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I think the Yankees model is a (possibly reaching) metaphor for capitalism. All the capital concentrates in a few hands. But where are all the "best" people s

I think the Yankees model is a (possibly reaching) metaphor for capitalism. All the capital concentrates in a few hands. But where are all the "best" people supposed to prove themselves? That's why you see so many posts in this thread like "I worked on the perfect team for a short period, but alas, it was short lived." Building the gestalt is always going to flame out. Right at the moment when you realize you've assembled something special is when your team members start getting traded to the Yankees. That's why the only sustainable model is culture, culture, culture. Always be striving for the perfect combination of team members. Keep the talent pipeline active, and if you have someone who doesn't fit, get them out of there.

cpsempek 9y ago
Interesting, to belabor the sports team metaphor, culture does indeed seem to be an alternative to max salaries. C.f., Spurs being one of the most winningest teams in the past couple decades, Tom Brady taking pay cuts in order to maintain and foster a dynasty, and Steph Curry doing similar. In all these cases, a great coach (read, CEO) has fostered a strict but burgeoning cultures which rewards its members through a shared success in what they love and not an individual's compensation. Of course this analogy can be dangerous. Athlete's get paid extraordinary sums, even while sitting on a bench 99% of the season. Whereas many employees have to worry about their own compensation simply to survive, and such selling of culture as a supplement to compensation won't always put food in your mouth (and thus can be exploitative). Nonetheless, I appreciate your comment, you brought up an interesting view on workplace culture that I never thought about.