I was walking through the mall when Wile E. Coyote stopped me.
Well, his picture did… there he was, on a sign outside Harkin’s. Apparently, a Coyote vs. Acme film hit theaters in late August, and I stumbled upon the movie poster in October. That silly coyote was still at it, pushing a gigantic bomb up a slope in the desert.
I haven’t watched Looney Tunes in a long time, but there’s no refresher course needed on this guy. I immediately visualized the quick-drying cement, pulleys, and explosives…all those absurdly unreliable products that he diligently ordered from Acme as presumably their most loyal customer. And, of course, Road Runner would get away as Wile E. wound up at the bottom of a gorge.
When I was a kid, Saturday mornings were for cartoons. And my favorite was the Looney Tunes crew, with my favorite-favorite being Bugs Bunny.
But seeing Wile E. outside the theater all these years later, I realized something that my younger self hadn’t experienced yet.
I’ve worked with these characters!
Not literally. Although I’ve been in a few meetings where an anvil might have improved things.
The One You Want in the Room
Bugs Bunny is the guy to have around when everything goes sideways.
That rabbit had a habit of getting into all kinds of situations but inevitably managed to come out on top.
He was apparently on my mind when I started my blog website 3 years ago, my first post’s name references his left turn at Albuquerque. And what a wrong turn he often made, ending up in Mexico, Australia, even somehow Medieval Europe but always figuring things out.
He rarely seems to panic. Instead, he sizes up who (or what) he’s dealing with and changes tactics.
When Gossamer (the big, red, hairy monster) was chasing after him, Bugs transformed into a gossipy beautician, piling attention on his “inter-esting” client and distracting Gossamer from his goal.
Yosemite Sam was so contrary in “Mutiny on the Bunny”, he automatically said “no” to whatever Bugs suggested. Bugs assessed the situation, and outwitted Sam, by telling him to not do things, knowing the gun-slinging outlaw would stubbornly choose the opposite.
Sometimes a smidge of ingenuity, a dash of strategy, and some basic understanding of psychology can go a long way.
Negotiation. Improvisation. Audience awareness. A true client-facing asset.
The Colleague With an Agenda
Of course, sometimes Bugs has to collaborate with Daffy Duck.
Daffy is the peer with very strong opinions, his own agenda and absolutely no intention of quietly going along with yours.
Most of us have encountered some version of him. You can’t change the personality, so you figure out how to communicate effectively enough to move things forward.
Just don’t get into a discussion on whether it’s Rabbit or Duck Season. You might burn a lot of billable hours.
The Client Who Already Has the Answer
Then there’s Marvin the Martian.
Marvin has a very clear goal: blow up the Earth.
And he already knows exactly how he wants to do it – with the Illudium Q-36 Explosive Space Modulator.
This is where someone on the conference call should really ask a few questions before taking the assignment and running with it.
“What exactly are we trying to accomplish here, Marvin?”
“Oh, the Earth obstructs your view of Venus?
Perhaps we should “circle back” with a few other solutions…
Yes, the Martian is footing the bill. But our job is to help him understand that logistics and liability might require going a different route (plus, I sorta like our planet).
The Guy With the Big Idea
Which brings me back to Wile E.
As a kid, I liked him and Road Runner – but admit there were times when I’d get a little tepid on them, mainly because I knew how the situation would end.
However, I have to give props to all the gizmos and gadgets that were employed in pursuit of a speedy bird – they were impressively complex. Flawed…but complex.
While occasionally there was some basic dynamite or iron bird seed and giant magnets, more often than not, there was likely a pulley attached to a rope tied to a rocket, or maybe a boulder launcher nearby.
That desert canine possesses quite the engineering mind, as well as tenacity, ambitious vision, and a ‘can do’ attitude.
But, the Production team has questions.
Finance has more.
Because where Wile E. falls short is his ability to step back and re-evaluate. Every plan fails, but it’s not for lack of trying or creativity.
Perhaps his opponent is simply too fast. There are other animals to go after – maybe the goal needs adjusting, expectations reset.
Or, better yet…fire his vendor.
At some point, after the 115th purchase ended in user-bodily-harm, Procurement should have stepped in and ripped up the contract.
I always rooted for Wile E. to get something (besides a canyon wall to the face), but he needs to be somewhat realistic about what that something might be.
I’d be happy for him if he succeeded in scoring an unattended picnic basket before Yogi Bear happened upon it. Oops wrong franchise.
Don’t Forget Road Runner
While everyone else is negotiating, brainstorming, arguing, ordering questionable equipment and occasionally attempting to destroy a planet, Road Runner may have the healthiest approach of all.
Stay focused on what you’re doing.
Say a mantra if it helps (he seems to like “Beep, beep”).
And try not to get hit by an enormous rock propelled by a giant rubber band.
One More Deep Thought
Before Wile E. finally walks away from the Acme relationship, I’d be curious to know if that company has a loyalty program. The coyote has certainly earned enough points for a resort vacation and all-he-can-eat buffets (complete with carving stations – alas, roadrunner is likely not on the menu).
That’s (Almost) All Folks
Lastly, remember that contraption in the cover image?
Apparently Gull has been taking notes from Wile E…
Except his device actually worked.
Maybe the coyote should be taking notes from him.
