Managing Humans: Biting and Humorous Tales of a Software Engineering Manager, Second Edition

Fred Hates the Off-Site

The world of management has a set of power words that it has appropriated as a means of giving itself a sense of identity. This list is endless and entertaining. When these words are spoken, they are said in such a way that you are meant to wonder in awe, “What does that mean?” but you don’t ask for fear of looking like an idiot.

Today’s word: off-site. An off-site is a . . . meeting. There are some specific characteristics to an off-site, but it’s really just a meeting with a group of people that likely lives up to its name in that it’s elsewhere—it’s off-site.

Now that you understand what it is, let’s understand why ...