The Tiger's Den

Monday, November 20, 2006

left-hand men

Most people are familiar with the colloquialism right-hand man; which usually takes the meaning of a person considered to be one’s most valued assistant, typically given a lot of trust.

Then there are also left-hand men; which is not necessarily a direct opposite of right-hand men, but rather a variant. Left-hand men are typically given the same amount of trust as, if not more than, a right-hand man. The difference lies in the exercise of absolute discretion and the need for anonymity. Whereas right-hand men tend to be known to others and are recognised as the executor of whoever they serve, left-hand men are never recognised for what they are.

Read the rest of Left-Hand MenLeft-hand men are anonymous and invisible; simply because the tasks required of them are typically discreet, and not necessarily the sort of thing one would like to be associated with. They carry out their tasks without fuss or attention, usually quickly and quietly. Sometimes a left-hand man requires a fair amount of time to achieve the desired objective, but that will depend on circumstances and the nature of the desired outcome.

Left-hand men are sometimes seen, but never heard from. An effective left-hand man can complete a task without anyone ever realising what was done when, where or by whom.

Sometimes, the left-hand man’s work becomes a news item, but only if the desired outcome included public attention on the matter that was “resolved”. It follows that unplanned appearances of a left-hand man’s work in the media constitutes less-than-perfect execution.

The successful left-hand man is one who gets to retire anonymously and quietly. If the fellow is lucky enough, he even gets to start anew.

Posted by tigerjoe :: 12:05 PM :: 2 Comments :: Post / Read Comments

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