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#5 is very interesting. Top companies try to mimic this, but it's hard for companies that don't grow their own people. Accenture/Facebook/McKinsey/Goldman all

#5 is very interesting. Top companies try to mimic this, but it's hard for companies that don't grow their own people. Accenture/Facebook/McKinsey/Goldman all have common training programs that they put new hires through. It might vary by function, but almost everyone does it. One caveat is that (in my limited experience) military hires tend to obsess a little too much on chain of command. Chain of command is important on the battlefield, but in corporate environments the best ideas come from anywhere. And in the best companies, people focus more on being "The best" than being "The leader".

jacobr1 11y ago
> but in corporate environments the best ideas come from anywhere I think the difference is that is important to have a clear process to make decisions. It doesn't need to be hierarchical, but it should avoid analysis paralysis or other ills of uncertainty.
- mathattack 11y ago
  Yes. One system I've heard that works is a 5 point system. 1 - You decide without my input 2 - You decide with my input 3 - Joint decision equal input 4 - I decide with your input 5 - I decide without your input Most good decisions are Type 2 or 4, though sometimes they need to be others. (Compliance, etc.) Then one can say, "This is a type 4 decision - I need to hear you out, but it's on me."
rpedela 11y ago
I think common experience in a corporate setting can be achieved without formal training in certain cases. For example, if everyone involved in product development also does customer service on a semi-regular basis then that is common experience that can help bind the team.
- mathattack 11y ago
  Yes. Smart companies come up with rituals that recreate this. Customer Service calls are a great example because they have big benefits above and beyond just team building. Engineers and execs who intuitively understand customers are invaluable.
zeveb 11y ago
> Chain of command is important on the battlefield, but in corporate environments the best ideas come from anywhere. Many good ideas in the military and on the battlefield come from the ranks, too. The chain of command is about decision-making, as jacobr1 notes. > And in the best companies, people focus more on being "The best" than being "The leader". This is also true in the military, since there are dedicated tracks for enlisted and officers. But senior enlisted are still expected to lead (without being the senior officer), just as a senior employee should be expected to lead (without being the CEO).

jacobr1 11y ago

> but in corporate environments the best ideas come from anywhere I think the difference is that is important to have a clear process to make decisions. It doesn't need to be hierarchical, but it should avoid analysis paralysis or other ills of uncertainty.

mathattack 11y ago
Yes. One system I've heard that works is a 5 point system. 1 - You decide without my input 2 - You decide with my input 3 - Joint decision equal input 4 - I decide with your input 5 - I decide without your input Most good decisions are Type 2 or 4, though sometimes they need to be others. (Compliance, etc.) Then one can say, "This is a type 4 decision - I need to hear you out, but it's on me."

rpedela 11y ago

I think common experience in a corporate setting can be achieved without formal training in certain cases. For example, if everyone involved in product development also does customer service on a semi-regular basis then that is common experience that can help bind the team.

mathattack 11y ago
Yes. Smart companies come up with rituals that recreate this. Customer Service calls are a great example because they have big benefits above and beyond just team building. Engineers and execs who intuitively understand customers are invaluable.

zeveb 11y ago

> Chain of command is important on the battlefield, but in corporate environments the best ideas come from anywhere. Many good ideas in the military and on the battlefield come from the ranks, too. The chain of command is about decision-making, as jacobr1 notes. > And in the best companies, people focus more on being "The best" than being "The leader". This is also true in the military, since there are dedicated tracks for enlisted and officers. But senior enlisted are still expected to lead (without being the senior officer), just as a senior employee should be expected to lead (without being the CEO).