ricardo semler and peter'e principle

[douglas germann]

Tom--

Your post has me wondering and playing with the notion that space could
be opened around the theme of Ricardo Semler, the Peter Principle, and
this place: Issues and Opportunities. What good could happen?

			:- Doug.



On Mon, 2008-07-21 at 19:40 +0930, Tom Tuddenham wrote:
> Hi Ge
> 
> Serendipity is a wonderful thing. I can tell you about a very recent
> experience of my own: at work I've just stepped down from leading a
> team of software developers, to focus on what I enjoy doing.. actual
> coding. The details aren't all that important, as the same change
> could happen anywhere.
> 
> The Peter Principle came in there. I really felt like I was at the
> edge of my competency and in real danger of being promoted to a point
> beyond where I could be useful and sane at the same time.
> Interestingly enough my line manager and I had been talking about
> Semler's ideas in the weeks up to the change and decided that rather
> than put someone new in my place that we'd try some sort of democratic
> model to run the team under.
> 
> Unfortunately what happened is a bit of power vacuum got created,
> another member of the team anointed himself team-lead and instead of
> dealing with it the team talked in puzzled voices about what it all
> meant before burying their noses in their work. I'm probably being
> unfair but in any case a degree of bad blood got generated very
> quickly which we're only just getting over.
> 
> How did things get so weird so quick? I think that in some ways we
> needed to have a very clear cut definition of "democracy", instead of
> just letting it happen organically. But I also think there are
> pressures in the company pushing the team - or any team - to behave in
> certain ways. Again I'm being a bit unfair as we have a fair degree of
> latitude in the company - but it was interesting to watch things
> happening seemingly at odds with the general consensus.
> 
> The real serendipitous moment only came to me a minute ago, as I was
> complaining about it all to my poor wife before realising (or being
> told.. the lines blur) that I just don't need to worry about it any
> more. Maybe this little ship will right itself, maybe it will sink.
> But even if it does at least we'll have learned some lessons about
> boat building.
> 
> Good luck with whatever you are up to. I'd be very interested in
> hearing where the Peter Principle and Semler's ideas coincide for you.
> 
> Cheers
> Tom
> 
> 
> On Fri, Jul 18, 2008 at 6:42 PM, gerardo de luzenberger
> <ge at scuolafacilitazione.it> wrote:
> > Yesterday I bought to books. One is about Peter's Principle, the other is by
> > Ricardo semler about what he did in his company semco.
> >
> > While going back home I was wondering about the serendipity of buying these
> > two books, and how the things they say mix together?
> >
> > Any idea about that?
> >
> > Have a wonderful OSonOS
> >
> > I would have really liked to join you
> >
> > ge
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > Gerardo de Luzenberger
> >
> > SSF - Scuola Superiore di Facilitazione
> >
> > Via Alessandro Volta 12
> >
> > 20121 Milano
> >
> > tel: +39 02 45409189
> >
> > ge at scuolafacilitazione.it
> >
> > www.scuoladifacilitazione.it
> >
> > www.loci.it
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
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