

The stress-tester was always seeing how much he could pile on before something gave in. The tinkerer observed him stress-testing ants under a magnifying glass, kittens reaction to a lighter and smaller children and their reluctance to part with their lunch money (until the stress-tester found the necessary amount of pressure to apply). The stress-tester had friends...but these were just boys who were weaker and whose friendship earned them protection. This would be the start of a productive relationship.

Even the stress-tester knew that he needed an accomplice. Deep down, he knew that he wasn't too smart. He was receptive to the tinkerer's overtures.

They're into adulthood now and making their mark. The tinkerer shows the stress-tester just where to apply the pressure. Sometimes the flaw is obvious and the faulty part is quickly exposed. More often though, the tinkerer has to tinker a bit...and the stress-tester has to apply firmer and more constant pressure. This sometimes takes months, but the tinkerer is never wrong, and the weakness is always eventually identified. The good news is that the tinkerer has found that these weak parts can always be replaced by cheaper parts. These parts seem readily available these days.

After all, life in the business world is all about getting the right people on the bus. First, of course, you have to get the wrong people off the bus. Through the proper application of stress and careful, constant tinkering, this can be accomplished. But head's up...it's easy to drive the bus off the road while you're having so much fun tinkering around. Have a nice ride.