organizations, the shoes, and the cup

Some companies really amuse me.

I got to know some companies which are in traditional core businesses. Then I'm not sure if they have grown bored or what, they expand, adding not in terms of core competency but rather "support" unit, "strategy" unit, "performance" unit, taking up a significant quarter of the organization structure. By right, these support units are supposed to help the traditional business units do their job, but end up they are creating more workload for those they are supposed to help. More reports, more presentations, more meetings. And you think they are happy to remain as a "supportive" role? They take on more glamourous role, roll out more eye-catchy projects, and definitely outshining the business-as-usual departments. They almost can control the weather in the company.

But you are not helping the ones who are earning the dough. If a pair of shoes makes walking difficult, then we should throw away the shoes and walk barefooted.

Ah, and then they talk loud on engaging the staff, developing the organization, blah blah blah. Oh puhleeze! You hardly bother about staff morale (in fact you make them do more nonsense and juggle with their usual task). You talk about attracting talent, projecting yourself as choice employer, curbing down on high turnover rate, ya da ya da, but like I said, what are you doing with your current staff? It is like filling a leaking cup. If you don't concentrate on blocking that hole, there is no way you can fill the cup unless you fill it faster. But mind you, the crack can and will propagate.

I don't know if they teach Lao Tzu in MBA or not. Oh well, Lao Tzu doesn't teach competitiveness, to start with.