Manager of the FUTURE!

[sesquipedality]

In Star Trek: Deep Space 9, there is a certain pattern in crisis conversations.  Usually they are between Cisco and O'Brien and go something like this:

Cisco: Is there any way to re-energise to molestators?
O'Brien: Well I could reroute the capitulation circuit to cross-cut the tachyon pulse which should reverse the direction of chronon emissions.
Cisco: Good plan, chief.  How long will it take?
O'Brien: Two days
Cisco: You have half an hour.

Is it just me, or is demanding things faster than people say they can do them not a very useful management technique?  Is there something about stating a time limit with sufficient authority that slows down time, or something?

Comments

[brinker.livejournal.com]

Oh, I consider it a horrible management strategy.

But it's also a Star Trek trope as traditional as "dammit Jim, I'm a doctor, not a..." or killing the redshirt. Scotting once confessed that he exaggerated the length of time it would take to do something so that he could look impressive when he did it faster.

I've assumed the other shows picked this up just to continue the tradition.

[brinker.livejournal.com]

Wow. Scotting? No clue where that came from. I'd blame it on auto-fill or something, but I can't. Must be the tribbles (otherwise known as the 12 lb kitten/cat) who's convinced my neck is a much better place to sit than my lip.