Posted by Michael Hurwitz on Mon, Sep 14, 2009 @ 08:52 AM
If you Google the word “boondoggle,” the first thing that
comes up is “do useless, wasteful or trivial work.” Interestingly enough,
Wikipedia says that the term first
appeared during the Great Depression in the 1930s, referring to the millions of
jobs given to unemployed men and women to try to get the economy moving again,
as part of the New Deal.
The fact is that the original “boondoggle” actually turned
out to be a very good thing.
So why are so many people referring to group travel,
meetings or incentives, as “boondoggles.” Do they mean that group travel is a
good thing? Was the government praising Wells Fargo when it accused them of
hosting a “boondoggle” in Las Vegas?
The original “boondoggle” created jobs that helped
kick-start our depression-riddled economy. The 2009 version, on the other hand,
is costing jobs. The whole travel industry is getting ravished due to program
cancellations due to a fear of being accused of a “boondoggle.”
What’s wrong with this picture.
Comments?