The British Army’s doctrine publication Land Operations sets out its approach to command. Mission command “requires a decentralised system of command that allows subordinates freedom of action” within “their commander’s overall intent.” In the Army’s own summary, mission command tells subordinates “what to achieve and why, but not how.”
Events, Dear Boy
Harold Macmillan, prime minister from 1957 to 1963, is widely quoted as saying that politics is driven by “Events, dear boy, events.” Accounts differ on when he said it and to whom.
The attribution has never been firmly established. The earliest printed citation that Quote Investigator located, with the wording “Events, my dear boy, events,” dates from 1984. That is more than twenty years after Macmillan left office.
Requires Improvement
From 1 September 2012, Ofsted, the inspectorate for schools in England, stopped using the grade “satisfactory.” It was replaced by “requires improvement.”
The chief inspector, Sir Michael Wilshaw, explained: “Satisfactory is not good enough and has been recognised so for a long time.”
The Done Thing
British English has many phrases for rules that everyone knows but nobody has written down.
It’s not the done thing: It is not acceptable, although no rule forbids it.
Bad form: Behavior that breaks an unwritten rule of decency.
It goes without saying: It is part of the arrangement, although nobody said it.
Taken as read: Assumed to be agreed without being discussed.
A nod and a wink: An understanding that is never put into words.
To read between the lines: To find what was meant but not stated.