Filling Roles
December 22, 2009
It has been said that what distinguishes great golfers from not-so-great golfers is not the quality of their good shots, but the quality of their bad shots. While their good shots do not differ very much, the great golfers’ bad shots are much better than the not-so-great golfers’ bad shots.
The administrative lesson to take from this is that you assign roles based on trying to minimize the likely badness of the poorest aspect of fit of each individual to their role, rather than trying to maximize the likely goodness of the best aspect of fit of each individual to their role.
December 22, 2009 at 4:02 pm
It has been said…
Where’s my motherfucking red pen?
December 22, 2009 at 4:20 pm
In other words, a chain is only as strong as its weakest link. The art of management comes down to keeping the weakest links from snapping, huh? Sounds good.
December 22, 2009 at 4:25 pm
“you assign roles based on trying to minimize the likely badness of the poorest aspect of fit of each individual to their role”
That depends entirely on the importance of said roles. If someone is going to do something important superlatively well, and something of middling importance poorly…
This kind of hyperovergeneralization is why no book on “management” ever written is any good at all.
December 22, 2009 at 4:47 pm
But then you risk making your greatest talent handle the housekeeping work that keeps the lights on, do you not?
Take goal-based sport where offense and defense are moderately distinct roles- hockey and soccer. Do you put your best player on defense?
December 22, 2009 at 4:56 pm
In hockey and lacrosse, the most athletically talented player is frequently put in goal.
December 22, 2009 at 5:15 pm
A cynic’s guide to mangement; I like.
December 22, 2009 at 5:17 pm
for certain values of “talent” yes.
answer the defense/offense question though
December 22, 2009 at 5:42 pm
This is a well-understood strategy in game theory (minimax) and economics (minimizing opportunity cost).
It’s counter-intuitive, but it’s proven mathematically.
December 23, 2009 at 11:48 am
Bad shots are bad shots. They happen regardless of the power and preparedness
of golfers. The bad shot likelihood (usually) is not the most objective criterion to decide wether to place him in defense or offense. However, there are particular situations in which, yes, that criterion should be the strategic deciding one.