Share the information

I have to mention a situation I experienced the other day when riding the train for work, like I do every day.

I am waiting for a train which is announced to be "delayed" ,but decide to move to another platform and try to catch another train. This train also stops at my destination and is scheduled to depart in five minutes. Train arrives and I get in, but when I had been sitting in this train for about ten minutes there is an announcement on the radio, telling the passengers that the train is actually waiting for the train-employee that actually "drives" the train. I thought my decision to change train was still a good one since my first train was probably coming in very late. Minutes came and went.. Another train passed the platform, this third train also stops at my destination, but I then thought that I would not make that one. And I was not about to run out of the train again to catch the other train.

A while after the third train left the platform we where still waiting for our chauffeur and the first train arrived the station. I did not want to move back to that platform either, afraid of loosing both trains while running between the platforms. Ok.. That train leaves as well! Now I was actually getting irritated and wanted more information. The train started moving in about 10 minutes after this. I had spent more than 30 minutes waiting. When the conductor comes for the tickets I ask why we where so late. She said the train driver had been on the first train I was waiting for.. Just this tiny and crucial piece of information could have changed my choices during my wait. (if they had this information earlier themselves of course)

I can just imagine when one is in business situations and that little piece of information is not available to you. All the difference it could make. Projects has to reinvent the wheel because the information is not found or provided to them. You waste both time and motivation on doing tasks that can be done faster and probably easier if you had the right information.

Bottom line is: Share the information!

Semco, Semler and interviews

In the book, The seven-day weekend, Ricardo Semler writes about how they interview applicants for a job at a Semco firm. They do not have a dedicated department for doing these things although it seems that they do have a HR manager. After dividing the applications between the volunteers, which was usually department managers or similar. They would then read the applications and pick what they thought would be the best persons for the job. Later these applicants was asked to come to an interview. Sometimes they had individual interviews to be able to shorten the list of candidates. When they where down to a manageable number they would arrange for a new interview with all the candidates at the same time. For this interview the employees in the hiring department would be able to come and ask any question they may have. In the book they emphasise that this enables the employees to have ownership in the decision of who gets the job. In addition they would actually know the person that gets the job. This is also apply when they are interviewing the position as their new boss.

This is really an interesting way of conducting interviews! It creates a democratic way of choosing who is the best suited person for the job. A process that does not only rely on grades from school and an interview with people your never going to see again (and people your never going to work with). It seems such a logical and intuitive (if there is such a combination) way of conducting interviews. This enables the other employees to accept the person and base the choice on what they value in a fellow worker. Their the ones that knows what it takes to do the job, not necessarily the recruiting department or even the manager.

I am trying to see how I would react to such a process if I had applied for a job. I would meet the "competition" and be openly exposed to them and the employees in the interview. One of the thoughts i get is that I would be pushed in to a competing mode. On the other hand I would find out if this is a job I really want and what it is all about since I talk to the employees and their questions mirrors the requirements for the job. In addition I would find out if I would fit in and be able to work together with the other employees.

This being said, the way it is handled seems very important for the result. It could easily end up on the other end of the scale, like Donald Trump's show The Apprentice.

The seven-day weekend

I just started reading a book called The seven-day weekend (excerpt from chapter 1) by Ricardo Semler. Looking forward to see the thoughts behind the success of his company Semco. So far I've read alot about responsible adults and how people use their time differently when employed by Semco. The have really taken the idea of flexitime to another level. Semler mentions that one of the important goal is to have motivated employees. The example that is often referred to is answering emails on Sunday's and watching a movie on Monday afternoon. Freedom to think and to enjoy life, be it while working or fishing. It reminds me of what I read from Peter Senge when doing my masterthesis. Senge proposed an idea of work being meaningful to yourself and be connected to your own personal goals. Work is integrated, your life and your time not divided into spare time and work time. It also seems that Semler have ideas similar to those from Peter Drucker about workers are able to manage themselves without supervision and control.

I will come back with a full review and more thoughts when I have read the whole book. While waiting you should head over to CIOinsights and read an interesting interview with Semler here.

What about a stereo?

Today I got myself a stereo with loudspeakers and the lot. It was great and I can now enjoy music in a new way. Even found my old CD's to play!

But when doing the work of setting up the different parts as DVD player, amplifier and loudspeakers the thought struck me again as so many times before. How much had I not learned about loudspeakers and amplifiers while searching the internet for the right price and something that suited my "needs". In the process of searching for the "right" components for me I learned a lot about the technology and how it was to be used. When I now have the technology here in my flat that information that I earlier read of the web is transformed into knowledge by me actually acting upon that information. This information have enabled me to have a mental idea of what to expect and what to do with the different components. I have somehow an understanding of how the whole system works.

I've been reading the manuals with a genuine interest in how things work and what I can get out of it. Imagine if we could inspire this kind of engagement in schools and other learning institutions. Creating an interest that goes beyond that of getting a good grade or just "because i need it for my work".