tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1092440991487828656.post7604626804344705761..comments2023-10-31T10:03:30.685-04:00Comments on PK in the Terrarium: Creative destructionPaul Kozlowskihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09818517278134303593noreply@blogger.comBlogger1125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1092440991487828656.post-47725382092012917932010-07-12T17:54:48.194-04:002010-07-12T17:54:48.194-04:00No doubt, no job or “blow” job are nightmares.
...No doubt, no job or “blow” job are nightmares. <br /><br />Sounds like you are happy at a small company. I did small company gigs three times and was happy at all three ---for a while. <br /><br />Small companies can be heaven or hell. They are heaven when everyone is aligned with the "clear ethical stance" and “common purpose.” Nothing beats the teamwork and camaraderie, particularly when the company is growing. <br /><br />However, I also experienced three out of the four worst things that CAN transform small companies from heaven to hell:<br />1. They attempt to behave like big companies when it is not appropriate.<br />2. They actually become big companies and transform into bureaucracies , forgetting what made them grow in the first place.<br />3. Few buffers exist to diffuse the raw emotion when strong differences of opinion among among the principals become irreconcilable. <br /><br />After experiencing option 3 at my last company, my current big company felt like a safe haven for a while. I now try to operate like a small company within a big one to distance myself from the bureaucracy as much as possible. <br /><br />The fourth bad thing is when small companies go belly up or become marginal. <br /><br />If companies remain small and dynamic, they can still be great if <br />1) the ethics remain intact, <br />2) they provide a decent living, and <br />3) camaraderie/purpose with colleagues persists. <br /><br />In the software industry, I often see the best ones (with these three conditions intact) behave like corks in a rough ocean. Given all the uncertainty out there, it is a wild ride but they don’t sink.Marchttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02040858676581474525noreply@blogger.com