Wednesday, July 27, 2005

Flip-flops in the White House: A Parable

A photo of Northwestern University's national championship women's lacrosse team, taken during the athletes' recent visit to the White House, shows most of the nine women in the front row wearing flip-flop sandals along with their dresses and skirts. This created a flip-flop flap.*

What can flip-flops (the shoes, not the political posturing) possibly have to do with your government procurement contracting practices? And how do they relate to failure at procurement contracting?

Everyday, businesses large and small, well-established and brand new, try to open the door to doing business with the government, but they are in reality "wearing flip-flops." The successful contractors have understood what is appropriate and what is not. When government procurement personnel and end-users see how the company presents itself, they make a snap decision to open or shut the door, literally and figuratively.

Read the full story

No comments: