Management 101: Theory X and Theory Y.
Theory X: People are lazy and difficult. They must be given detailed instructions and then overseen closely so they don’t go making their own decisions.
Theory Y: On the whole, people want to do a good job and will work it out. Tell them what you want the business to achieve and they will mostly sort themselves out and get you there.
But…
Treat people as a Theory X manager and your staff will become people who need to be micromanaged and won’t make decisions.
Treat people as a Theory Y manager and your staff will self-organise and creatively find ways to achieve what you want.
This means both Theory X managers and Theory Y managers see people’s behaviour prove their theory is the correct one!
It’s the difference between command oriented and mission-oriented control systems in the military. The first is easier to achieve and can be made to work even if your people really are incompetent. The latter is more complicated but tends to yield better results in the long run.
The logic doesn’t even track anyway because anyone with access to a register and with the intent to steal can very easily open the register at any given time and just take what they want.
That’s not how they think. Their idea is: every time the cash register opens, there is an X-percent chance of the employee stealing. So, the more it opens, the more we get robbed.
A nice episode and its good — well, in principle — to see Stuart totally honest for a change.
This shows both versions of the RETAIL logos — the plane background panel and the external-shot-of-Grumbel’s two-parter.
Correction: the plain background panel with Norm’s signature RETAIL logo
Management 101: Theory X and Theory Y.
Theory X: People are lazy and difficult. They must be given detailed instructions and then overseen closely so they don’t go making their own decisions.
Theory Y: On the whole, people want to do a good job and will work it out. Tell them what you want the business to achieve and they will mostly sort themselves out and get you there.
But…
Treat people as a Theory X manager and your staff will become people who need to be micromanaged and won’t make decisions.
Treat people as a Theory Y manager and your staff will self-organise and creatively find ways to achieve what you want.
This means both Theory X managers and Theory Y managers see people’s behaviour prove their theory is the correct one!
It’s the difference between command oriented and mission-oriented control systems in the military. The first is easier to achieve and can be made to work even if your people really are incompetent. The latter is more complicated but tends to yield better results in the long run.
The logic doesn’t even track anyway because anyone with access to a register and with the intent to steal can very easily open the register at any given time and just take what they want.
That’s not how they think. Their idea is: every time the cash register opens, there is an X-percent chance of the employee stealing. So, the more it opens, the more we get robbed.