After yesterday's post on CEO term limits, I started thinking about the concept of term limits some more. It is a complicated subject and one that I hope will have an extensive discussion. If I cannot get it going here, I'll keep pushing it elsewhere. Here are the questions from yesterday with my thoughts and a couple of new ones.
I would like to hear more on this from as many people as possible. I believe that the perspectives from the different sides of the desk will be useful as well as productive for everyone.
1) Would it be different if there were time or term limits on all jobs?
Since I think that most people will work for 3 or more different employers in their "career" there is a good chance that a time limit already exists for everyone. If you have been at your post, comfortably doing your job, minding your own business, perhaps someone somewhere is saying, "Hasn't _______ been here a long time?" Getting the 10-year pin, while doing the same job may not be an honor any longer, but more of a warning.
2) What if you knew that you could only be in your current position for say, 7 years, and then you had to change, would you work harder?
It's a sad fact that most people do not give their all to their job. They do enough not to be fired. They do enough to get by and not be noticed. They save their best for their side business, their hobbies, or their vices. If you work harder at improving your golf game than your job performance, you already know where your allegiance lies.
On the subject of allegiance - What allegiance do you owe to a company that can fire you any day with out cause just to make Wall Street Numbers?
3) Would you feel like there was some undue pressure to achieve before the time ran out?
Some people do not work well with deadlines. Others see that deadline but because it sis so far off it has not meaning. It suddenly takes on meaning as it approaches. Look at athletes in the year before they are up for Free Agency, or contract renewal. A sudden burst of improved performance means that they "got a new attitude" just in time. On the other hand, a person may start to slack-off if they know they are not going to be retained after the next year.
4) Would you feel that if you were still in the same job in 7 years that you should be moved out?
This is tough. No one likes to be let go. No one likes to be fired. Self-motivated people will not wait for the 7th year to try to move ahead so I would expect them to not worry about this.
5) Who is at fault if the new hire fails?
One issue about the failure to deliver has to be clarified: Is it the exclusive fault of the individual or did the company not fulfill its part of the agreement. There are plenty of companies that like to offer a bonus clause that looks great on paper but is never achievable. If a person takes a position, there is probably a belief that the management will support what the company expects from that person.
In the book "Execution; The art of getting things done" Larry Bossidy suggests that in most cases, the failure of an employee that results in that employee being fired is the fault of the manager. They hired improperly, they did not give adequate direction, or they did not manage the person correctly.
6) What if the job is the one thing that person is good at?
Is it appropriate to send someone packing simple because they have found their calling in life? Not everyone is a corporate climber. A teacher, who connects with 6th graders so well it changes their lives, should not be made an administrator if that is not their desire. If you know the Peter Principle - A person will be promoted to a level just above their capabilities - you know that too often this leads to more problems. Now you can't just put them back without shame and dishonor. It is a jarring and disruptive experience.
In cased you missed it, this thread was the result of my thoughts after reading - - "Leading for the Next Act: Why CEOs Must Evolve or Step Aside" published: August 08, 2007 at Knowledge@Wharton. (Access may require a login. Registration is free and the Newsletters are well worth reviewing on a regular basis.)
(the hourglass image to the right is from the FREE screensaver by Epic Programs - click to visit. They have many interesting screensavers.)
Am I alone in this thinking?
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