Never could more business-damning words be spoken.

I got into it with someone the other day. He was doing something that was just plain counterproductive. Of course, because I can't seem to keep my mouth shut, I pointed out the futility as I saw it.

An exasperated sigh. A defiant look. And then the sentence that led me to blow my cool: "It's the way we do things 'round here."

So, wait, seriously? Does it follow, then, that it is OK that airlines don't arrive on time? That's the way they do things, right? How about the mob? Is it OK that they whack people? That's just how they roll!

Maybe I am being a bit over the top but, then again, maybe people should start thinking about their complacency. Backwards thinking, fundamentally, is the same across the board. The only difference is that the negative consequences won't rack up ETAs or body bags. But make no mistake: Backwards thinking will affect your restaurant's bottom line.  To me, that's pretty important.