Comments on: The Right to Manage http://healingtheworkplace.wordpress.com/2008/06/07/the-right-to-manage/ Blogging about the workplace in the twenty-first century Mon, 12 Oct 2009 21:08:10 +0000 http://wordpress.com/ hourly 1 By: Bennet Simonton http://healingtheworkplace.wordpress.com/2008/06/07/the-right-to-manage/#comment-65 Bennet Simonton Fri, 20 Jun 2008 12:24:28 +0000 http://healingtheworkplace.wordpress.com/?p=23#comment-65 All about leadership and management of people. You wrote - "Even though I like what Cloke and Goldsmith have to say I’m not sure that the workplace is ready for workers to stand up and take responsibility." McGregor provided his view in his assumptions of Theory Y, the last three of which are quoted below. 4.The average human being learns, under proper conditions, not only to accept but to seek responsibility. Avoidance of responsibility, lack of ambition, and emphasis on security are generally consequences of experience, not inherent human characteristics. 5.The capacity to exercise a relatively high degree of imagination, ingenuity, and creativity in the solution of organizational problems is widely, not narrowly, distributed in the population. 6.Under conditions of modern industrial life, the intellectual potentialities of the average human being are only partially utilized. I would like to know what the basis of your opinion is, what facts you have to back it up. I happen to agree wholeheartedly with McGregor since in the course of my 34 years of managing people and four successful turnarounds of management disasters I proved exactly what he has said about both the top-down command and control approach to managing people and its opposite. In fact, I and everyone watching were absolutely stunned by the huge amount of creativity, innovation and productivity which was unleashed by shifting away from top-down to its opposite. For McGregor they were theories and theory Y had no means by which to execute it, but for me they were realities with a full set of whats, whys and how tos. Best regards, Ben Author "Leading People to be Highly Motivated and Committed" All about leadership and management of people.

You wrote – “Even though I like what Cloke and Goldsmith have to say I’m not sure that the workplace is ready for workers to stand up and take responsibility.”

McGregor provided his view in his assumptions of Theory Y, the last three of which are quoted below.

4.The average human being learns, under proper conditions, not only to accept but to seek responsibility. Avoidance of responsibility, lack of ambition, and emphasis on security are generally consequences of experience, not inherent human characteristics.
5.The capacity to exercise a relatively high degree of imagination, ingenuity, and creativity in the solution of organizational problems is widely, not narrowly, distributed in the population.
6.Under conditions of modern industrial life, the intellectual potentialities of the average human being are only partially utilized.

I would like to know what the basis of your opinion is, what facts you have to back it up.

I happen to agree wholeheartedly with McGregor since in the course of my 34 years of managing people and four successful turnarounds of management disasters I proved exactly what he has said about both the top-down command and control approach to managing people and its opposite. In fact, I and everyone watching were absolutely stunned by the huge amount of creativity, innovation and productivity which was unleashed by shifting away from top-down to its opposite.

For McGregor they were theories and theory Y had no means by which to execute it, but for me they were realities with a full set of whats, whys and how tos.

Best regards, Ben
Author “Leading People to be Highly Motivated and Committed”

]]> By: Traci Fenton http://healingtheworkplace.wordpress.com/2008/06/07/the-right-to-manage/#comment-56 Traci Fenton Sun, 08 Jun 2008 21:36:08 +0000 http://healingtheworkplace.wordpress.com/?p=23#comment-56 Hi Lesley, Thanks so much for your great blog post on organizational democracy! I know Ken and Joan as we're a part of a small but growing group of people working towards these ideas. You may also enjoy knowing about our company, WorldBlu, and the annual WorldBlu List of Most Democratic Workplaces, a list that highlights those organizations all over the world operating democratically. This year's list included companies such as Linden Lab (makers of Second Life), 1-800-Got-Junk?, Pandora, and even the first Fortune 500 company to make the list -- DaVita. This Oct. 16-17th in NYC we're having our WorldBlu LIVE 2008 conference which brings together the CEOs of the most democratic workplaces in the world to share their stories, insights and best practices. Would be fun if you or any of your readers could join us! I invite you to learn more at http://www.worldblu.com. Warmly, Traci Fenton, Founder + CEO WorldBlu Hi Lesley,

Thanks so much for your great blog post on organizational democracy! I know Ken and Joan as we’re a part of a small but growing group of people working towards these ideas.

You may also enjoy knowing about our company, WorldBlu, and the annual WorldBlu List of Most Democratic Workplaces, a list that highlights those organizations all over the world operating democratically.

This year’s list included companies such as Linden Lab (makers of Second Life), 1-800-Got-Junk?, Pandora, and even the first Fortune 500 company to make the list — DaVita.

This Oct. 16-17th in NYC we’re having our WorldBlu LIVE 2008 conference which brings together the CEOs of the most democratic workplaces in the world to share their stories, insights and best practices.

Would be fun if you or any of your readers could join us!

I invite you to learn more at http://www.worldblu.com.

Warmly,
Traci Fenton, Founder + CEO
WorldBlu

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