Define: "Square the circle" in Business
Multi-headcount capital waste
"Demand the impossible request in writing. Print it out and frame it above your desk."
Attempting to resolve a problem that is seemingly impossible or involves fundamentally contradictory requirements.
What does "Square the circle" actually mean?
"Management asking you to violate the laws of physics and network latency on a zero-dollar hardware budget."
"We are asking the engineering team to square the circle by delivering the update ahead of schedule without increasing costs."
"The client wants military-grade encryption with zero performance overhead, so I guess I'll just try to square the circle."
By The Chief Waste Officer
18 years in the corporate trenches quantifying waste so you don't have to.
Related Terminology
Tired of hearing this?
Next time someone says "Square the circle" in a meeting, track exactly how much company money they just wasted. Play Buzzword Bingo, generate a waste invoice, and stop the bleeding.
