| 7 Day Weekend | By: Ricardo Semler | 2003 | Type: NF |
| 85% : effective radical management technique UPDATED |
| Review : Very interesting ,with great ideas for management. An update on his 1993 book Maverick (notes) |
| meaning : Our Thinking is stuck in our Greek ways
there are others. Based on lateral thinking and anarchist principles. 30 % of staff in his fathers company were accountants. Their job was to monitor everyone else's spending. He realised this was a big waste he thought the employees are adults we don't need to monitor them ..cos they know that if they cheat the company and their job will fall. So he got rid of the accountants and pyramid management and implemented a whole bunch of radical democratic ideas. Relax and trust your workers to manage themselves. This Brazilian company has proved it over 10 years. Money isn't the bottom line endurance is and if your workers are happy they will self manage well and your company will survive through crises and recession etc. Semco's success shows that a democratic style is the way for the future to find balance in life for the workers and therefore long term sustainable success for business. |
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synopsis :
Actually could retitle the book 7 day Work Week... about mix work and freetime
Our Thinking is stuck in our Greek ways
there are others
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Semco is different, but proven
(no formal structure, worker management by democracy etc)
- employees not treated like kids
say Why ? Why ? Why ?
- so no business lunches
- avoids fixed assumptions by not using last meeting notes at 2nd meeting
balance- motivates workers so ultimately good for sustainabilty of Semco
- look for difficult markets (not simple), premium end, niche
FLEXIBUY - 26 everyone buys own stuff more efficient , so decisions made quickly
FLEXITIME - work has invaded leisure time so leisure time should invade work time hence 7 day weekend
FLEXIPLACE - work at home /go to the nearest satellite office.
SELF MANAGE- but what if people are like kids I suppose they leave
FLEXITIME 2 - You can take time off now and come back after retirement
39 - big happy family is a myth
40 - respects privacy
48 - let people use their talents, change jobs
- employees get to interview new boss from shortlist
- People loyal cos of atmosphere
75 - Semco staff turnover is very low. Companies sack people too readily instead of redeploying them.
- constantly criticizes MBAs
78 - Improvisation and intuition over planning
80 initiatives like 82 - rigid organization stifles innovation
74 - worries about unsustainable growth
- How far can you go into the forest ? about half way cos after that you're on the way out
- ponders is too much growth bad
- strong anti-corruption line it's good for future business
- stories about staying loyal to people and loss making ideas so in LT making money
102 - Big companies have fallen so Profit is not good for Evaluating Performance uses anonymous annual surveys of 1.staff, 2. customers 3. suppliers
The no rules management system is similar to anarchist principles; instead of having rules you control your behaviour on a person to person level. The problem I identified before is when the other person is not there -- you need rules like don't litter.
- Their ideal is sort out problems at an individual level. But don't you sometimes need an external authority to help control. What if you are being sexually harassed etc
Give up control (no mission statements no audits - trust everyone 118
Each individual decides -motto beg forgiveness - instead of asking permission
criticizes ISO -
No ISO type rigorous procedures so sometimes mistakes made, but don't fire people cos they will learn from their mistakes
Integrity is the most important thing for keeping staff and customers
123 don't have secrets in the company ... gives everyone power... higher productivity, no strikes, no lawsuits
presents employees with clear financial info validated by the union
126 be totally honest with customers
No HR dept, handled by pod
Workers clean own machines, but sales and billing kept separate , salesmen freedup to sell
Anti- conformity ; it makes people easy to control, but stifles innovation
150 anti MBA
it's OK to make mistakes- learn from them
Doing nothing right now is an option - take time over decsions
I suppose that cos responsible workers are expensive firms prefer to hire cheap and then use inspectors and supervisors
158 Hiring process
163 job swap so understand other's roles
Mix the Tribe it's productive
180 Authoritarian management leads to big problems
184 The idea of one big happy family us rubbish. The company is made up of 10 person pods. They manage themselves, set budgets etc.
186 non territorial workspaces open plan etc
211 "I rarely do anything anyone else can do", should this be I concentrate on doing the jobs I can do that others can't"
warns against charasmatic leaders (inc self) better to have successful sustainable systems than rely on one person. He should take his name off the cover then)
Exercise - team act out 3 different situation. Almost always one particular person has more knowledge in something and emerges as the leader, but in each situation it's rarely the same person. Shows you can't rely on the same leader all the time
Don't Control people (look after minorities)- if the majority rule the minority, the minority leave and risk losing good talent the company is less diverse and therefore less productive.
Board meetings 2 seats available for any employee who turns up. No secrets minutes available to all
227 mentions Italian anarchist : Bakunin
229 Don't make big plans. Instead amble, ... use intuition. (things happen so 5 year plans never work)
Information is important to feed intuition (sends employees business news)
266 NO to tramline thinking seems to talk about "we aren't as advanced as we think as we think we are" and the need for lateral thinking talks about school foundation. Kids are bored with school that's why they cause trouble. This tramline thinking effects ours Education system we need a radical rethink
Big Company Capitalist world is like communist world - central planning - no democracy - control
no to military management style
Semco's success shows that a democratic style is the way for the future to find balance in life for the workers and therefore long term sustainable success for business.
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