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Very intriguing but just like most other articles on alternative management structures, this leaves out all the critical information and focuses on praising sys

by sytelus 10y ago

Very intriguing but just like most other articles on alternative management structures, this leaves out all the critical information and focuses on praising system without actually understanding it. While I understand that at CERN most people are working for pure passion at modest salaries while being very highly qualified as opposed to someone in 20s with goal to cash out stock options and retire ASAP, I think it's important to figure out if this is the driving reason behind success of loose management structure with no chain of command. Any alternative management system proposal needs to answer questions like, 1. How people gets hired? Who creates job posting, how interviews are conducted, who does negotiations, approvals and how talent gets attracted and retained? 2. Is there differentiated performance reviews? If so who exactly conducts, signs off these? Is there curve? Is there expected distribution? Who approves promotions/pay raises? Who sets up these rules? 3. If there minimum expectations for performance? Who determines firing and how? 4. If there is no real manager and everything gets decided by commeeties, who sets up these commeeties? How work assignment is done? Who is accountable for tracking progress, success or failure? Who has final say in ties when conflicts occur? 5. What options employees have when they want change? How transfer happen? Who approves these and what are the official rules?

Create 10y ago
This PR piece is utterly misleading. CERN copied and implemented matrix management, essentially what drove NASA JPL to the ground (ask Ron Garret, lisper). For a hint on NASA's future (not talking of the military) recall the name of the new space telescope. SLAC essentially closed down along with most other labs. Those who are at the receiving end of the job delegation process report to several managers, none of whom need to take responsibility. Therefore only the one who reports can take hits, as in hightail (see win-win analysis of The Office on ribbonfarm). Obviously success is management's success, not least of the DG. CERN management proper on the other hand is a tightly knit group (not talking about external contributors, “users” in CERN parlance) with the same level of transparency that need-to-know mechanisms allow for. There are even line-managers and the whole lot. Gianotti was earmarked for leadership position two or three decades ago and has been at CERN since her early twenties. Her external institute affiliation is just a mere formality in the sense that Italy has financially contributed to the CERN budget. Make no mistake: there is a chain of command, but one that is heavily concealed behind a thick layer of administration (see ribbonfarm) protecting management. There are whole departments and groups devoted to implement the five questions you are wondering about.

by sytelus 10y ago

Create 10y ago

This PR piece is utterly misleading. CERN copied and implemented matrix management, essentially what drove NASA JPL to the ground (ask Ron Garret, lisper). For a hint on NASA's future (not talking of the military) recall the name of the new space telescope. SLAC essentially closed down along with most other labs. Those who are at the receiving end of the job delegation process report to several managers, none of whom need to take responsibility. Therefore only the one who reports can take hits, as in hightail (see win-win analysis of The Office on ribbonfarm). Obviously success is management's success, not least of the DG. CERN management proper on the other hand is a tightly knit group (not talking about external contributors, “users” in CERN parlance) with the same level of transparency that need-to-know mechanisms allow for. There are even line-managers and the whole lot. Gianotti was earmarked for leadership position two or three decades ago and has been at CERN since her early twenties. Her external institute affiliation is just a mere formality in the sense that Italy has financially contributed to the CERN budget. Make no mistake: there is a chain of command, but one that is heavily concealed behind a thick layer of administration (see ribbonfarm) protecting management. There are whole departments and groups devoted to implement the five questions you are wondering about.