From Harvard Business School's Working Knowledge series: Why Don't Managers Think Deeply?, this quote:
Immelt, GE's CEO, has received a lot of publicity recently for fostering 'imagination breakthroughs' by encouraging managers to think deeply about innovations that will insure GE's longer-term success. He has vowed that he will protect those working on the breakthroughs from the 'budget slashers' focused on short-term success. Questions that this effort raises include: (1) Why so much publicity? (2) Isn't 'deep thinking' what leaders are paid to do? and (3) Why do these kinds of effort require so much protection?
Like many people who have ever worked in an office environment, I've had the experience of pushing what, in my humble opinion, were "imagination breakthroughs," only to be told no, and be told no with emphasis by people who were in a position to make significant and lasting change for the better. So the question "Why don't managers think deeply?" resonates for me.
Why, in your opinion, do managers not think deeply?
Wayne
Having worked in both small start-ups and in enormous bureaucratic organizations, the larger organizations typically have people who exemplify the "Peter Principle." These are the ones who are threatened by subordinates that may shine with new, innovative ideas. It's usually about turf and job protection. Too bad they don't recognize that great subordinates reflect highly on those who supervise them.
Posted by: Burt Walker | August 21, 2008 at 11:42 AM