In business, as in everyday life, we are often up against irksome and frustrating situations, and we tend to take these situations much too seriously when they occur. In retrospect, these situations often reveal a comical aspect. Anecdotes of Would-be Experts are all along these lines. But these short stories also offer some valuable insight into business.
Phil Potter and Les Payne are trying to make a go of a Midwest construction division. They battle the elements, they battle external and internal forces, and, sometimes, they battle each other. Cliff Jensen, the president of the company, backed by his board committee, is sometimes helpful and sometimes not so helpful. But Phil and Les manage to survive. Most times, the twists of their endeavors are both serious and humorous. During their years together, Phil and Les bumble to learn the business and, untiring, bumble to be experts at it.