Jim Collin’s books are well written but often readers, and probably Collins himself, may think Collins’ books contain “scientifically proven” advice. At best, Collin’s work should only suggest approaches. What is the complaint about Jim Collins?
A Complaint About Jim Collins
Many scholars criticize Collins’ methodology. I sympathize with many of the critics. Here, however, I tackle some of the advice. Too many MBAs have learned that they should.
Get the right people on the bus… and the wrong people off the bus.
Collins, 2001, page 41
This may have caused numerous firings of employees deemed “not bus material”. The idea that a simple change of personnel is the solution to problems is alluring but often completely wrong. Of course, if your person responsible for HR can’t interact with human beings you may want to revisit that appointment. Still, a bigger problem is often that the bus is going in the wrong direction. Moving the passengers around isn’t going to help much if your direction is wrong for your intended destination.
Catchy Does Not Imply Correct
Collins’ advice is memorable but its catchiness is the problem. Who can’t forget: “get the right people on the bus”. I would however advise you to try to forget it. The advice is memorable because it resonates with what people want to hear. If only we can get rid of the losers then all will be well. This is a fantasy.
Blaming individuals for systemic problems is related to the correspondence bias. Everything must be a result of someone’s malicious intent or some scapegoat’s uselessness. But sometimes the bus is, in effect, determining what the passengers do, and not vice versa.
Leaders who think the problems they face always revolve around other people being useless are deluding themselves. If a CEO blames his team and tries to “get the right people onto the bus” turn to another catchy saying, “a bad workman always blames his tools”. When a leader thinks all his or her employees are useless at their jobs that says a lot more about the leader than the employees.
For more on management nonsense see here.
Read: Jim Collins (2001) Good to Great: Why Some Companies Make The Leap … And Others Don’t, Harper Business, see here