Scoble’s Link Blog

http://www.larryborsato.com/blog/archives/000625.html

Weblog: larry borsato
Source: Never surrender.
Link: http://www.larryborsato.com/blog/archives/000625.html

Kathy Sierra, over at Creating Passionate Users, goes off on a tear about the disparity between companies’ public statements about wanting to hire the brave, the bold, and the innovative, versus the reality of the “team players” they actually hire.

As somebody always willing to push boundaries to create a better experience for customers, I can say from experience that most companies really aren’t interested in that except perhaps at the CEO-level - they can push whatever boundaries they want to. It’s rare to find a company that is willing or able to make use of my considerable energy.

The reason is probably because people like that are so difficult to manage. I know - I manage several people like that right now. Yes it is difficult and it takes time, but I find that by talking with them I can find what interests them, and then give them some goals to drive toward. Sure everyone has to deal with boring day-to-day stuff, but I do my best to minimize that, so that I can get the most productivity from them. Sometimes that means breaking rules.

Kathy refers to Tom Peters from Re-Imagine!:

“We will win this battle… and the larger war… only when our talent pool is both deep and broad. Only when our organizations are chock-a-block with obstreperous people who are determined to bend the rules at every turn…”

At most companies, people that break the rules get a bad reputation. I worked at one company where I was chastised for consulting customers and making decisions. The company culture was very insular, and they didn’t like to make decisions.

Tom, when was the last time you worked as an employee for one of the companies you speak of so often? As opposed to speaking with the C-level folks? It’s probably blasphemous to even ask that question, but I like to break rules.

It’s great to see people like Robert Scoble making a difference, and I’m very impressed with the fact that Microsoft is letting it happen. They are breaking the rule that people can only say good things about our company. Robert is the exception rather than the rule though, and it seems that the majority of A-list bloggers aren’t the average wage slaves, beholden to their employers.

Yes we all have to work with the team, but I’m always looking for those smart companies that will challenge me. I won’t surrender my passion either.

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