When interviewing, I look for examples where the candidate (esp. if senior) has enjoyed a high degree of autonomy and put it to good use.
Autonomy is one of those things everyone wants in theory, but in practice quickly becomes overwhelming. Prior experience is essential.
Autonomy is one of those things everyone wants in theory, but in practice quickly becomes overwhelming. Prior experience is essential.
The hardest problem seems to be that most folks who have only worked in highly structured environments (schools, large institutions etc) conflate activities and outcomes.
When operating without micro management, they always get busy, but often fail to affect reality.
When operating without micro management, they always get busy, but often fail to affect reality.
More generally, autonomy in execution requires a clear understanding of the rules of reality. For eg. Reality gives us no marks for effort. Either we did succeed, or we did not, and there's no intermediate reward for "but I REALLY tried"...
Examples of seemingly 'real' objectives that don't necessarily create outcomes:
* Improve Efficiency
* Improve Communication
* Implement Processes
These are immensely valuable IF their outcomes IN REALITY are measured.
Otherwise they're just virtue signalling - "I work hard".
* Improve Efficiency
* Improve Communication
* Implement Processes
These are immensely valuable IF their outcomes IN REALITY are measured.
Otherwise they're just virtue signalling - "I work hard".
The 2nd worst manifestation (IMO) of this problem results in a bureaucracy which uses an intense focus on activity (over outcomes) to DISCONNECT itself from reality.
The absolute worst manifestation (IMO) of activity-over-outcome results in a special kind of bureaucracy - a theocracy - that isn't just disconnected from reality, but that actively REDEFINES REALITY into a fantasy where said activities are treated as useful.
The pursuit of efficiency, however, sees the most egregious abuse.
"Let's make things more efficient" is rarely challenged & almost always severely harmful when disconnected from reality. Worse, it's usually easy to objectively measure & makes for great virtue signalling.
"Let's make things more efficient" is rarely challenged & almost always severely harmful when disconnected from reality. Worse, it's usually easy to objectively measure & makes for great virtue signalling.
As a consequence, seniors with limited experience with autonomy often instinctively gravitate towards improving efficiency of systems in a manner disconnected from outcomes.
It looks good and feels good.
It looks good and feels good.
An organization that turns into a theocracy focussed on the worship of efficiency rather than outcomes-in-reality is pretty much done for.
