August 23, 2010 at 10:30 pm
I just finished reading this interesting article . It points to the 'legendary slide deck' of Netflix CEO Reed Hastings.
Check out slide #48. The slide says that 'process focus drives more talent out'.
Do you agree with this?
Do you think it is true that if a company introduces more process then they will retain a lower percentage of high performance employees?
Thanks for the input,
j.a.c.
August 24, 2010 at 7:54 am
Yes & no. I've worked in places that had ZERO process and I was only able to survive for about 9 months before I started looking for work. But I've also been places where they put a process around everything, up to and including bathroom breaks. I made it a day at that place. I think a happy medium, with enough process so that work & production systems are protected is good, but not so much process that creativity and the ability to be a bit of a cowboy is completely shut off.
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August 24, 2010 at 8:19 am
I've seen some companies work like this. It's a variation on ROWE. You get done when you need to get done, no one worries about your schedule.
I don't think processes drive people away. Lots of high performers are a little AR, or highly methodical. They like knowing what should be done, and in what way. What they don't like is micro-managment or a lack of autonomy.
Process does not mean restriction, it means orderly. Unfortunately some managers don't realize that.
August 24, 2010 at 12:51 pm
a lot of these freedoms only work in smaller younger companies. once a company matures and has to hire more people things change. i heard a lot of things changed at MS in the last decade compared to how it was in the 1990's. and even with google and all the catered meals i've read they expect you to answer emails at midnight. and the perks are there to keep you in the office working all the time.
August 24, 2010 at 1:24 pm
In my current work environment more process does mean more restrictions. And as a side effect we lost 2 of the best developers our group has ever had due to frustration with the process (or rather no input into the process).
August 24, 2010 at 1:35 pm
Process is good as long as it is designed to help get things done, as opposed to being designed to keep things from getting done.
August 24, 2010 at 1:47 pm
A good PM (or "project owner," as they are called lately) protects his team from too much process.
I am lucky that I have one on my current project, and we are getting things done.
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