Fred Taylor & the Illusion of Top-Down Control - Part 2

By Pascal Dennis (bio)

Last time I wrote about Fred Taylor and his Faustian bargain.

Taylor separated planning from production.

Productivity soared, but at a terrible cost:

1. The alienation of front line team members, and
2. the illusion of top-down control

"We can manage from a distance, by the numbers."

"What can front line team members possibly teach us?"

These are common expressions of this way of thinking, which, sadly, permeates our professional and business schools.

This mental model is so deep that nobody even thinks to question it.

Bottom-up management, by contrast, was the dominant mental model during what Ken and Bill Hopper call "The Golden Age" -- roughly 1920 to 1970.

(The Puritan Gift is their fine account of this period)

I see the pernicious effects of this way of thinking in our consulting work.

Well-meaning, capable executives who, nonetheless, believe they can manage from a distance.

And who do NOT believe in enabling front line improvement by involving all team members.

A revered sensei once asked me, "How will you motivate your team, Pascal-san?"

Another time, I asked him, "Sensei, why is involvement so important?"

"If involvement is high," he replied, "injuries, defects, cost and lead time are low. But if involvement is low..."

Best,

Pascal




In case you missed our last few blogs... please feel free to have another look…

Fred Taylor & Illusion of Top-Down Control - Part I
Jackie Fisher – Transforming the Royal Navy
Confronting the Business Haters
Viva Iceland

Fred Taylor & the Illusion of Top-Down Control - Part II

By Pascal Dennis

Last time I wrote about Fred Taylor and his Faustian bargain.

Taylor separated planning from production.

Productivity soared, but at a terrible cost:

1. The alienation of front line team members, and
2. the illusion of top-down control

"We can manage from a distance, by the numbers."

"What can front line team members possibly teach us?"

These are common expressions of this way of thinking, which, sadly, permeates our professional and business schools.

This mental model is so deep that nobody even thinks to question it.

Bottom-up management, by contrast, was the dominant mental model during what Ken and Bill Hopper call "The Golden Age" -- roughly 1920 to 1970.

(The Puritan Gift is their fine account of this period)

I see the pernicious effects of this way of thinking in our consulting work.

Well-meaning, capable executives who, nonetheless, believe they can manage from a distance.

And who do NOT believe in enabling front line improvement by involving all team members.

A revered sensei once asked me, "How will you motivate your team, Pascal-san?"

Another time, I asked him, "Sensei, why is involvement so important?"

"If involvement is high," he replied, "injuries, defects, cost and lead time are low. But if involvement is low..."

Best,

Pascal

Pascal Dennis Bio

Fred Taylor & Illusion of Top-Down Control - Part I

By Pascal Dennis

Been thinking a great deal about this.

Fred Taylor was the genius who, essentially, invented Industrial Engineering.

Taylor's innovations around time & motion studies, standardized work and scientific management helped to revolutionize manufacturing.

But by all accounts, he was a lousy manager.

(If you're interested, Kanigel's The Enigma of Efficiency is a fine biography)

So, he set out to revolutionize management too. His rationale appeared to be:

"If I'm a lousy manager, it must be because current management practice is all wrong!"

In Joe Juran's mind, Taylor's approach essentially separated planning from production -- a Faustian bargain if there ever was one!

Productivity soared, but at a terrible cost: the alienation of front line team members.

There was another unseen & equally terrible cost: the illusion of top-down control.

"We can manage from a distance, by the numbers."

The thing is, you can't. You have to go see; you have to get your hands dirty.

You have to understand your business in a visceral way.

Thereby, leaders have a chance at "grasping the situation" and developing strategies that make sense.

And more important, leaders thus have a chance at deploying the strategies so that everybody is involved.

A wise man once said, "Any damn fool can make a plan. It's the execution that screws you up!"

People are smarter, better trained & more capable than they've ever been.

Only a damn fool would fail to engage them.

Best regards,

Pascal

Pascal Dennis Bio

Fred Taylor & the Illusion of Top-Down Control - Part 2

By Pascal Dennis

Last time I wrote about Fred Taylor and his Faustian bargain.

Taylor separated planning from production.

Productivity soared, but at a terrible cost:

1. The alienation of front line team members, and
2. the illusion of top-down control

"We can manage from a distance, by the numbers."

"What can front line team members possibly teach us?"

These are common expressions of this way of thinking, which, sadly, permeates our professional and business schools.

This mental model is so deep that nobody even thinks to question it.

Bottom-up management, by contrast, was the dominant mental model during what Ken and Bill Hopper call "The Golden Age" -- roughly 1920 to 1970.

(The Puritan Gift is their fine account of this period)

I see the pernicious effects of this way of thinking in our consulting work.

Well-meaning, capable executives who, nonetheless, believe they can manage from a distance.

And who do NOT believe in enabling front line improvement by involving all team members.

A revered sensei once asked me, "How will you motivate your team, Pascal-san?"

Another time, I asked him, "Sensei, why is involvement so important?"

"If involvement is high," he replied, "injuries, defects, cost and lead time are low. But if involvement is low..."

Best,

Pascal

Pascal Dennis Bio

Fred Taylor & the Illusion of Top-Down Control - Part I

By Pascal Dennis

Been thinking a great deal about this.

Fred Taylor was the genius who, essentially, invented Industrial Engineering.

Taylor's innovations around time & motion studies, standardized work and scientific management helped to revolutionize manufacturing.

But by all accounts, he was a lousy manager.

(If you're interested, Kanigel's The Enigma of Efficiency is a fine biography)

So, he set out to revolutionize management too. His rationale appeared to be:

"If I'm a lousy manager, it must be because current management practice is all wrong!"

In Joe Juran's mind, Taylor's approach essentially separated planning from production -- a Faustian bargain if there ever was one!

Productivity soared, but at a terrible cost: the alienation of front line team members.

There was another unseen & equally terrible cost: the illusion of top-down control.

"We can manage from a distance, by the numbers."

The thing is, you can't. You have to go see; you have to get your hands dirty.

You have to understand your business in a visceral way.

Thereby, leaders have a chance at "grasping the situation" and developing strategies that make sense.

And more important, leaders thus have a chance at deploying the strategies so that everybody is involved.

A wise man once said, "Any damn fool can make a plan. It's the execution that screws you up!"

People are smarter, better trained & more capable than they've ever been.

Only a damn fool would fail to engage them.

Best regards,

Pascal

Pascal Dennis Bio

Fred Taylor & the Illusion of Top-Down Control - Part II

By Pascal Dennis

Last time I wrote about Fred Taylor and his Faustian bargain.

Taylor separated planning from production.

Productivity soared, but at a terrible cost:

1. the alienation of front line team members, and
   
2. the illusion of top-down control
   

"We can manage from a distance, by the numbers."

"What can front line team members possibly teach us?"

These are common expressions of this way of thinking, which, sadly, permeates our professional and business schools.

This mental model is so deep that nobody even thinks to question it.

Bottom-up management, by contrast, was the dominant mental model during what Ken and Bill Hopper call "The Golden Age" -- roughly 1920 to 1970.

(The Puritan Gift is their fine account of this period)

I see the pernicious effects of this way of thinking in our consulting work.

Well-meaning, capable executives who, nonetheless, believe they can manage from a distance.

And who do NOT believe in enabling front line improvement by involving all team members.

A revered sensei once asked me, "How will you motivate your team, Pascal-san?"

Another time, I asked him, "Sensei, why is involvement so important?"

"If involvement is high," he replied, "injuries, defects, cost and lead time are low. But if involvement is low..."

Best,

Pascal

PS My new book, Reflections of a Business Nomad, is full of such stories & should be out in May -- (knock on wood!)

Fred Taylor & the Illusion of Top-Down Control - Part I

By Pascal Dennis

Been thinking a great deal about this.

Fred Taylor was the genius who, essentially, invented Industrial Engineering.

Taylor's innovations around time & motion studies, standardized work and scientific management helped to revolutionize manufacturing.

But by all accounts, he was a lousy manager.

(If you're interested, Kanigel's The Enigma of Efficiency is a fine biography)

So, he set out to revolutionize management too. His rationale appeared to be:

"If I'm a lousy manager, it must be because current management practice is all wrong!"

In Joe Juran's mind, Taylor's approach essentially separated planning from production -- a Faustian bargain if there ever was one!

Productivity soared, but at a terrible cost: the alienation of front line team members.

There was another unseen & equally terrible cost: the illusion of top-down control.

"We can manage from a distance, by the numbers."

The thing is, you can't. You have to go see; you have to get your hands dirty.

You have to understand your business in a visceral way.

Thereby, leaders have a chance at "grasping the situation" and developing strategies that make sense.

And more important, leaders thus have a chance at deploying the strategies so that everybody is involved.

A wise man once said, "Any damn fool can make a plan. It's the execution that screws you up!"

People are smarter, better trained & more capable than they've ever been.

Only a damn fool would fail to engage them.

Best regards,

Pascal