I know you probably think that I am a little too honest. I am pretty candid. I am a firm believer in fundamental fairness. I am a big believer in DIFFERENTIATION - resources allocation. Some say that differentiating between people is cruel and Darwinian. I believe it's fair and most effective.
Sidebar, Darwin never coined the saying, "Survival of the fittest." In the 1850s, Darwin's agnostic cousin philosopher Herbert Spencer published Social Statics, in which Spencer birthed the saying, "Survival of the fittest." I know this because I've read Social Statics and The Origin of Species.
In his great book The Origin of Species, Darwin actually said and I paraphrase here:
In the long history of humankind, those who learned to collaborate and improvise most effectively have prevailed. It is not the strongest of the species that survives, nor the most intelligent that survives. It is the one that is the most adaptable to change.
I assimilate and apply these concepts in my 20/70/10 principle. I don't know how or why this works but it does: 20% of people and 20% of clients do 80% of the work and generate 80% of a business' revenues. The middle 70% percent needs to work/try harder or send more referrals. The bottom 10% needs to be let go.
Too often societal dregs and functional incompetents are placed in position way over their heads because of cronyism, nepotism, and accelerative actions. Some call this the Peter Principle, in which employees rise to their level of incompetence. The Peter Principle protects and rewards the weak and the underperformers. Moreover, it's unfair because it undermines trust and candor. It ensures that underperformers don't carry their own weight. It guarantees that the pie gets smaller. It's unsustainable. And most important, it creates and permeates deep seeded resentment throughout a society.
I believe that not acknowledging that some people are better or more gifted than others is killing our great country. Some are smarter, more talented, more experienced, or more creative. I believe that everyone is born with a gift and that they (we) must detect it. As proof of the fairness of differentiation and a transparent performance system look no further than the NBA, NFL, NHL, or MLB, where individual stars are rewarded and underperformers are told to work harder or shown the door.
Remember the playground when you picked basketball or kickball teams - The best players were always picked first and the other players knew where they stood. The people standing on the sideline were forced to get better or pursue another interest (game) that aligned with their talents. Differentiation is the fairest and most transparent performance system.
We can succeed only by concert. It is not "can any of us imagine better?" but, "can we all do better?" The dogmas of the quiet past, are inadequate to the stormy present. The occasion is piled high with difficulty, and we must rise -- with the occasion. As our case is new, so we must think anew, and act anew. We must disenthrall ourselves, and then we shall save our country. ~Lincoln
Last, I'm always open to connecting with kindred spirits and to imbibing disparate ideas. If you are close by, let's meet up for coffee or tea, swap stories, and share common interests. If you're around the world, we can be pen pals. Feel free to drop me an email. I respond to all emails within 36 hours.
Or maybe you found something "wrong" or "misspelled" on my blog? Or perhaps you have a suggestion or question? Tell me I'm wrong. Or tell me I'm right.
Thank you for reading my thoughts.
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