Comments on: Hello to Slashdotters, Gervais Principle Follow-Ups http://www.ribbonfarm.com/2009/10/14/hello-to-slashdotters-gervais-principle-follow-ups/ experiments in refactored perception Thu, 09 Sep 2010 07:25:24 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0 By: Hal O'Brien http://www.ribbonfarm.com/2009/10/14/hello-to-slashdotters-gervais-principle-follow-ups/#comment-3681 Hal O'Brien Sun, 29 Nov 2009 09:35:34 +0000 http://www.ribbonfarm.com/?p=1307#comment-3681 <i>"Gordon Ramsey’s Kitchen Nightmares is the perfect show for analyzing startups."</i> Yes. Yes. Yes. Especially since so many start-ups are restaurants. It's worth noting, though, that Ramsay is also the ur-image of McKinsey-style consultants. “Gordon Ramsey’s Kitchen Nightmares is the perfect show for analyzing startups.”

Yes. Yes. Yes. Especially since so many start-ups are restaurants.

It’s worth noting, though, that Ramsay is also the ur-image of McKinsey-style consultants.

]]> By: Dan http://www.ribbonfarm.com/2009/10/14/hello-to-slashdotters-gervais-principle-follow-ups/#comment-3338 Dan Thu, 29 Oct 2009 20:22:49 +0000 http://www.ribbonfarm.com/?p=1307#comment-3338 Hey, just so you know your original post is often down due to heavy traffic. I copied it here: http://docs.google.com/View?id=dfbkggsv_192gs6xd6g8 Great post! Keep up the good work! Hey, just so you know your original post is often down due to heavy traffic. I copied it here: http://docs.google.com/View?id=dfbkggsv_192gs6xd6g8

Great post! Keep up the good work!

]]> By: RG http://www.ribbonfarm.com/2009/10/14/hello-to-slashdotters-gervais-principle-follow-ups/#comment-3201 RG Fri, 16 Oct 2009 13:48:21 +0000 http://www.ribbonfarm.com/?p=1307#comment-3201 I meant team when I sloppily said "org". Long-running serials are more susceptible than movie project teams assembled on demand for a limited purpose and duration. Your conjecture has a lot going for it. For a while the buzz phrases, "cross-functional", "self-managed" and "virtual teams" were popular and this practice does continue to operate successfully within corporate environments. I meant team when I sloppily said “org”. Long-running serials are more susceptible than movie project teams assembled on demand for a limited purpose and duration.

Your conjecture has a lot going for it. For a while the buzz phrases, “cross-functional”, “self-managed” and “virtual teams” were popular and this practice does continue to operate successfully within corporate environments.

]]> By: Venkat http://www.ribbonfarm.com/2009/10/14/hello-to-slashdotters-gervais-principle-follow-ups/#comment-3180 Venkat Thu, 15 Oct 2009 14:33:41 +0000 http://www.ribbonfarm.com/?p=1307#comment-3180 NBC studios...? Not sure actually. The "Hollywood model" of movie-making has of course become the textbook example of un-organization (team of free agents coming together together around an oasis of money provided by a major studio, creating, and then disbanding, without providing too much time for the clueless to ossify the beast). I'd say that kind of virtual/transient firm has less of a chance to develop the pathologies since it is designed to self-destruct within a year or two. TV shows are a different beast though, since they persist much longer, and studios are more involved (I would guess). Still the premise of organizational mortality operates there too. A bold conjecture might be that "to avoid the S-C-L pathologies as much as possible, it is necessary and sufficient that an organization be aware of, and plan around, its own planned mortality." The root of a lot of pathologies I suspect, arises from organizations thinking they'll be around forever. Or effectively forever, like Hitler's 1000 year reich. I guess shows like 30 Rock do give you a bit of a look behind the scenes (Alec Baldwin's character on that is a good sociopath, while Tina Fey is a good overachieving loser... but I haven't watched enough of the show to be sure). NBC studios…? Not sure actually. The “Hollywood model” of movie-making has of course become the textbook example of un-organization (team of free agents coming together together around an oasis of money provided by a major studio, creating, and then disbanding, without providing too much time for the clueless to ossify the beast). I’d say that kind of virtual/transient firm has less of a chance to develop the pathologies since it is designed to self-destruct within a year or two.

TV shows are a different beast though, since they persist much longer, and studios are more involved (I would guess). Still the premise of organizational mortality operates there too. A bold conjecture might be that “to avoid the S-C-L pathologies as much as possible, it is necessary and sufficient that an organization be aware of, and plan around, its own planned mortality.” The root of a lot of pathologies I suspect, arises from organizations thinking they’ll be around forever. Or effectively forever, like Hitler’s 1000 year reich.

I guess shows like 30 Rock do give you a bit of a look behind the scenes (Alec Baldwin’s character on that is a good sociopath, while Tina Fey is a good overachieving loser… but I haven’t watched enough of the show to be sure).

]]> By: RG http://www.ribbonfarm.com/2009/10/14/hello-to-slashdotters-gervais-principle-follow-ups/#comment-3178 RG Thu, 15 Oct 2009 14:24:14 +0000 http://www.ribbonfarm.com/?p=1307#comment-3178 What about the applicability of these S-C-L phenomena to the org that makes the TV series? I witnessed something like that on a tiny scale (skit parodying managers, performed by some at a corporate event). I felt some of them tried too hard to be seen laughing loudly. What about the applicability of these S-C-L phenomena to the org that makes the TV series? I witnessed something like that on a tiny scale (skit parodying managers, performed by some at a corporate event). I felt some of them tried too hard to be seen laughing loudly.

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