Here’s a technical post that seemed necessary after listening to the world gasping lately. Why are we so hell bent on keeping the rules going that are literally putting a stranglehold on our processes? This question pretty much pertains to all walk of lives, though I’m aiming it at some large companies who don’t think outside of the box (I know, I know).
Every business out there knows that they have to market and advertise in order to be seen above their field. And they spend obscene amounts of money doing just this. I think that all of the money spent in the pursuit of glory is about as smart as putting lawn decorations out on your yard to make your house look homey (if that really is the goal?). If only they spent as much time polishing their inner workings!
We know it’s obvious, and yet we revel in it because we’re told to do so. Seriously, every business interview that you read used to be about rebels who shook up their industry because they (go ahead and sigh along with me) thought outside of the box. You know this phrase is vital, but so cliche now that I’m even cringing at using it. But you get my gist: reach for the stars, jump into the deep end, walk the unbeaten path, etc. This cliche still works today because it shows how little we humans have changed from our ancestors. Why isn’t this tactic being embraced anymore by the mainstream, in reality and not just doubletalk?
If you look at the world around you, then you’ll have noticed that everything has changed, and we made it happen. We’re the ones that pursue the cutting edge with the thirst of someone who’s been wandering in the desert for decades. We push the boundaries of our knowledge to understand science and technology, and yet we pursue the same old worn out path when it comes to how we run our companies internally. Now of course, there are new breeds of companies that have indeed gone off the beaten path, but unfortunately, they’re not running the world…yet. Hopefully, that will change because we seriously need something to. This black and white approach to things is killing us.
Instead of worrying so much about how to grow a business, we need to focus on how to make business better from the inside out. Better for the workers, better for the world. All of the financial trappings are simply that, traps. They’re traps to drain your money, your focus, and your passion. So why are we listening to some guy with letters behind his name telling you something that he learned 10, 20, 30+ years ago? Hello, look outside if you need another reminder. This is no longer the dawn of the industrial age. We are on the thresholds of a new age that is absolutely vital if we are to continue henceforth. And I’m not talking about demolishing a system, but rebuilding it from the ground up while taking into account what we need in the 21st century. While we’re at it, we need to get rid of all of the idiotic rule following that we do. Yes, rules are good. No, rules are not forever.
Let’s take a closer look at internal processes. Here’s Company X, who is a large manufacturer (yes, I bag on them a lot because they just won’t change). They build complex devices, use cutting edge technology, follow all of their guru’s teachings… and shackle their people with a system that only embraces failure. Doesn’t sound so smart if they’re planning to win, does it?
- They have their requisite meetings so people can expound on their knowledge and dazzle others with their brilliance. They’d be rich if they could transform all of that hot air into energy.
- They sign up for badges that externalize their importance, and yet they barely keep up with the badges’ requirements once they get it.
- They bring in qualified experts from far away, and refuse to adequately train locally so that they can breed expansive internal knowledge.
- They terrorize their supply chain and low ball costs, and yet pay enormous fees when they need a product from those same vendors because they miscalculated.
- They dump excessive amounts of tasks on employees who over-perform, and coddle those who barely perform.
- They create documentation for internal processes, but rarely review the content to see how valid the information is.
- They perform audits to verify and then immortalize their internal processes, even if their internal process is causing breakdowns.
- They use a review process to make their employees increase their performance, while they embrace guidelines that decrease all performance.
- Once something is written down, it doesn’t change. EVER.
- etc….
And then let’s compare this scenario to any small entrepreneur, and it becomes immediately evident that we have the wrong people in charge pushing the wrong processes with no innovative goals.
The Story of Gist – my post on what I want work to become (sounds like an awesome company), and how I’ve tried to live
Warning Signs Of Defending The Status Quo and Short-term Capitalism by Seth Godin
Steve’s Seven Insights For 21st Century Capitalists by Umair Haque
Namaste Solar: Where The CEO Is Just Another Guy With A Vote – from Inc. Magazine
At Menlo Innovations, No One Goes It Alone – from Inc. Magazine
Hopkins Printing Believes In The Survival Of The Smartest – from Inc. Magazine (but look at your reasons and goals closely)
Forget Passion, Focus On Process – 37signals
So in closing, this phrase that Inc. magazine used in a subheading sums my thought up perfectly: “Don’t Limit Yourself“!
