Thanks to SmartMeetingDesign for this…
…[in a recent interview] Stephen Covey (age 71, author of the 7 Habits, currently willing to come speak for you at $65.00 per appearance) …declared management of people superfluous. One manages money, stocks, portfolios, and the like, not people. Give people purpose and a course, and then stop interfering with them.
The interview ended with this quote: “In most organisations there is a lack of trust, and most employees are powerless. In this era of knowledge-workers we still use the industrial model of control, in which we treat people like objects. It is as if we are still practising bloodletting, although we know all about bacteria and how they work.”
When I asked the pizza-guy for pen and paper to write this quote down, he smiled at me and said ain’t that a good interview or what?.
Makes me think about all of the folks who’ve studied Covey’s books, taken the courses, and heard his speeches and wonder what the world will be like when they really dig into this new message. And will the next generation of management super gurus start where Covey leaves off? Now that’s what I call inviting.