From Australia comes a story (courtesy of The Telegraph) that PwC has “ditched” its “outdated” dress code for men and women. According to the story—

The company previously requested men wear suits and business-appropriate socks, while women wear tailored dresses or trousers. … men had to wear fine knitwear, smart shirts with collars, tailored trousers, traditional suits and dress shoes or boots. Women had to wear similar clothes, with additional options of tailored dresses, skirts, smart shirts or blouses and business-style shoes or boots.

What changed? Well, one thing that changed is that a temp worker in PwC’s London offices inspired a petition to prohibit firms from requiring women to wear heels while at work. However, the PwC spokesperson said the two events were not connected. She was quoted as saying: “The reality is we are in a war for talent and we want the same creative, innovative and diverse people that all the other companies are chasing. We think this change will help us do that.”

Thus: the connection between removing hierarchical controls and the retention of “creative, innovative and diverse” people. If you want people to do their best work, you have to give them the freedom to do so.

Or, as General George Patton reportedly said: “Don't tell people how to do things, tell them what to do and let them surprise you with their results.”

In related news, on June 6, 2016, a proposed FAR revision was published in the Federal Register. FAR Case 2015-035 proposed to “delete reference to obsolete technologies no longer in use and replace with references to electronic communications.” Basically, this means the terms “telegram” and “telegraph” will be eliminated.

As the background comments to the proposed rule-making action noted—

The word ‘telegram’ emerged shortly after the invention of the electrical telegraph in the 1840s. This terminology and way of communicating was incorporated into the first issue of the FAR, effective April 1, 1984. The emergence of electronic means of communication, starting with the facsimile machine, and then followed by email and mobile-phone text messages in the 1990s, resulted in the sparing use of telegraph services and use of telegrams.

Yes. “Sparing use” is one way to describe the current proclivity to use telegraph and telegrams to communicate in the 21st century.

Or: TELEGRAM COMMA TELEGRAPH SPACE USAGE SPACE DOWN PERIOD TIME SPACE TO SPACE UPDATE SPACE FAR STOP