How true is this?

[whiskywill]

A woman in a hot air balloon realized she was lost. She reduced altitude and spotted a man below. She descended a bit more and shouted, "Excuse me, can you help me? I promised a friend I would meet him an hour ago but I don't know where I am."
The man below replied "You're in a hot air balloon hovering approximately 30 feet above the ground. You're between 40 and 41 degrees north latitude and between 59 and 60 degrees west longitude."
"You must be an engineer," said the balloonist. "I am", replied the man.
"How did you know?"
"Well, answered the balloonist, "everything you told me is technically correct, but I've no idea what to make of your information, and the fact is I'm still lost. Frankly, you've not been much help at all. If anything, you've delayed my trip even more."
The man below responded, "You must be in management."
"I am," replied the balloonist, "but how did you know?"
"Well," said the man, "You don't know where you are or where you're going. You have risen to where you are due to a large quantity of hot air. You made a promise which you've no idea how to keep, and you expect people beneath you to solve your problems?!!"

 

[HappyHacker]

In the version I heard the person in the balloon was a consultant which I can conform is a true analogy.

 

[Cheshirechappie]

OOOHHHH Yesssss!

In a similar vein, why are large organisations similar to septic tanks? Because the really large chunks always rise to the top.

 

[bugbear]

In the version I heard the person in the balloon was a consultant which I can conform is a true analogy.

There's also a microsoft support desk variation.

BugBear

 

[DiscoStu]

I know a similar story where the person who is lost is in a Helicopter in fog. They come across a tall building peering out above the fog. They ask where they are because they are lost. They get a similar answer to the example above. However the pilot says thanks very much and turns 90 degrees and heads directly for the airport. His passenger asks how on earth he knew where he was from the answer that he was given. The pilot replied that the answer was technically correct but completely unhelpful so it must have been the Microsoft office!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[finneyb]

All caused because she asked the WRONG question.

She wants to know how to get to the meeting - so ask that.
Then the engineer would have said land and get a taxi because its obvious your not competent to fly.

An Engineer

 

[lurker]

All caused because she asked the WRONG question.

She wants to know how to get to the meeting - so ask that.
Then the engineer would have said land and get a taxi because its obvious your not competent to fly.

An Engineer

No member of management would be able to comprehend they were not competent, despite the facts.

Another Engineer

 

[monkeybiter]

No member of management would be able to comprehend they were not competent, despite the facts.

Another Engineer

A reliable rule of thumb, too few exceptions. :evil:

 

[mbartlett99]

Seems about right.

Another engineer.

 

[deema]

The problem is, you can never find good people!

An Engineer who was so full of hot air he became a Manager

 

[DrPhill]

Completely untrue. The entire of the rectangle 40 N 59 W to 41 N 60 W lies in the North Atlantic Ocean quite a few miles off the coast of Nova Scotia.

I am closer to being an engineer than a manager, obviously.

(Now where is that 'smart &rs3' smiley when you need it)

PS Managers, politicians and nappies should all be changed regularly, for exactly the same reason.