A few years ago, HP pioneered the concept of MBWA, or management by walking around. The intent was for management to get out of their cozy offices and get to know their people by mingling. Such behaviour was expected to promote teamwork and cohesiveness, thereby improving productivity. Now, I don't know if it succeeded, but at the time HP was growing rapidly, fueled no doubt, by the growth of the technology sector, in general. Was it really due to the concept of MBWA or was MBWA just a by-product of the natural culture which led it to success. Or was it neither and that HP was just at the right place at the right time with the right product that was destined to climb.
This has led to my thought of the recent deterioration of management, or "leadership" as my company like to call it. Instead of any new, profound thought, we are deluged with Colin Powell quotes that are as dated as my HP reference or Fortran. I constantly hear "one size doesn't fit all" or "we don't want to swing the pendulum too far." Whatever happened to real leadership? I believe we have replaced any new leadership thoughts with old and tired cliches, because we have people in leadership roles who are not qualified, and resort to what is familiar. What is troubling is the fact that a large number of the herd actually responds to the rhetoric as if this is exciting! This speaks volumes of the state of the economy and civilization. While we ramble on, our crafty European and Japanese are developing more creative workforces. Oh well, if it ain't broken, don't fix it.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
8 comments:
Walking around is encouraged - required actually - at my workplace. In fact, I've gotten so good at it that I never actually work; and the raises have never been better!
That's why I say, "When in Rome, do as the Romans do!"
If it's not one thing, it's another.
Personally, I think it's six of one, half dozen of another.
My personal favorite (as sarcasm fills the air) is "we work hard, but we play hard"
It is what it is.
Well, that's the way we've always done it.
Maybe you need to think outside the box.
It's a paradym shift. Sacred cows make good hamburger.
Post a Comment