Management as conceived in the early 20th century -- keeping trained people productive and working hard -- was mostly a case of clear instructions and carrot-and-stick motivation. It was a solvable problem, even if it made workers miserable. Today, that kind of work is increasingly done by robots. People management as conceived in the early 21st century -- keeping creative people "engaged" and working smart -- is mostly an impossible problem. In managing high-autonomy creative people in an opt-in environment, governed by exit over voice, you don't manage talent so much as you manage entries and exits.
Management is Mostly an Impossible Problem
Management is Mostly an Impossible Problem
Management is Mostly an Impossible Problem
Management as conceived in the early 20th century -- keeping trained people productive and working hard -- was mostly a case of clear instructions and carrot-and-stick motivation. It was a solvable problem, even if it made workers miserable. Today, that kind of work is increasingly done by robots. People management as conceived in the early 21st century -- keeping creative people "engaged" and working smart -- is mostly an impossible problem. In managing high-autonomy creative people in an opt-in environment, governed by exit over voice, you don't manage talent so much as you manage entries and exits.