During his tenure as CEO at GE, Jack Welch popularized a \u201cRank and Yank policy\u201d by firing the bottom 10% of his managers. Some argue the downside of his scorched earth team management methodology pressured employees to cut corners. This comes as no surprise. A drop in quality must be expected when team members are massively distracted in competing for their jobs.<\/p>\n
Unscrupulous management policies were also a\u00a0hallmark of Niccolo Machiavelli<\/a>. In his book \u201cThe Prince<\/a>\u201d and more clearly in the \u201cArt of War<\/a>\u201d we are led to believe the value of the individual soldier may be somewhat less than the weapon he was carrying.<\/p>\n These two men, along with those who follow in their foot steps, completely miss the point. If our goal is to create organizations that win, we must focus on the right thing. \u201cIt\u2019s the process stupid!\u201d<\/p>\n People instinctively want to excel and they do this best without being threatened. These key words taken from various motivational theories, offer great examples. \u201cSelf-actualization\u201d, \u201cesteem\u201d, \u201csocial\u201d, \u201csafety\u201d and \u201cphysiological\u201d from Maslow\u2019s Hierarchy of Needs. \u201cAchievement\u201d, \u201caffiliation\u201d and \u201cpower\u201d from McClelland\u2019s Theory of Needs. Finally, \u201cresponsibility\u201d, \u201cself-actualization\u201d, \u201cprofessional growth\u201d and \u201crecognition\u201d from Herzberg\u2019s Theory of Motivational Agents. Success is apparently build into our DNA. Successful people, build successful teams, in turn building successful organizations. Individuals may succeed for a time, but as soon as they leave the organization, the success leaves with them.<\/p>\n Four pillars of highly efficient teams found in Agile Scrum<\/a> are independents, self organizing, cross functional and transcendent. This is achieved through regular retrospectives, allowing the team to identify its own weaknesses and achieve improvement goals. Cross functionality represents the \u201ccoup de gr\u00e2ce\u201d to inefficient processes. Being able to help with each other\u2019s tasks or collaborating on difficult problems through understanding each other\u2019s work fosters complete trust enabling transcendence; that magical level of success where normal people accomplish amazing feats.<\/p>\n Teams competing with themselves to become better always win over teams competing with themselves to keep their jobs. Cutting corners will never occur to a team bent on becoming better through self organized retrospectives. The quality of work this approach produces encompasses the pride of self achievement accomplished as a team.<\/p>\n It\u2019s time to leave Neutron Jack and embrace transcendence.<\/p>\n Scrum: The Art of Doing Twice the Work in Half the Time<\/a><\/p>\n Leaders Eat Last<\/a><\/p>\n The Real Wealth of Nations<\/a><\/p>\n Strengths Based Leadership<\/a><\/p>\nSuccess built into our DNA<\/h2>\n
Better teams invent\u00a0better processes<\/h2>\n
Better processes produce better products<\/h2>\n
Books that helped create these thoughts<\/h2>\n