Comments on: Episode #26 - Making the System the Star http://mediadriving.com/2008/08/19/episode-26-making-the-system-the-star/ A weekly podcast and blog about communications, content, messages and marketing. Toronto digital strategist and musician Jay Moonah is your host. Tue, 06 Jan 2009 07:30:41 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.0.11 by: Robin Browne http://mediadriving.com/2008/08/19/episode-26-making-the-system-the-star/#comment-951 Mon, 01 Sep 2008 20:28:18 +0000 http://mediadriving.com/2008/08/19/episode-26-making-the-system-the-star/#comment-951 Hi Jay, This episode got me thinking about the co-op I did some work with this year. There were no "stars" there as the field was leveled by almost everyone there being a worker-owner. But I wouldn't say the coop system is the star either. It's simply a way of organizing the business that reflects the core principles of the worker-owners: empowerment, fairness, transparency, etc. Hi Jay,
This episode got me thinking about the co-op I did some work with this year. There were no “stars” there as the field was leveled by almost everyone there being a worker-owner. But I wouldn’t say the coop system is the star either. It’s simply a way of organizing the business that reflects the core principles of the worker-owners: empowerment, fairness, transparency, etc.

]]> by: Jay http://mediadriving.com/2008/08/19/episode-26-making-the-system-the-star/#comment-867 Wed, 27 Aug 2008 12:24:42 +0000 http://mediadriving.com/2008/08/19/episode-26-making-the-system-the-star/#comment-867 Karl, thanks for this comment, and sorry for the long delay in responding! I don't entirely agree that "systems only being as good as the people running them." Part of a what a good system does is catch errors. Obviously people need to do their job to the best of their ability, and if they are not pulling their weight they should ultimately be moved aside. But I also think too often problems are chalked up to "operator error" or the like, when the real story is that the problem could have been caught by a system that was designed to catch that error. People mess up constantly -- I certainly do! Good systems should account for a reasonable amount of human error. Karl, thanks for this comment, and sorry for the long delay in responding!

I don’t entirely agree that “systems only being as good as the people running them.” Part of a what a good system does is catch errors. Obviously people need to do their job to the best of their ability, and if they are not pulling their weight they should ultimately be moved aside. But I also think too often problems are chalked up to “operator error” or the like, when the real story is that the problem could have been caught by a system that was designed to catch that error. People mess up constantly — I certainly do! Good systems should account for a reasonable amount of human error.

]]> by: Karl Bimshas http://mediadriving.com/2008/08/19/episode-26-making-the-system-the-star/#comment-673 Wed, 20 Aug 2008 22:01:20 +0000 http://mediadriving.com/2008/08/19/episode-26-making-the-system-the-star/#comment-673 Jay; Organizations are a well balanced network of people, process and systems. One of the more complex systems goes by the name “team”. Sometimes we forget that teams are a strategic method for achieving results faster. The Ken Blanchard adage, "No one of us is as smart as all of us" aptly applies. When properly chartered with norms, decision making, values, roles, etc. a team can better pursue the clear vision, mission and goals in front of them. There will always be individual contribution, but the high performing team wins or fails as a team. Even if it’s just a man and a dog, as the story goes. The man’s role being to feed the dog, the dog ensuring the man doesn’t touch the wrong button. Systems are only as good as the people running them. Jay;

Organizations are a well balanced network of people, process and systems. One of the more complex systems goes by the name “team”. Sometimes we forget that teams are a strategic method for achieving results faster. The Ken Blanchard adage, “No one of us is as smart as all of us” aptly applies.

When properly chartered with norms, decision making, values, roles, etc. a team can better pursue the clear vision, mission and goals in front of them. There will always be individual contribution, but the high performing team wins or fails as a team.

Even if it’s just a man and a dog, as the story goes. The man’s role being to feed the dog, the dog ensuring the man doesn’t touch the wrong button. Systems are only as good as the people running them.

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