The Cost of Community

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The Cost of Community
David Schmaltz   (December 6, 2007)




Before proceeding with the plan, the canny project manager mitigates risks by involving the whole community — all the “undesignated project managers” — in the design of the effort. Sure, this can be time-consuming, frustrating work, but not as time-consuming, frustrating and costly as those contingencies that inevitably pop up later when such input is ignored at the start.

Early in the movie Casablanca, Rick, owner of The American Cafe, is chatting with Captain Renault. Renault mentions that that bar is allowed to remain open because Rick has never sold stolen exit visas. Rick responds that he thought it was because he let the Captain win at roulette. Later, when an exile mysteriously wins enough money for an exit visa at the roulette wheel, Captain Renault notes how strange it is that he won. Then, glancing at Rick, he reflects, “Well, maybe not so strange.” Later, Renault arrives with a squad of police announcing, “This cafe is to be closed at once!”
 
Rick complains, “How can you close me up? On what grounds?”
 
Renault responds, “I am shocked, shocked to learn that gambling is going on in here!”
 
By the end of the movie, after Rick shoots the German Colonel Strasser to stop him from preventing Ingmar Bergman and Ronald Coleman from escaping using stolen exit visas (provided, of course, by Rick), and Renault sends his squad off to search for the killer among “the usual suspects,” Rick and Renault walk away arm in arm, with Rick declaring, “Louis, I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship.”
 
Beautiful Friendships
Both Rick and Renault knew the game they were playing, and they played it effectively.



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