I was reading Web Design magazine (brilliant magazine!) and in the overheard section was:
A company of programmers produces code. A company of managers produces meetings. Tweet from Greg Knauss, Programmer.
It got me thinking about startups. As a startup evolves, I think there are several types of employees that come onboard:
- First come the do’ers. They get things done, regardless.
- Then come the leaders. They help guide the doers and help push the company in the right direction.
- Then come the managers. They instill processes, permissions and authorization.
Step 3 is the disruptive step. The goals of processes, permissions and authorization are to ensure quality and security. However, when it disrupts the creativity and initiative of a growing company, it will bury it. I’ve seen this at every startup I’ve worked at.
Providing a coloring book and crayons to an artist and telling them to stay in the lines is a sure-fire way to ensure that you won’t get a piece of priceless art.
What's a Winning Attribution Process Playbook?
Video Segments discussing the power of attribution from a real client.
The principal function of management is not to control but to enable. When organizations begin to focus on limiting what people can do rather than embracing the ability of people to create, you start to have serious problems.
Unfortuantely, many managers are stuck in the mentality that management requires dictating how someone else should work. In reality, great managers are people who remove roadblocks to work so that the smart people in the organization have the ability to exercise their brilliance instead of battling the system.
We covered what happens to employees under oppressive management last month for our Superbowl Ad edition of The Methodology Blog. See the full story at:
http://www.slaughterdevelopment.com/2009/02/07/super-signs-you-need-a-new-job/
@robbyslaughter
Amen, Robby! Too many managers believe that it’s their job to ‘improve’ employees rather than ‘enabling’ employees. I’ve always had people bill me as an ‘easy boss’, but I’ve also always exceeded any expectations when given the opportunity.