If you took over a company...

Originally Posted by Piobaire

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We usually call those folks "consultants."

First of all I would make people wholly responsible for their own performance results. I have often seen people pass on responsibility of their lack of results on other people, and successfully get the other person reprimanded or terminated as a result. This usually happens with middle-tier managers who get people they manage terminated, not with same-level employees.

Secondly, I would seriously review all employees and see how well they are not only performing but can engage in other aspects outside of their direct jobs. For instance, I know that many of 3M's innovations (stickies / post-it note for example) came from personal side projects which the company allows employees to do. Whilst free-form thinking is a great idea, employees should be able to actively take on temporary of permanent challenges as the needs of the company changes.

Completely revamp the HR structure, from hiring to HR operations to benefits. HR people should only be involved in organizing resumes for the direct manager of the position who will do the hiring (and possibly team hiring process a-la Google; has to be analyzed) and acquiring final information (SS, previous addresses, etc...) once the job offer has been made. Instead of utilizing HR personnel to handle HR issues, hire behavioral psychologists or industrial psychologists.

Originally Posted by gort

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So what exactly would you say, you do here?

Great movie. But shouldn't he know? After all, he is Marvin the Mindreader.

I'm with Pio here on the more measured approach. In fact, when I first responded I almost wrote "Just shut the f*ck up."

I have in reality actually just picked up new board-level responsibilities at work in an entirely different wing of the company - actually it's a different company altogether owned under the common management. So in a way, I have "taken over a new company" to some extent. I am presently sitting in on as many meetings as I can and at the top of each agenda I write a note to myself, in all caps, "SHUT UP." I want to listen and let things play out without throwing my weight around just yet.

Originally Posted by imageWIS

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First of all I would make people wholly responsible for their own performance results. I have often seen people pass on responsibility of their lack of results on other people, and successfully get the other person reprimanded or terminated as a result. This usually happens with middle-tier managers who get people they manage terminated, not with same-level employees.

Secondly, I would seriously review all employees and see how well they are not only performing but can engage in other aspects outside of their direct jobs. For instance, I know that many of 3M's innovations (stickies / post-it note for example) came from personal side projects which the company allows employees to do. Whilst free-form thinking is a great idea, employees should be able to actively take on temporary of permanent challenges as the needs of the company changes.

Completely revamp the HR structure, from hiring to HR operations to benefits. HR people should only be involved in organizing resumes for the direct manager of the position who will do the hiring (and possibly team hiring process a-la Google; has to be analyzed) and acquiring final information (SS, previous addresses, etc...) once the job offer has been made. Instead of utilizing HR personnel to handle HR issues, hire behavioral psychologists or industrial psychologists.

Jon, after reading many of your posts, this just seems to be an agenda to address ways you feel you have been slighted or mistreated in the business world. I would caution you that creating and enacting an agenda based on personal issues is a very good way to failure. I'm not saying some of your ideas are maybe not good or workable, just that they clearly come from a personal agenda of greivances, which is a very dangerous way to form strategy (no matter how personally satisfying and self-validating they might be).

You paid nothing for that advice/observation so I expect it to be treated accordingly.

Originally Posted by Piobaire

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Jon, after reading many of your posts, this just seems to be an agenda to address ways you feel you have been slighted or mistreated in the business world. I would caution you that creating and enacting an agenda based on personal issues is a very good way to failure. I'm not saying some of your ideas are maybe not good or workable, just that they clearly come from a personal agenda of greivances, which is a very dangerous way to form strategy (no matter how personally satisfying and self-validating they might be).

You paid nothing for that advice/observation so I expect it to be treated accordingly.

As always your assumptions ≠ what I was thinking when I posted what I did. My observations are based on my personal observations at the various companies I have worked at (and most of the occurrences did not happen to me) and management classes, books, videos, etc... You assume that I have been let go because of the reasons I stated. I have never been let go from any position (except for hopefully the current one, fingers crossed).

When I was responsible for tangible results and managed people, I was held to the performance results required of me. However, many times people find ways to blame others and get off the hook for their responsibilities.

Regarding HR, while yes I have a personal gripe with the way most companies run their HR (and I have worked for companies that had great HR depts.) departments, I'm by no stretch of the imagination the only one; just see my HR thread, or frankly speak to most people you will meet, regardless of their occupation.

So when you post "they clearly come from a personal agenda of grievances", you are just assuming and have more of an opaque idea than a clear indication of what you are writing about.

^

Originally Posted by Piobaire

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^

Very detailed.

^

My first order of business would be to hire a really hot secretary, err, I mean executive "assistant."

Look for processes that can be streamlined to better suit the customer rather than the staff. I've witnessed this first hand in just about every work environment I've ever been in, and the larger the company, the more it becomes integrated to the point that it's almost considered a price of doing business. Inefficiencies get buried into company culture over time - and coming in from the outside you have a unique advantage to spot these weak points more easily (hence the reason for consulting in the first place). Other than that, it's hard to be anymore specific without referring to an actual business.

better coffee, better chairs, and an open bar after work

The first thing I would do is to shive someone in the employee cafeteria, shows you aren't a *****.

Originally Posted by Bhowie

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The first thing I would do is to shive someone in the employee cafeteria, shows you aren't a *****.



Don't give Jon ideas to add to his list!

I would fire all of the senior people and replace them with cronies loyal only to me. At least that's how you do it in my field.

you don't have a field.