Many years ago, while going through some training in what the Army called "escape and evade techniques," I learned the importance of avoiding motion. It was startling how often you could go unnoticed if you remained absolutely still. Make a slight move, however, and you could be quickly spotted.
In contrast, the business and political worlds seem to be myopic when it comes to motion just so the accompanying words are reassuring. We operate on the notion that if someone says that A is the goal, he or she won't do B or Z. Savvy practitioners of office politics, however, quickly learn that back and subterranean channels can operate in complete opposition to grand pronouncements and many people won't notice.
Augustus Caesar, far less direct than Julius, perfected this technique. By the time his opponents caught on, it was too late. They were entranced by the deferential words and missed the actions. To paraphrase John Mitchell, don't just watch what they say, watch what they do.
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