There is a constant push for improving efficiency in organizations to meet the needs of stakeholders and shareholders. When hierarchies are looking for ways to reduce cost, then managers are most expensive and the least useful components. In theory, a manager handles all operations within a unit and expending resources to manage the performance of that unit is a necessary. In reality, managers spend more time making sure they are needed in the operations they oversee than doing the forethought, planning, and managing that are expected by the job description.
Here is a simple rule to decide whether or not you need a manager:
If the manager can't make decisions about the purpose, the people, or the resources of the suborganization he or she leads then get rid of the manager. Use a team lead instead.
A team leader directs work day to day - they lead the team. Use performance bonuses to motivate the team leader to motivate performance. Use an administrator to account for the numbers day to day, just as before. Then a higher manager is responsible for many sub-organizations managed by team leads. A manager still handles the extra effort but at a higher level and distributed. That is how you handle improving efficiency.
Leaders can run the work which is what you need. But they aren't responsible for those bigger decisions they need to go higher for a decision. Which is a win-win, you save on management and don't waste effort of a manager for day-to-day simple stuff. Every big decision is still held by a higher manager, that is where accountability rests.
The final change is the adopt a Leader / Manager contract that explains exactly the responsibilities of each. Depending on the specifics of the duties, the leader can set up the work, the team, and so on but needs approval by the manager. The manager oversees all administrative but cannot interfere with daily operations. If a problem exists that stops production then the manager is responsible for resolving the issue. The team lead can halt production until those issues are settled.
Friday, March 7, 2014
Tuesday, March 4, 2014
Crimea Stolen for The Black Sea Fleet: The Great Putin Swindle
Russian leadership must assume all people are typical, unenlightened and unremarkable. But we in the West can figure out the subtleties of our politicians so it should come as no surprise when our democratic talents are applied to their obvious tactics. Let me explain the Ukrainian invasion by Russia. It's all about retaking the Black Sea Fleet for Russian military interests, pure and simple.
There is a lot of information on the Black Sea Fleet problems between Russia and Ukraine here. The bottom line is the agreement and the politics of the Russian Black Sea Fleet located at Sevastopol Ukraine has been an irritant for Russian leadership for years with constant complaints by the Ukraine regarding unapproved access, rights, permissions etc. The bottom line is - more than national pride - a lot of effort goes into arguing with the Ukraine. This port is STRATEGIC not economic nor NATIONALISTIC. Russian didn't care who owned it so long as they could lease it / use it. To reproduce the naval capability of the Sevastopol naval base would take billions of dollars. I'm just guessing it would take 50 billion to replace it. Not the ships, they would sail to the new base, just the port capability, the housing, infrastructure etc. That's a lot of cash no one has lying around. So this is what the invasion is all about.
Remember Putin represents a group of Russian economic leaders, he is their military operative, and if he cared about nationalistic ideals he would stay at home and help the poor in Moscow, that would probably be a better use of the money funding an invasion.
Let me explain my point with a brief timeline.
On 19 February 1954, Nikita Kruschev gives the Crimea to the Ukrainian Soviet State Republic (SSR).
2002 - Russia's last attempt to solve the Black Sea Fleet problem was using Yanukovich; first as the agreeable Prime Minister and then ulitmately as the Ukrainian President. That solves their problem for them because they've "got a guy on the inside".
February 2010 - Yanukovich becomes Ukranian president.
April 2010 - Not 2 months into office as President, Yanukovich and Russia sign a deal ensuring the longer term lease of the Black Sea Fleet port. Russian gets a longer lease on the port in exchange for cheaper energy to Ukraine.
February 2010 - February 2014 - Yanukovich allegedly bilks riches from Ukraine and the country spirals towards collapse. This is the economic benefit to Ukraine that comes with the lease for the Black Sea Fleet port, but where does it go? Europe-leaning populace in Ukraine inspires a revolution, Yanukovich uses deadly force on protesters and then flees the country for Russia.
March 2, 2014 - Losing control in Ukraine and potentially losing that port, Russia mobilizes and takes over key points in the Crimea. What key points? Protecting the people? To restore law and order? To defend ethnic Russians? Does Russia station troops in town squares to do all that? No. Russia surrounds airfields and military bases that would be used to take back the Black Sea Fleet port. If this invasion was about protecting citizens then the forces would be deployed against the western edge of Crimea to protect them from Western Ukraine. That's not where they are.
It is so obvious what this is about, that it really looks like theft. If Putin had made any other moves it would look genuinely humanitarian. Instead he looks like the highway bandit he is. He's not saving anyone. Nor is he fooling anyone.
So again, Russia makes a deal to get the port, Russia gives Ukraine money. Russian puppet steals the money back. Russia takes the port. Russia keeps a port worth say $50 billion for the cost of some international rebuke. This is the Great Putin Swindle.
He made a deal with Ukraine knowing he could renege on it and get his money back, either by loans to a failing state or by military force when they collapsed. This is a swindle, he never intended to pay for it, just bide time until he could get it back.
If I was a Russian Ukrainian (ethnic Russian in Ukraine) I would want to know how safe I was with a government capable of doing this? If I was a Russian Ukrainian I think I would get more from being a Ukrainian and having Russia spend lavishly to get the port back.
There is a lot of information on the Black Sea Fleet problems between Russia and Ukraine here. The bottom line is the agreement and the politics of the Russian Black Sea Fleet located at Sevastopol Ukraine has been an irritant for Russian leadership for years with constant complaints by the Ukraine regarding unapproved access, rights, permissions etc. The bottom line is - more than national pride - a lot of effort goes into arguing with the Ukraine. This port is STRATEGIC not economic nor NATIONALISTIC. Russian didn't care who owned it so long as they could lease it / use it. To reproduce the naval capability of the Sevastopol naval base would take billions of dollars. I'm just guessing it would take 50 billion to replace it. Not the ships, they would sail to the new base, just the port capability, the housing, infrastructure etc. That's a lot of cash no one has lying around. So this is what the invasion is all about.
Remember Putin represents a group of Russian economic leaders, he is their military operative, and if he cared about nationalistic ideals he would stay at home and help the poor in Moscow, that would probably be a better use of the money funding an invasion.
Let me explain my point with a brief timeline.
On 19 February 1954, Nikita Kruschev gives the Crimea to the Ukrainian Soviet State Republic (SSR).
2002 - Russia's last attempt to solve the Black Sea Fleet problem was using Yanukovich; first as the agreeable Prime Minister and then ulitmately as the Ukrainian President. That solves their problem for them because they've "got a guy on the inside".
February 2010 - Yanukovich becomes Ukranian president.
April 2010 - Not 2 months into office as President, Yanukovich and Russia sign a deal ensuring the longer term lease of the Black Sea Fleet port. Russian gets a longer lease on the port in exchange for cheaper energy to Ukraine.
February 2010 - February 2014 - Yanukovich allegedly bilks riches from Ukraine and the country spirals towards collapse. This is the economic benefit to Ukraine that comes with the lease for the Black Sea Fleet port, but where does it go? Europe-leaning populace in Ukraine inspires a revolution, Yanukovich uses deadly force on protesters and then flees the country for Russia.
March 2, 2014 - Losing control in Ukraine and potentially losing that port, Russia mobilizes and takes over key points in the Crimea. What key points? Protecting the people? To restore law and order? To defend ethnic Russians? Does Russia station troops in town squares to do all that? No. Russia surrounds airfields and military bases that would be used to take back the Black Sea Fleet port. If this invasion was about protecting citizens then the forces would be deployed against the western edge of Crimea to protect them from Western Ukraine. That's not where they are.
It is so obvious what this is about, that it really looks like theft. If Putin had made any other moves it would look genuinely humanitarian. Instead he looks like the highway bandit he is. He's not saving anyone. Nor is he fooling anyone.
So again, Russia makes a deal to get the port, Russia gives Ukraine money. Russian puppet steals the money back. Russia takes the port. Russia keeps a port worth say $50 billion for the cost of some international rebuke. This is the Great Putin Swindle.
He made a deal with Ukraine knowing he could renege on it and get his money back, either by loans to a failing state or by military force when they collapsed. This is a swindle, he never intended to pay for it, just bide time until he could get it back.
If I was a Russian Ukrainian (ethnic Russian in Ukraine) I would want to know how safe I was with a government capable of doing this? If I was a Russian Ukrainian I think I would get more from being a Ukrainian and having Russia spend lavishly to get the port back.
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