Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.1 6/24/83; site ttidcc.UUCP Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!burl!ulysses!allegra!mit-eddie!godot!harvard!seismo!cmcl2!philabs!ttidca!ttidcc!regard From: regard@ttidcc.UUCP (Adrienne Regard) Newsgroups: net.rumor Subject: Whither flames - Gwyn, duck Message-ID: <266@ttidcc.UUCP> Date: Wed, 13-Mar-85 16:31:35 EST Article-I.D.: ttidcc.266 Posted: Wed Mar 13 16:31:35 1985 Date-Received: Fri, 15-Mar-85 04:12:18 EST Organization: TTI, Santa Monica, CA. Lines: 48 Now there I got to take exception - > Part of the problem is putting MBAs in charge of technical projects. The major problem in large research, manufacturing and development environments is COMMUNICATION (hence all the meetings). However, there is not guaranteed _method_ of communication (hence all the useless meetings), and we are still trying to discover the best way of handling conflicting work interests (marketing vs. sales vs. development) hence also all the continued concern and focus. Nobody is very fond of an anal-retentive jerk who won't let PersonA do something wise only because PersonA's name aint on the list. However, PersonA could very well make a wonderous fix to a kludgy machine without knowing that Persons B thru ZZZZ are all developing under the old (admittedly not so good) system, and the relearning curve just shot 16 projects out of the water. I've done a lot of wandering around in my less-than-brilliant career - fine arts, liberal arts, service industry marketing, sales, technical and now I'm studying managment. Let me also add that 10 years ago I had more disdain for MBAs than I had/still have for lawyers. But I've learned a couple of things in those intervening 10 years. There is ample observation to show that most tech types make lousy managers (just as most sales types make lousy managers - and most artist types make lousy managers). Most PEOPLE make lousy managers, bub. American businesses promote do-ers into the position of leaders all the time -- with very little regard for the fact that the do-er is good at doing, and may have little or no training/aptitude for leading. As long as the short term goals of most companies balance sheets are waved under the nose of managers (including, but not limited to, MBAs) without regard for the long-term health of the company, you will see poor management in the places where you work. Wherever management is rewarded for "A" you will see behaviour that leads to "A", and "B" will fly right out the window. And ditto for non-managers (doctors, lawyers, techies, and indian chiefs). There are some lousy MBAs out there - undoubtedly the poor jerk who stuck his/er nose in your business, yeh. But there are some lousy techies out there, too, who fix things that aint broke for the sheer joy of elegant design, and screw up whole operating groups, ferinstance. If you don't know whereof you speak, maybe you better not draw our attention to the fact, eh?