The movie is highly thought provoking and as a management person, I have to think of whether the choice was really right ?
There are three persons, all equally brilliant track record - and are being evaluated for the ultimate (or next to), the CEO of a megalith. The evaluation is done by the President and his confidantes - sister, and nephew. Naturally with equally brilliant performance on line of duty, the line-off-duty too need to be looked at, and for that the best measure considered was to call the wives too and evaluate the wives along with the respective husbands.
Couple #1 - off-duty meek husband and highly ambitious and glamorous wife (Dahl), who would go to any., and I mean ANY extent to further her husband's career.
Couple #2- no off-duty husband. The smart but not too glamorous wife (Bacall) is lonely (though tagging along, since she still genuinely cares), but the husband doesn't have time for wife or children.
Couple#3 - balanced - despite success, family man - deeply devoted couple - though the wife is naive and non sophisticated - a typical housewife who would be fish out of water in high-society gathering.
As a selector, with the men being equal, the selection committee looked at their respective women. Were they looking for the drag coefficient ? As seemed to be from the ending part, as if they were looking how much the wives were handicap to the husbands. Of course that would be one way of looking at the Potential of the candidates - how much they could further, and move away from competition, if the drag was removed ?
To clarify, all these wives were not a drag. In fact they were practically promoting their husbands - one directly, another by being silent and uncomplaining sufferer, and the third through direct emotional support. The selector had to now decide on the drag these spouses still offered and could their men somehow would be able to neutralize the drag ?
To be frank, I don't know if the selection was right. After all some one, who knew of the major handicap (he said it), but didn't do anything about it, for years, can't be the person who goes to the position where every strategic decision have to be taken quickly.
He could be out of the handicap, but that's not what one looks for, it is the quick and right decision making. On that aspect it was wrong. may eb an excellent movie for HR debates.
There are three persons, all equally brilliant track record - and are being evaluated for the ultimate (or next to), the CEO of a megalith. The evaluation is done by the President and his confidantes - sister, and nephew. Naturally with equally brilliant performance on line of duty, the line-off-duty too need to be looked at, and for that the best measure considered was to call the wives too and evaluate the wives along with the respective husbands.
Couple #1 - off-duty meek husband and highly ambitious and glamorous wife (Dahl), who would go to any., and I mean ANY extent to further her husband's career.
Couple #2- no off-duty husband. The smart but not too glamorous wife (Bacall) is lonely (though tagging along, since she still genuinely cares), but the husband doesn't have time for wife or children.
Couple#3 - balanced - despite success, family man - deeply devoted couple - though the wife is naive and non sophisticated - a typical housewife who would be fish out of water in high-society gathering.
As a selector, with the men being equal, the selection committee looked at their respective women. Were they looking for the drag coefficient ? As seemed to be from the ending part, as if they were looking how much the wives were handicap to the husbands. Of course that would be one way of looking at the Potential of the candidates - how much they could further, and move away from competition, if the drag was removed ?
To clarify, all these wives were not a drag. In fact they were practically promoting their husbands - one directly, another by being silent and uncomplaining sufferer, and the third through direct emotional support. The selector had to now decide on the drag these spouses still offered and could their men somehow would be able to neutralize the drag ?
To be frank, I don't know if the selection was right. After all some one, who knew of the major handicap (he said it), but didn't do anything about it, for years, can't be the person who goes to the position where every strategic decision have to be taken quickly.
He could be out of the handicap, but that's not what one looks for, it is the quick and right decision making. On that aspect it was wrong. may eb an excellent movie for HR debates.