Comments on: When To Get Rid Of The "Best" People Who Work For You http://www.2-speed.com/2006/07/when-to-get-rid-of-the-quotbestquot-people-that-work-for-you/ Entrepreneurial Leadership and Management . . . and Other Stuff Sun, 05 Feb 2012 18:29:00 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Will http://www.2-speed.com/2006/07/when-to-get-rid-of-the-quotbestquot-people-that-work-for-you/#comment-106952 Will Wed, 15 Dec 2010 16:06:00 +0000 http://www.2-speed.com/2006/07/when-to-get-rid-of-the-quotbestquot-people-that-work-for-you/#comment-106952 Sorry Sally, I don't have the picture or link. I'd imagine that it's copyrighted material. You can probably find the book around pretty easily to take a look. Sorry Sally,

I don’t have the picture or link. I’d imagine that it’s copyrighted material. You can probably find the book around pretty easily to take a look.

]]> By: Sally Basker http://www.2-speed.com/2006/07/when-to-get-rid-of-the-quotbestquot-people-that-work-for-you/#comment-106950 Sally Basker Wed, 15 Dec 2010 14:52:00 +0000 http://www.2-speed.com/2006/07/when-to-get-rid-of-the-quotbestquot-people-that-work-for-you/#comment-106950 Hi, really interesting. Agree wholeheartedly re culture. I'd be really interested in looking at your version of Welch's four quadrant chart but it doesn't appear on your webpage. Regards Sally Hi, really interesting. Agree wholeheartedly re culture.

I’d be really interested in looking at your version of Welch’s four quadrant chart but it doesn’t appear on your webpage.

Regards

Sally

]]> By: Positive Leadership « 2-Speed http://www.2-speed.com/2006/07/when-to-get-rid-of-the-quotbestquot-people-that-work-for-you/#comment-669 Positive Leadership « 2-Speed Wed, 28 Mar 2007 14:35:35 +0000 http://www.2-speed.com/2006/07/when-to-get-rid-of-the-quotbestquot-people-that-work-for-you/#comment-669 [...] different from a contrarian viewpoint), it’s just the way they are.  My previous post, When to Get Rid of the “Best” People Who Work for You, covers this in more detail, but in brief, one person’s vocal, negative outlook can kill the [...] [...] different from a contrarian viewpoint), it’s just the way they are.  My previous post, When to Get Rid of the “Best” People Who Work for You, covers this in more detail, but in brief, one person’s vocal, negative outlook can kill the [...]

]]> By: Jeff Barson http://www.2-speed.com/2006/07/when-to-get-rid-of-the-quotbestquot-people-that-work-for-you/#comment-118 Jeff Barson Fri, 11 Aug 2006 00:43:53 +0000 http://www.2-speed.com/2006/07/when-to-get-rid-of-the-quotbestquot-people-that-work-for-you/#comment-118 Try putting multiple physicians in this box. Herding cats is easy. Try putting multiple physicians in this box. Herding cats is easy.

]]> By: Jeff Barson http://www.2-speed.com/2006/07/when-to-get-rid-of-the-quotbestquot-people-that-work-for-you/#comment-106013 Jeff Barson Fri, 11 Aug 2006 00:43:00 +0000 http://www.2-speed.com/2006/07/when-to-get-rid-of-the-quotbestquot-people-that-work-for-you/#comment-106013 Try putting multiple physicians in this box. Herding cats is easy. Try putting multiple physicians in this box. Herding cats is easy.

]]> By: Chris http://www.2-speed.com/2006/07/when-to-get-rid-of-the-quotbestquot-people-that-work-for-you/#comment-119 Chris Thu, 27 Jul 2006 19:23:45 +0000 http://www.2-speed.com/2006/07/when-to-get-rid-of-the-quotbestquot-people-that-work-for-you/#comment-119 Thank you Deep and Phil, finally a more thoughtful analysis of this incisive (though probably purposely) overly broad piece.  Though I understand the ideas, and for the most part agree, I think that it didn't look at possible cultural and managment issues enough. Thank you Deep and Phil, finally a more thoughtful analysis of this incisive (though probably purposely) overly broad piece.  Though I understand the ideas, and for the most part agree, I think that it didn’t look at possible cultural and managment issues enough.

]]> By: Chris http://www.2-speed.com/2006/07/when-to-get-rid-of-the-quotbestquot-people-that-work-for-you/#comment-106014 Chris Thu, 27 Jul 2006 19:23:00 +0000 http://www.2-speed.com/2006/07/when-to-get-rid-of-the-quotbestquot-people-that-work-for-you/#comment-106014 Thank you Deep and Phil, finally a more thoughtful analysis of this incisive (though probably purposely) overly broad piece.  Though I understand the ideas, and for the most part agree, I think that it didn't look at possible cultural and managment issues enough. Thank you Deep and Phil, finally a more thoughtful analysis of this incisive (though probably purposely) overly broad piece.  Though I understand the ideas, and for the most part agree, I think that it didn’t look at possible cultural and managment issues enough.

]]> By: phil jones http://www.2-speed.com/2006/07/when-to-get-rid-of-the-quotbestquot-people-that-work-for-you/#comment-120 phil jones Sat, 15 Jul 2006 17:33:12 +0000 http://www.2-speed.com/2006/07/when-to-get-rid-of-the-quotbestquot-people-that-work-for-you/#comment-120 Surely if you regularly find that the smartest, most productive people in your organization are incompatible with its culture, that might also be a symptom that there's something wrong with the culture :-) <BR><BR>"Fire the incompatible, even if they're good" ought balanced by some thoughts on how the culture itself can adapt and learn from these productive people? Surely if you regularly find that the smartest, most productive people in your organization are incompatible with its culture, that might also be a symptom that there’s something wrong with the culture :-)

“Fire the incompatible, even if they’re good” ought balanced by some thoughts on how the culture itself can adapt and learn from these productive people?

]]> By: phil jones http://www.2-speed.com/2006/07/when-to-get-rid-of-the-quotbestquot-people-that-work-for-you/#comment-106015 phil jones Sat, 15 Jul 2006 17:33:00 +0000 http://www.2-speed.com/2006/07/when-to-get-rid-of-the-quotbestquot-people-that-work-for-you/#comment-106015 Surely if you regularly find that the smartest, most productive people in your organization are incompatible with its culture, that might also be a symptom that there's something wrong with the culture :-) "Fire the incompatible, even if they're good" ought balanced by some thoughts on how the culture itself can adapt and learn from these productive people? Surely if you regularly find that the smartest, most productive people in your organization are incompatible with its culture, that might also be a symptom that there’s something wrong with the culture :-) “Fire the incompatible, even if they’re good” ought balanced by some thoughts on how the culture itself can adapt and learn from these productive people?

]]> By: deep http://www.2-speed.com/2006/07/when-to-get-rid-of-the-quotbestquot-people-that-work-for-you/#comment-121 deep Tue, 11 Jul 2006 15:59:04 +0000 http://www.2-speed.com/2006/07/when-to-get-rid-of-the-quotbestquot-people-that-work-for-you/#comment-121 I acknowledge that Welch's perspective obviously did work for him, and that the author tried their best to work with these individuals performers who were "culturally destructive". Yet there is still something about this perspective that smacks of an escapist rationalization for a lack of soft skills. Employees who would solve a problem by running away from it wouldn't last very long. <BR><BR>If what works for everyone else (i.e. the repeated mention of cultural alignment) doesn't work for an individual, is that not an opportunity for the manager or the culture to adapt? The organization is made more inclusive and people who are capable performers are not excluded out simply because they don't fit into whatever pre-existing model the company operates by. How can we talk so much about the necessity of adaptation and innovation between the company and the outside world and then come back to ideas like this on the internal function of companies. <BR><BR>I understand the point about the opportunity cost of trying to work with these people as overriding the potential gains. I just don't see the situation as being unworkable in as much as it reflects the manager's capacity to work with and understand different types of people. Someone who is capable of performing but for some reason keeps throwing a monkey wrench into the societal calm of a company seems to me someone who needs to be understood rather than cut loose. I think they're potentially more valuable than the underperforming but flag waving person described in quadrant 4. If they already perform when they don't feel as though they fit in the company, what might they do if they actually fit in? I acknowledge that Welch’s perspective obviously did work for him, and that the author tried their best to work with these individuals performers who were “culturally destructive”. Yet there is still something about this perspective that smacks of an escapist rationalization for a lack of soft skills. Employees who would solve a problem by running away from it wouldn’t last very long.

If what works for everyone else (i.e. the repeated mention of cultural alignment) doesn’t work for an individual, is that not an opportunity for the manager or the culture to adapt? The organization is made more inclusive and people who are capable performers are not excluded out simply because they don’t fit into whatever pre-existing model the company operates by. How can we talk so much about the necessity of adaptation and innovation between the company and the outside world and then come back to ideas like this on the internal function of companies.

I understand the point about the opportunity cost of trying to work with these people as overriding the potential gains. I just don’t see the situation as being unworkable in as much as it reflects the manager’s capacity to work with and understand different types of people. Someone who is capable of performing but for some reason keeps throwing a monkey wrench into the societal calm of a company seems to me someone who needs to be understood rather than cut loose. I think they’re potentially more valuable than the underperforming but flag waving person described in quadrant 4. If they already perform when they don’t feel as though they fit in the company, what might they do if they actually fit in?

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