MANAGEMENT: A DOWNSIZING AND INNOVATION STRATEGY

Survival

During tough economic times, new and less competent CEOs frequently resist cutting back at the beginning of a downturn. Their rationale for resisting ranges from wishful thinking (things will soon improve) to a misguided attitude of paternalism towards surplus employees ( who have become redundant).  CEOs who cut back ahead of the curve manage to maintain the business and subsequently can accommodate bringing employees back when conditions  improve.  Late responders risk losing the business to bankruptcy—leaving nothing for employees to come back to. Mother nature understands that there is a delicate balance between efficiency and survival.

Bees have survived as a species for centuries.  Their life support system obviously works.  When a worker bee returns to the hive after a production trip, it struts out a triangular pattern.  The apex of this triangular waltz points directly to the source of pollen. The rest of the hive, are tuned to this signal and programmed to fly straight (the proverbial beeline) to the identified source of pollen. The worker bee emits audible bleeps while it is doing its directional dance.  The interval between sounds, spell out the exact distance to the source of pollen. The communication process of bees is marvelous to behold, but the real secret of their survival is that only 82 percent of the hive are genetically capable of following instructions—the other 18 percent are mutants, incapable of compliance.

These undisciplined explorers (does the term loose cannon sound familiar?) take off without flight plans.  In the process of failing, a percentage of them find new sources of pollen.
Without mutant bees, the hive would soon deplete its known source of nutrients and become extinct. If man could create life, he would strive for perfection—which would relegate the life form to assured extinction.  Perfect operating systems will eventually kill users by depleting essential resources.