The money quote from the WSJ:
The new model will have to be more like the marketplace, and less like corporations of the past. It will need to be flexible, agile, able to quickly adjust to market developments, and ruthless in reallocating resources to new opportunities.
From a Stanford Summit…excellent 30-minute summary by Professor Sutton about what makes a good boss…I can’t wait for his new book.
I LOVE this post. It’s perfect.
A business leader I respect very much believes strongly in the idea of Completed Staff Work. It’s been around a long time and it’s just as valid today. There’s a reason for that.
It’s the same idea as—when you hand over work internally—you think it’s client-ready. If not, it’s not ready to hand over internally either (unless you need help). It’s about taking responsibility.
More links:
http://www.innovationtools.com/weblog/innovationblog-detail.asp?ArticleID=1089
http://www.johnstuartedwards.com/principle_of_completed_staff_work.htm
http://firechief.com/leadership/firefighting_completed_staff_work/
Super interesting study about different ways of framing tasks to motivate different types of people. Those labeled “high achievers” are motivated by things that assess their performance and where they can win. Those labeled as “low achievers” are motivated to do things they perceive as fun. This study shows the performance levels for both groups doing the same task framed both ways. Maybe there isnt’ just “one message.”
I’ve been thinking lately about leaders and leadership in general. I’m sure there are many things I could add to this list. The spectacular disaster in the gulf has pushed this issue to the top of my mind. I think there are a few characteristics that define leaders. Characteristics without which, leaders just aren’t leaders. If you don’t have these things, you don’t get to have (or keep) the job. I think this is true in politics, in business, in life generally.
1) Leaders pursue outcomes. They set clear and consistent expectations (for employees, for clients, for investors, for the community). They disclose the rules of the game.
2) Leaders manage risks. It’s the responsibility of leaders to know about decisions that pose significant risks (to employees, to clients, to investors, to the community). They don’t get to say, I didn’t know. Leaders must make it clear to their teams that they want and need to know about these things. And saying I didn’t know = saying I suck at my job, you should fire me.
3) Leaders take responsibility. Leaders make decisions and take action. If something goes wrong, they own it and they fix it. They prioritize leading ahead of their personal needs.
My thought is in entrepreneurial organizations invisible promotions happen a lot. And, people have room to take on additional work and responsibilities. They should get the appropriate recognition if they are doing the job (regardless of whether their resume says they can). I think doing the job is a better predictor of success than saying you can do the job.
I’m not subtle about my view that one big weakness at work (in companies in general) is that we promote great people to become “managers” and we never teach them how to manage. Regardless of how long someone has been in management, it’s never to late to discover new ways to be more effective. I’m reading as much as I can about management skills.
Bob Sutton has written a lot of influential management books. This is a quick list. Simple. I think some things on the list apply more at certain levels of management than others. But it’s all worth consideration. I think training managers to manage is something companies generally don’t do as well as they could…
