“Will they be ready with Eclipse in time for the trade-show Mr West”
“We have hired the best of the best and they have poured their soul into the machine, they are too scared to fail, Mr. de Castro”
“Our future totally depends on these young kids; but I wonder what will happen to them afterwards”
“Many will remain mycorrhiza, efficient engineers building new machines; a few will grow to reach the light; a few will leave. But they will all remember mushroom management”
“Mushrooms?”
“Yes, Mr de Castro: put them in the dark; feed them shit; watch them grow*
The team
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This week my inspiration came immediately when seeing the mushrooms and is inspired by the wonderful book “The Soul of a New Machine” by Tracy Kidder which is the real story about engineering development of a new computer. It is a unique insight into engineering culture, and even if it is quite old it still give unique insight into this unique culture.
Friday Fictioners is a great group of bloggers who each week write a story in 100 words to the same picture. Our project manager is Rochelle Wissoff-Fields who make sure that we all go from mycorrhiza to mushrooms without feeding us shit.
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March 4, 2015
Björn Rudbergs writings 
How true. We often said where I used to work, we were all mushrooms: kept in the dark and fed shit……
I wondered when someone would link to that saying Bjorn – I’m surprised I’m so far down the list before it came up. Good one.
Ha.. I’m hitting the trail now.. but so good no-one had done that one yet.
This is too funny. LOL!! (Kind of sounds like my upbringing!)
Oy.. that sounds bad.. but I guess it can happen everywhere.
Lovely idea for a story, and nice dialogue!
Claire
I think most of it is for real.. the book was a documentary…
Lol. Nice comedy take on the prompt.
Sometimes reality beats fiction.
I thought of that line, too, Bjorn. You did a good job with it!
janet
Sounds a little bit like where I used to work. There was definitely a disconnect between the top and the bottom. Love this story, Bjorn!
Hmmm..I have to remember that last line. Could come in handy as a come back line. 🙂
Lily
Ha, I think I would stay away from ‘mushroom management.’ Wouldn’t like to spend so much time in the dark. Smiles.
Dear Bjorn, You are too funny! Good job! Nan 🙂
there was something new to learn in your post and Rochelle’s post, thanks
I love stories where I learn something. Great job.
My teachers were from that discipline.
Good story with great dialogue, Bjorn. A look at a bit of the history of the computer and those who worked on it. Well done. 🙂 — Suzanne
Dear Björn,
Mushroom management? I’m quite familiar with that method. Well said. Well written.
Shalom,
Rochelle
Dear Bjorn,
I work for that company. I’m pretty sure I saw you doing your research here last month. Was that you?
Great story. Best of the mushroom ones so far, by far.
Aloha,
Doug
Great analogy. I must admit, when I read the word “mycorrhiza” I thought maybe you’d dropped something on the keyboard until I Goggled it!
Well written story.
The Mushroom analogy is very popular in activist circles, as it pertains to voters and politicians! This is a great application, Bjorn. I love that you are reading The Soul of a New Machine. Tracy Kidder finds soul in the strangest places; have you read his House? One of those books won the Pulitzer…
Thanks for visiting, and thanks for the reminder. Peace, Amy
Loved your description of the “Mushroom Management” technique. Nicely done!
Bjorn – I loved your last line! Well done! ^..^
Great story. I’ve known and worked with many engineers. The last line says it all, and I’m sure many of them would immediately recognize “mushroom management.”
Excellent punchline, Bjorn!
That’s a perfect last line. Nice work, Bjorn. 🙂
the mushroom effect…ha…
well i would imagine that the same for all
the kids designing computers and such
while binging on their pizza and such…
Clever ending.
Ah, it seems we all work for the same company. Perfectly delivered comedy.
i remember that book. somebody gave it to me when we were working on a large systems project. 🙂
Excellent post, Bjorn. The larger the corporation the more mushroom management is practiced. I shooting our spores as we speak.
Many engineering & management institutes have mushroomed all over the world!
I have a different philosophical approach to mushrooms in my story!
I often feel like a mushroom.
Hey, that’s brilliant!
My schooldays were a bit like that!
Great story for the prompt. Mushroom management gets the job done. I particularly love the last line and enjoyed your philosophical approach.
Ours were a lot alike this time, weren’t they? Fun!
There used to be a company or two in my life with that philosophy… didn’t stay there, I’m no mushroom. Great story.
Brilliant and ahead of the game on using that line. It looks like a few had that thought. : )
Well done.
That is fascinating and a totally new term for me. Mushroom management — a specialty at so many companies!
“Mushroom Management” struck a chord with me, too. Fun story!
Intriguing story, Björn. I love when I get to read something and learn something… and this is really well written as well! Fascinating.
It is just too amazing that Doug does this?
Your mushroom story is magic, bjorn. It could work, if done right – mushroom management. Creative people generally work best alone and without interference, at least this one does – ‘Team work’ makes me shudder! 🙂
Team work can be good.. but often it’s more like peer pressure 🙂
PPP: peer pressure politics. You nailed it.
I had to smile when I read this one Bjorn as I am married a Castro. Nice take on the theme. 🙂