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From Wired Innovation Insights:
In 1958, Michael Young coined the term "meritocracy" in his book, The Rise of the Meritocracy. Young used the term satirically to depict a United Kingdom ruled by a system that favored intelligence and merit above all else, including past personal achievements.
However:
Who decides who is listened to? Who decides which ideas are the best? At my company, Red Hat, the people who are listened to are the ones who have earned the right. They have built a reputation and history of contributing good ideas, going beyond their day jobs, and achieving stellar results.
In many technology companies that employ a meritocracy — Red Hat being one example — people forge their own path to leadership, not simply by working hard and smart, but also by expressing unique ideas that have the ability to positively impact their team and their company. Entire paths have been paved at Red Hat because a single person spoke up when it mattered, had gained enough trust and respect from teammates so people truly listened, and, as a result, was able to influence direction of an initiative (or start a new one).
For example, I think back to a Red Hat associate who, as we were developing our virtualization business at Red Hat, spoke up in a meeting when he thought myself, his boss's boss, his boss and others, were making a wrong decision. While we didn't follow his guidance that day, eventually we did because we valued his opinion, and frankly, because he was right.
Of course, this doesn't happen overnight. It takes time and a consistent track record to begin to earn respect and influence in a meritocracy. As you can imagine, given the right vehicles for communication and encouragement, the natural thought leaders emerge.
The article also includes some fairly standard advice about decision making.
(Score: 2) by Thexalon on Friday October 17 2014, @04:57PM
Au contraire!
The story of one such manager:
1. She starts by buying out a vaguely-but-not-exactly-related business for a 10-figure sum. She is placed in charge of that business, and mismanages it so badly that she turns a growing and profitable business into a shrinking and unprofitable one. Most of the staff that she hired weren't doing their jobs, but furiously trying to out-politic each other to blame other people for the failure. She is not punished for this, but praised by higher-ups for her bold vision.
2. She then doubles down by buying out an even less related business for 5 times more than the purchase of the first business. She runs that into the ground as well, in roughly the same manner, and with many of the same people. In response, upper management promotes her, again citing her risk-taking and bold vision.
3. After her promotion, she immediately fires 3 of the other top executives, who's divisions had been exceeding their expectations to cover over her spectacular losses.
4. Eventually, upper management figures out what she's really all about, and responds by firing or reassigning most of her staff. When they go to fire her clique that had been with her through the 2 failures, she has some sort of change of heart, tries to protect them, and is fired for that. (Had she been willing to backstab her subordinates, I'm quite certain she would have remained as a top executive at that company.)
I guess there were a few people who did actual work in the 2 businesses she ran into the ground, but that was something like 8 people out of a staff of 40.
Remember, most of a business's personnel are professional liars [dilbert.com].
The only thing that stops a bad guy with a compiler is a good guy with a compiler.
(Score: 2) by hoochiecoochieman on Friday October 17 2014, @05:13PM
So, your point is that Capitalism doesn't work?
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday October 17 2014, @08:10PM
CRONY Capitalism certainly doesn't work well for anyone but the cronies.
The total number of people who sit on corporate boards is surprisingly small.
Why is that? They sit on EACH OTHER'S boards.
...and to put a fine point on GP's point: Leo Apotheker.
Having failed at SAP, he was hired by HP (where he failed again).
Both times, he got a giant golden parachute. [wikipedia.org]
He didn't even have to -buy- anything.
-- gewg_
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday October 18 2014, @01:28AM
Why do you hate Carly?
(or is there another one just as bad that I haven't heard of?)