Comments on: Is Jack Welch a Turkey? http://www.leanblog.org/2006/10/is-jack-welch-turkey/ Mark Graban's leanblog.org - Lean Healthcare, Lean Thinking, Lean Manufacturing, Toyota Production System Thu, 09 Feb 2012 15:26:57 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Another Small Private Company Succeeds with Lean — Lean Blog http://www.leanblog.org/2006/10/is-jack-welch-turkey/#comment-22940 Another Small Private Company Succeeds with Lean — Lean Blog Thu, 28 Jul 2011 12:47:21 +0000 http://leanblog.bigbigdesign.net/2006/10/is-jack-welch-a-turkey/#comment-22940 [...] Other than lean, which is a great strategy for countering the lower labor costs from Asia, it sounds like Century really focuses on leadership, rather than blaming their “turkey” employees. [...] [...] Other than lean, which is a great strategy for countering the lower labor costs from Asia, it sounds like Century really focuses on leadership, rather than blaming their “turkey” employees. [...]

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]]> By: Stop Demotivating Me, Lean Style — Lean Blog http://www.leanblog.org/2006/10/is-jack-welch-turkey/#comment-20759 Stop Demotivating Me, Lean Style — Lean Blog Sun, 22 May 2011 16:00:40 +0000 http://leanblog.bigbigdesign.net/2006/10/is-jack-welch-a-turkey/#comment-20759 [...] really motivate people, you can only demotivate them and destroy their intrinsic motivation. I love quoting Peter Scholtes about hiring “live trees” and turning them into “dead [...] [...] really motivate people, you can only demotivate them and destroy their intrinsic motivation. I love quoting Peter Scholtes about hiring “live trees” and turning them into “dead [...]

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]]> By: Joy Montgomery http://www.leanblog.org/2006/10/is-jack-welch-turkey/#comment-20231 Joy Montgomery Sun, 17 Apr 2011 21:29:55 +0000 http://leanblog.bigbigdesign.net/2006/10/is-jack-welch-a-turkey/#comment-20231 I've been aware of his anti-human stance for quite a while. I wouldn't honor him with a capital "T" for turkey. I’ve been aware of his anti-human stance for quite a while. I wouldn’t honor him with a capital “T” for turkey.

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]]> By: Mark Graban http://www.leanblog.org/2006/10/is-jack-welch-turkey/#comment-4033 Mark Graban Mon, 29 Sep 2008 22:31:00 +0000 http://leanblog.bigbigdesign.net/2006/10/is-jack-welch-a-turkey/#comment-4033 OK, I put another hand turkey graphic in there... OK, I put another hand turkey graphic in there…

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]]> By: Anonymous http://www.leanblog.org/2006/10/is-jack-welch-turkey/#comment-4032 Anonymous Mon, 29 Sep 2008 22:27:00 +0000 http://leanblog.bigbigdesign.net/2006/10/is-jack-welch-a-turkey/#comment-4032 What happened to the turkey graphic? What happened to the turkey graphic?

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]]> By: Mike Lopez http://www.leanblog.org/2006/10/is-jack-welch-turkey/#comment-3481 Mike Lopez Thu, 24 Apr 2008 14:13:00 +0000 http://leanblog.bigbigdesign.net/2006/10/is-jack-welch-a-turkey/#comment-3481 I think that the poster above is right. GE is known as an incredible developer of talent. They spend significant resources training and working with employees to help them be successful. By talking about turkeys, I think he was saying the same thing as Jim Collins in Good to Great. Get the right people on the bus and the wrong people off the bus. Not everyone is perfect for your company. Maybe not as many as 10%/year are wrong for the company, but there is no way every employee is a fit. Get the mediocre off the bus. <br/><br/>I think Welch was using the 80/20 rule. Any time spent on below average employees will only make them average. Time spend on excellent employees will make superstars. Spend 80% of your time on the top 20% and you will get 200% out of them. I'll bet Welch wanted his management team to only concentrate on the best. <br/><br/>The unfortunate consequence was that after a few years, the caliber of employee rose and GE would have to get rid of some not so mediocre employees. Immelt has changed the 10% rule. I think that the poster above is right. GE is known as an incredible developer of talent. They spend significant resources training and working with employees to help them be successful. By talking about turkeys, I think he was saying the same thing as Jim Collins in Good to Great. Get the right people on the bus and the wrong people off the bus. Not everyone is perfect for your company. Maybe not as many as 10%/year are wrong for the company, but there is no way every employee is a fit. Get the mediocre off the bus.

I think Welch was using the 80/20 rule. Any time spent on below average employees will only make them average. Time spend on excellent employees will make superstars. Spend 80% of your time on the top 20% and you will get 200% out of them. I’ll bet Welch wanted his management team to only concentrate on the best.

The unfortunate consequence was that after a few years, the caliber of employee rose and GE would have to get rid of some not so mediocre employees. Immelt has changed the 10% rule.

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]]> By: Anonymous http://www.leanblog.org/2006/10/is-jack-welch-turkey/#comment-3474 Anonymous Wed, 23 Apr 2008 14:25:00 +0000 http://leanblog.bigbigdesign.net/2006/10/is-jack-welch-a-turkey/#comment-3474 To the last poster, I think you are seeing the point of Welch's comment. If you were a turkey, you wouldn't have learned what was needed and eventually got your job done. I guess I've seen my share of turkeys - and no amount of training will save them To the last poster, I think you are seeing the point of Welch’s comment. If you were a turkey, you wouldn’t have learned what was needed and eventually got your job done. I guess I’ve seen my share of turkeys – and no amount of training will save them

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]]> By: Anonymous http://www.leanblog.org/2006/10/is-jack-welch-turkey/#comment-3032 Anonymous Tue, 22 Jan 2008 19:37:00 +0000 http://leanblog.bigbigdesign.net/2006/10/is-jack-welch-a-turkey/#comment-3032 it is funny. when i first got to my present job, my production numbers were in the toilet. as one of the managers admitted, they hadn't really trained me. a night or two with another worker showing me what to do, and i was fine. when i left that job my numbers were well above average and i had introduced a few new things that even speeded up the process. <br/><br/>the 'weed out people' philosophy might make for some good numbers, but in the long term you wind up with a damaged creation that is sub optimal. it is funny. when i first got to my present job, my production numbers were in the toilet. as one of the managers admitted, they hadn’t really trained me. a night or two with another worker showing me what to do, and i was fine. when i left that job my numbers were well above average and i had introduced a few new things that even speeded up the process.

the ‘weed out people’ philosophy might make for some good numbers, but in the long term you wind up with a damaged creation that is sub optimal.

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]]> By: Spencer http://www.leanblog.org/2006/10/is-jack-welch-turkey/#comment-2232 Spencer Mon, 02 Jul 2007 03:32:00 +0000 http://leanblog.bigbigdesign.net/2006/10/is-jack-welch-a-turkey/#comment-2232 Excellent article about business and investing in developing leaders rather than executing turkeys.<br/><br/>When a CEO is merely focused on the bottom line to the detriment of its workforce, the entire business is on shakey ground. A CEO needs to understand that leaders develop leaders. And when you take the time to care enough about those people you create trust and a family atomsphere at work. When that happens you have company that will continually defeat its competitors decade after decade. Excellent article about business and investing in developing leaders rather than executing turkeys.

When a CEO is merely focused on the bottom line to the detriment of its workforce, the entire business is on shakey ground. A CEO needs to understand that leaders develop leaders. And when you take the time to care enough about those people you create trust and a family atomsphere at work. When that happens you have company that will continually defeat its competitors decade after decade.

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]]> By: Anonymous http://www.leanblog.org/2006/10/is-jack-welch-turkey/#comment-1280 Anonymous Tue, 28 Nov 2006 02:51:00 +0000 http://leanblog.bigbigdesign.net/2006/10/is-jack-welch-a-turkey/#comment-1280 With respect to the GE model vs. the Toyota model of business:<br/>GE can not make a washing machine or other appliance. Toyota makes the best selling cars in the world.<br/>Who has the better business model? With respect to the GE model vs. the Toyota model of business:
GE can not make a washing machine or other appliance. Toyota makes the best selling cars in the world.
Who has the better business model?

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