Pilot fish is assigned to write a program to handle call center requests — everything from service scheduling and machine tracking to engineering change requests and design issues.

“Doing my best due diligence, I went from one department head to the next, pen and paper in hand, and asked each one for specific ideas of what they wanted,” says fish. “Each of them responded the same: ‘I don’t know. Put something together and then we’ll tweak it.’”

Undaunted, fish goes to potential users in each department, asking for input. But it’s the same story: “Put something together and we’ll figure it out from there.”

Fish thinks long and hard — how can he write this with no input? But he gets a devilish idea and soon tells all the department heads and the company president to assemble for a demonstration in a meeting room. He has second thoughts when the president actually shows up, but it’s too late to change course.

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