"I heard a funny one two weeks ago that might interest you. Seems one of our R&D people went to a new products management seminar and heard about a thing called the protocol. They told him it was the device whereby the overall manager of new products communicated to R&D exactly what was wanted from the technical group. R&D even had to 'sign on the dotted line,' swearing that they thought it could be done. He was really steamed - said no one could tell R&D what they should come up with, not in advance anyway. And R&D is responsible only to top management, not new products managers, so they don't have to promise anything. He said he considered that concept the most stifling single action imaginable. How would you answer that scientist, or would you?"