Dilbert cartoon first published on Sunday 12th February 1995

Dilbert//2129, first published 31 years ago on Sunday 12th February 1995

Tags

strategic planning team satisfaction vague emotional terms mediocre thinkers believe options steer the company viewgraphs last years viewgraph

Official transcript

Dilbert sits at his desk. The Boss says, "I'm putting you on the strategic planning team."

The Boss continues, "It's like work but without the satisfaction of accomplishing anything."

Dilbert and three co-workers sit at a conference table. A man says, "You're new, so let me explain how this works."

The man continues, "We have meetings and talk about the company's strategy in vague emotional terms."

The man continues, "In time, we convince ourselves that we're more than mediocre thinkers who sit around complaining."

The man continues, "We start believing our opinions will steer the company. We feel important. We feel ALIVE!!"

A woman tells Dilbert, "Then we snap out of it and make viewgraphs that say we should keep doing what we're doing."

Dilbert says, "I like making viewgraphs."

The woman replies, "Actually, we use last year's viewgraph."

originally published on dilbert.com

Open source transcript

I'M PUTTING YOU ON THE STRATEGIC PLANNING TEAM.

IT'S LIKE WORK BUT WITHOUT THE SATISFACTION OF ACCOMPLISHING ANYTHING.

YOU'RE NEW, SO LET ME EXPLAIN HOW THIS WORKS WE HAVE MEETINGS AND TALK ABOUT THE COMPANY'S STRATEGY IN VAGUE EMOTIONAL TERMS IN TIME, WE CONVINCE OURSELVES THAT WERE MORE THAN MEDIOCRE THINKERS WHO SIT AROUND COMPLAINING

WE START BELIEVING OUR OPINIONS WILL STEER THE COMPANY.

WE FEEL IMPORTANT.

WE FEEL ALIVE !!

THEN WE SNAP OUT OF IT AND MAKE VIEWGRAPHS THAT SAY WE SHOULD KEEP DOING WHAT WERE DOING ILIKE MAKING VIEW- GRAPHS.

ACTUALLY, WE USE LAST YEAR'S VIEWGRAPH

collated from github.com/jvarn/dilbert-archive

AI Analysis

Comic Strip Title: "The Futility of Meetings"

Summary:

The comic strip depicts a meeting where a company's strategic planning team is discussing the company's strategy. The team is shown to be unproductive, with one member stating that the meeting is like work but without the satisfaction of accomplishing anything. Another member suggests that they should make viewgraphs to keep doing what they're doing, which is met with skepticism by the others.

Key Points:

• The meeting is portrayed as a waste of time.
• The team members are shown to be unproductive and unengaged.
• The idea of making viewgraphs is suggested as a way to keep doing what they're doing, but is met with skepticism.
• The comic strip pokes fun at the futility of meetings and the lack of productivity in the corporate world.

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