Adonis Diaries

Getting rid of all MBAs: Why? Is the problem How to rethink Management?

Dan RockwellI asked Professor Henry Mintzberg, author of 140 articles and 13 books:

“If you waved a magic wand over businesses, what would you change?”

Mintzberg said, “I’d get rid of all MBA’s. We’d lose some good people, but in the whole, it would be a positive move.” Never mistake quiet voices for weak people.

A few problems that trouble Mintzberg about MBA’s, including management gone completely off the rails, are:

1. MBA graduate with distorted pictures of management. They believe management is about management principles, among other flawed beliefs.
2. They believe they can manage anything regardless of the business type.
3. They have knowledge without experience which leads to hubris.

And if management isn’t about management principles, what’s it about? Mintzberg says “Management is connecting.” 

Although Mintzberg didn’t use the terms human or humane, they seem to explain his passion. He despises placing emphasis on productivity, particularly built on the backs of over-worked, burned-out employees. Pushing people simply works in the short-term.

Bloodletting:

Mintzberg believes cutbacks and layoffs are equivalent to the failed practice of bloodletting. They produce short-term profits and long-term loses. Mintzberg loves saying, “If you want productivity, fire everyone and sell from inventory.”

Long-term success:

Mintzberg believes organizations should be built for long-term success rather than quick profits. Shifting to the long view may be the most radical change businesses can make because it requires connecting.

Henry Mintzberg thinks modern management is off the tracks. He said:

“The problem in America isn’t the economy: It’s management.” Like what problems?

1. MBA’s with no experience.
2. Shareholder value.
3. Separating management from leadership.
4. Making Top-down strategy.  Strategy should emerge from conversations within an organization.
5. Excessive executive compensations: Narcissism with over-compensated CEO.
6. Using terms like “human resources” and “human capital” is sickening.
7. Pushing employees to work harder and longer.
8. Current hiring practices.

Hiring a CEO:

Henry Mintzberg says: “Stop hiring people who can impress.” 

Stop looking for perfect candidates: “Flaws aren’t fatal. Listen to the people who know them best, the people who worked for them. There are only two ways to find out someone’s flaws, marry them or work for them.”

Searching for perfect – flawless – candidates prevent anyone from saying the “emperor has no cloths”. In a world filled with “perfect” leaders, fakery prevails.

Fakery exacerbates stress in an already stress-filled world.

Email:

Mintzberg isn’t a big fan of email, to add a ninth item to the list. It obviously has a place but, “It does have an off button. I check email every three weeks.”  Mintzberg can be contrarian but not contrary.

Rockwell is asking:

What do you think is wrong with modern management?

If you could wave a magic wand over businesses, how would they change?

How are you navigating short-term vs. long-term views of business, management, and leadership?

Recent article by Mintzberg and Todd: The Offline Executive

A new approach to leadership development: Coaching Ourselves