Saturday, April 06, 2002
One more quote. Particularly relevant, as it paints an accurate picture of the state of the state at my current company. We're not a big company (36 or so now, 60 some last January) by any stretch, but it sure feels that way. A little over five years old (with hired employees, at least), and I've been with 'em most of the five. I've edited out some parts (...) that don't apply as much, leaving the elements that are spot on.
Few successful start-ups become great companies, in large part because they respond to growth and success in the wrong way. Entrepenurial success is fueled by creativity, imagination, bold moves into uncharted waters, and visionary zeal. As a company grows and becomes more complex, it begins to trip over its own success ...
In response, someone (often a board member) says, "It's time to grow up. This place needs some professional management." ... Processes, procedures, checklists, and all the rest begin to sprout up like weeds. What was once an egalitarian environment gets replaced with a hierarchy. Chains of command appear for the first time. Reporting relationships become clear, and an executive class with special perks begins to appear. "We" and "they" segmentations appear -- just like in a real company.
... Members of the founding team begin to grumble, "This isn't fun anymore. I used to be able to just get things done. Now I have to fill out these stupid forms and follow these stupid rules. Worst of all, I have to spend a horrendous amount of time in useless meetings." The creative magic begins to wane as some of the most innovative people leave, disgusted by the burgeoning bureaucracy and hierarchy. The exciting start-up transforms into just another company, with nothing special to recommend it. The cancer of mediocrity begins to grow in earnest..
Heh. Pretty soon, it'll be time to stop quoting best sellers, and begin documenting my own thoughts on corporate culture, company structure, and effective management. In due time. In due time...
The second quote:
The good-to-great companies built a consistent system with clear constraints, but they also gave people freedom and responsibility within the framework of that system. They hired self-disciplined people who didn't need to be managed, and then managed the system, not the people. (p. 125)
The first of two salients quotes from Good to Great:
The good-to great companies probably sound like tough places to work -- and they are. If you don't have what it takes, you probably won't last long. But they're not ruthless cultures, they're rigorous cultures. And the distinction is crucial.
To be ruthless means hacking and cutting, especially in difficult times, or wantonly firing people without any thoughtful consideration. To be rigorous means consistently applying exacting standards at all times and at all levels, especially in upper management. To be rigorous, not ruthless, means that the best people need not worry about their positions and can concentrate fully on their work. (p. 52)
I've been devouring books lately. Guess where my head has been.
The Tipping Point, by Malcom Gladwell.
The E-Myth Revisited, by Michael E. Gerber.
Good to Great: Why Some Companies Make the Leap...And Others Don't, by Jim Collins.
I've finished the first two, and am about halfway through the third.
CNET on the perfect e-mail client. There are quite a few good ideas in here. For now, I'm still playing around with oddpost, which is as good a web-based client as I've seen.
Copyright 2002 © Robert K. Brown
