Positive Spin Doctors

I agree that probably the qualifier 'positive' in front of the appellation 'spin doctor' is redundant. A spin doctor provides the respectable sheen to an otherwise uncomfortable utterance or incident.

But I put that qualifier because I had to deal with some urgings to put a 'positive spin' on things recently. The 'things' in question were in a state of disorder, of veritable chaos in fact and it was desired to bring such state of affairs to the notice of higher powers.

So a document was prepared after much brainstorming among the 'affected.' This document tried to lay out in plain terms the 'problems' with what was going on. The major problems were identified as being "Lack of" this or that thing. A "Lack of Communication" for example was cited as one of the causes that contributed to an unpleasant state of affairs. The contributors to this document, in all their angst and victimhood , felt that what existed [or what did not exist ...] was a "lack of" a desired element(s) and laid it out plainly, direct-like.

However, the draft of this document when vetted by the person who would convey it on our behalf to the other plenipotentiaries was felt to be too grave, too negative. So we were asked to cheer up the slant of the descriptions and allegations, to provide smileys :) instead of a frowns :(.

So we reassembled to edit and bowlderize this incriminating, angry, scandalous document of ours. The stinging rawness of the "lack ofs" was transmuted to the more diffuse "insufficent," as in "Inusfficent Communication." The column earlier titled "Problems" was recast as the less intimidating "Issues" and suchlike.

Which made many of us wonder: why can we not call a spade a spade? I understand psychological arguments in favor of positive spins but I do not understand the unwillingness to face a real situation the way it is and look it in the eye. Especially, engineers and management-types must be problem-solvers, ready to take on any screw-up, any mishap, any uncomfortable situation with the attitude "OK. We'll fix it."