the Common Denominator

Yesterday, I met the "marketing team" to assess what we've accomplished over the last 8 month since our inception. I gave everyone a chance to impart their impressions (or frustrations) for the things that we've done or have not done.

The common denominator of course was the word "frustration", "frustrated" and "duh" over what we are, what we could not accomplish and what we might likely to achieve the coming year.
Prior to the meeting, I asked the assistant manager to print out all the minute of the meetings over the last 8 months to quantify accomplishments and measure results. Bottom line? There weren't much to brag about...

A new member of the team, one who has only been with us for the last three months was fixated with asking questions on budgetary issues and he seems puzzled that everyone else is all smiles (in a cynical kind of way) over his concerns. I asked for the meeting to end and right after, the more senior managers had to explain to him the nature of the beast.

It is frustrating, I know. Most specially when you'd have to douse fire that is now important for us... but for now there seems to be little we can do to right what we know is wrong. Taking the pragmatic stance right now is an insult for me but I'd have to bear with it considering that I would probably have to save my strength for bigger battles to come.