An organization is 'sick' -- when promotion becomes more important to its people than accomplishment of their job -- when it is more concerned with avoiding mistakes than with taking risks -- and with counteracting the weaknesses of its members than with building on their strength -- and when good human relations become more important than performance and achievement. ...The moment people talk of 'implementing' instead of 'doing,' and of 'finalizing' instead of 'finishing,' the organization is already running a fever. Landmarks of Tomorrow: A Report on the New 'Post-Modern' World (1959)
About this quote
- What does it mean?
- An organization becomes unhealthy when it prioritizes bureaucracy, relationships, or risk avoidance over actual performance and achievement.
- In plain terms
- Companies get sick when they care more about rules and feelings than getting real work done.
- What can you take from it?
- Prioritize performance and achievement over bureaucracy and internal politics.
Where it applies
Putting it to work
Questions to consider
- How do you know if your team is healthy?
- What matters more: process or results?
Another view
Overemphasizing performance can damage morale and employee well-being.
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