Jason Fried talks about productivity and efficiency and how managers and meetings are the enemy of getting things done.
Well worth a watch.
There is an interesting comment by Dan Greenberg who uses a comparison with rowing to make the point that you get to a certain size where you need managers.
When it’s a single, there’s no room for a coxswain (equals there are no meetings or managers).
When it’s a quad, you have with and without coxswain. There’s a trade-off between the extra weight of a manager… and the better synchronicity of the team and steering of the boat.
When it’s an 8, there’s a coxswain. There’s no question that a manager is needed, even if the team is finely tuned and well-practiced at working together.
I don’t think Jason is advocating to do away with managers, I think he’s advocating being mindful of how imposed distractions kill productivity. Finding the right balance is all about the personalities of the people involved.
We often talk about whether we should have music on or not. Some think the office is like a morgue without, some can’t get anything done with.
You can’t please everyone all the time.
