Don't Panic!
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In February 2018, on a SpaceX Falcon Heavy test flight, Elon Musk launched his 2008 Tesla Roadster, a production electric car that he used to commute in, into solar orbit. It demonstrated that SpaceX had the capability to send a payload to Mars. The launch was live streamed, and Starman, a mannequin in a spacesuit, occupied the driver’s seat. The car also contained a 5D optical disc copy of Isaac Asimov’s Foundation Trilogy, a miniature Hot Wheels roadster with a miniature Starman on the dashboard, a copy of Douglas Adams’ novel The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy in the glove box with a towel, and a sign saying “DON’T PANIC!”
Elon rocks.
When I worked in the corporate world, I had a producer friend who I worked with at three different video game companies. Over the years, we would watch corporate vice presidents freak out, lose their shit over… usually, the fact that they had championed a project that was about to lose a few million dollars because they didn’t have the balls to cancel the disaster that they never should have greenlit… or some other non-decision that wasn’t made.
This one time, the Veeps ran around yelling and screaming as if it was the end of the world. We needed to have a “coming to Jesus meeting” with the company that they hired for the project and the Veeps would be bringing the hammer of wrath upon the offenders.
My producer friend calmly looks me in the eye, and says,
“Since when… in the History of Civilization… has Panic been the proper to solution to… anything?”
It would come time to have the “coming to Jesus meeting” to unleash the hammer and let the other company’s CEO know that they were in breach of contract, and all of the Veeps would suddenly be sick, too busy, or otherwise manage to disappear… the morning of the meeting.
“You guys can handle that meeting.”
The Veeps usually didn’t have anyone fooled, except, unfortunately, the CEO and upper management. The rest of the staff would signal behind the Veeps’ backs with hands crossed in front of their faces with three fingers on each hand pointed to the left and the right, signaling The Way of the Weasel. My corporate experience was entirely in video games, but I’m sure this exists in all industries.
Beware of panicky weasels. It’s usually a good plan to slowly figure out how to walk away. But, DON’T PANIC! Slow is smooth, smooth is fast.