Individuals Matter
13 hours ago
- #remote-work
- #management
- #organizational-behavior
- Complex systems like large companies or global aid efforts are too intricate for any single decision-maker to fully grasp.
- Simplifying systems by treating individuals as interchangeable (fungible) can make them more legible but may lead to inefficiencies.
- In heavy-tailed ROI distributions, reducing complexity for legibility can cost the majority of potential returns.
- Anecdotes highlight the fragility of teams and the high cost of mismanagement, such as reallocating personnel against their will.
- Promotion based on the number of subordinates managed incentivizes quantity over quality, assuming people are fungible.
- Bureaucratic processes, like PR approvals for blog posts, often protect against minimal risks while stifling potential gains.
- Large tech companies succeeded by making bold moves that bureaucratic competitors couldn't, despite the higher risk of failure.
- Claims of revenue or growth wins within companies are often inflated, with discrepancies between reported and actual results.
- Location-based pay adjustments have become less tenable post-pandemic, as remote work options allow employees to bypass them.