Welcome to the Wakefield Doctrine (the theory of clarks, scotts and rogers)
So we (Cyndi and Denise and yours truly) were talking on the WDSLDR Call-in this Saturday. The topic was, superficially, about rogers, but in actuality, it was about clarks.
- …because, the Wakefield Doctrine is for you, not them
we came to the conclusion that, prior to entering a new situation, most clarks prefer to know more (about the situation) rather than less. Sometimes this is a reasonable ambition, other times it is not. When it is not, clarks tend to retreat into their heads, in an effort to ‘figure out’ their best approach to the situation. Of course, this tactic will result in our clark not actually participating in the actual events. With this non-attentiveness to the reality we are in, our status of being the Outsider is totally assured. So, as we discussed on Saturday, how do you properly prepare for events that lie in the future and are therefore not completely knowable? (We rolled down the windows and yelled and hooted at a car full of kids from school going in the opposite direction.*) We were using, as the example of this principle, the new work situation that Cyndi was facing at the start of the new year. Most telling was that it was ‘knowing the people’ that she was going to be expected to work with (and in some cases, direct and manage). While we (Denise and me) were no help with the particulars of her work environment, it did occur to us that:
- …with the Wakefield Doctrine, you (or me) or maybe just Cyndi, already knows everyone she is going to be working with, even if she has never met them before that first day… they will be clarks or there might be a scott there (probably not two, at least not in the same work environment) and a whole bunch of rogers. so, ‘fear of the unknown? not for this clark!’
We laughed, in part (or in whole), at the realization that, even after years of study, the Wakefield Doctrine still had new insights to offer!
Our conversation continued well past the normal cutoff time of the Saturday Night Drive (8:00 to 8:45 pm EDST). So, if you are in possession of a telephone next Saturday Night give us a call! It’s fun and informative and you will benefit!
- with the insights afforded by an understanding of the (principles) of the Wakefield Doctrine, you will never need find yourself saying, “How could they say such at thing? I really thought I knew them better than that!”
- …clarks think, scotts act and rogers feel
- rogers organize parties, scotts are the most sought after guests and clarks find themselves there, despite their best efforts to the contrary
You know that old aphorism …or chestnut or, ‘come here son, I have something about Life to tell you’, thing about ‘if you have a job that you need done, ask a…’? Well, the Wakefield Doctrine says:
- if you need it done right as soon as possible and you don’t care how neatly, or carefully (or correctly) done it is……… ask as scott
- if you need it done, don’t mind not getting credit for it being done and don’t care how long it takes to get done………. ask a roger
- if you need it done and you’d rather be doing something/anything else and you don’t care if it is completely done (better than you had hoped) or completely done…….ask a clark
* I think that was a scene from either ‘American Graffiti’ or it could have been ‘Dazed and Confused’
About clarkscottroger
Hehehehe there’s that.
The way to deal with a stressful social situation is by STOPPING AFTER THE SECOND GLASS.
(Which, of course, I did not do. And made a prat of myself *sigh*)
Hey! do you have international calling on that there smartphone there? maybe you should call in next Saturday Night…would love to have you join us…
Oh no! I’m on my second glass right now Lizzi! Why are you not my neighbor! LOL
I got nuthin’ , but being secondary roger had to make myself effing known…
lol… don’t laugh! having someone with a secondary rogerian is quite valuable, at least to the extent that I can say that through a comment because then I can’t see you say, ‘yeah, sure whatever‘
yeah, uhuh, whatever…
lol
(I trust there is a slight curl to your lip as you say that!)
sigh….mmhmm…
er….I’d like a arched eyebrow with that ‘mmhmm’, please!
yeah, okay….whatever.
Is it totally normal for Clarks, as they get older, to not worry about being an outsider so much? Because I feel like I don’t care about that part these days. I might just be tired though…
interesting thought…. lets make it the topic of a Post tomorrow!
Kristi! I’m an “older” clark. You don’t give a shit sister! as you get older. It’s because you’ve experienced so much.
From my perspective (as a clark) knowing the Doctrine empowers me such that I pretty much know how to comport myself in the presence of the rogers and scotts. I have a choice when it comes to letting my “freak flag fly” as Jimi would say:)
And it depends upon the context. For my own self, I realize that within the office environment my “creative, quirky” side dosen’t have a strong role/place. In fact, it only surfaces when I can’t contain my scottian secondary. LOL Luckily, it is in the form of humor that has the rogers rolling in the aisles as they say.
Did that help?
Oh man, that movie was to me what The Big Chill was to my sister. So my high school years. LOL Thank you Mr. Linklater…. A most excellent rendition of high school life (albeit in Texas) of life in high school in the late 70’s.
As to Saturday night’s call on the WDSLDR Call-in – very excellent. Cyndi is smack dab in the middle of real life situation(s) that require she, as a clark, be on her best “game”. Luckily, she has a firm grasp of the Doctrine and as usual when talking with her I come away with yet another insight into how valuable this Doctrine in.
Yo Kristi Campbell! You so need to call in one Saturday night. Just sayin’:)
Denise – those Sat. Nite call-ins are TOO FUN!
But, yes…the work situation. *sigh*
I *could* say, like Kristi mentioned above that I don’t much care…but I do because I’m living and breathing “rogers” right now…and I have like 1% roger in me…LOL
It’s been a long, long time since I worked alongside other people in an office setting. It’s a steep learning curve – I’m so ding-danged independent, I’m having to tame my lioness tendencies. But, well…for the time being I can be caged, until I know the situation and then let out controlled roars. ;)
hey Cyndi!
we had one strategy once, for dealing with rogers (it’s predicated on be relatively immune or insulted or not-giving-a-shit-about-anything-they-might-say-to-us), referred to as ‘loving your roger’
the idea is to create a relationship for yourself with them, taking into account their propensity for being nasty at times and build on that as the ‘context’ of your relationship (you know, like raising a puppy, accept without the inherently good dispositions)… if you love your roger, then you are tricking yourself into allowing a level of initiative with your interactions that you might not otherwise assume. Sort of what a scott does, only you are not going to drag their lifeless carcasses back to the den as a snack for the cubs. ya know?
…the part that we can borrow from our scottian brethren, is that, if we do this, we will, to a certain degree, own them…. and, yes, as I am sure you’re thinking at this point, we are, in fact, tricking ourselfs too!
lol take notes!