#19: Business is simple

I once read about a meeting at a well-known manufacturer of ovens. The CEO sat listening to the discussion about quality problems with the latest model. Sales people reported about unhappy customers; quality control people defended the production team by quoting statistics. Finally, the CEO lost patience and asked, “Are you saying that we are selling ovens that don’t work? Well, get the hell out of here and fix them!”

Indeed, business is that simple.

I am cynical enough to suspect that the over supply of business schools, the worship of the latest management fad and the rapid adoption of business buzz words all merely serve to give management an aura of complexity.

I think this stems from a subconscious yearning for business to appear difficult enough to warrant CEOs earning more than scientists, healthcare professionals, teachers..... in fact, more than anyone else.

I’m james@nonsenseatwork.com

Copyright: 2006 James Henry McIntosh