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A Smooth Operation Demands Your Attention to Four Laws

Whether you push or pull, just pay attention

Jack Dunigan
Wed, 01/23/2013 - 10:27
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For centuries inventors have dreamed of a perpetual motion machine, one that will run unattended forever. It doesn’t exist. Leaders have dreamed of a perpetual motion company, too, one that will run without ever needing attention. If there is a common failing in novice leaders, it’s believing the perpetual motion dream. They want to believe that once a process is introduced and put into effect, it will run by itself. Like the fantasy perpetual motion machine, the unattended company will never take place; there are four laws preventing its existence.

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The law of friction

When two parts or two people work together, friction is expected. Friction generates heat. Heat causes components to expand beyond their normal size, which will affect working tolerances and slow the machinery, ultimately leading to a breakdown. Careful engineering and attention (e.g., regular lubrication) will forestall, but not prevent, the need to replace parts. Greasing the wheels is a subject too broad for this column, but in a company it translates to rewards in the form of money, title, prestige, affirmation, and responsibility.

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Comments

Submitted by mike.bell on Tue, 01/29/2013 - 00:31

Leadership is also about the small stuff

Jack,

I really enjoyed your insight into leadership and your four laws. And I agree compeltely that it is about more than painting the big picture; it is about the daily interactions to push and pull people in the right direction

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Submitted by pillecw on Fri, 02/01/2013 - 12:03

What about entropy?

I fully expected one of the laws you would cite is the law of entropy - the tendency of all things toward minimum energy and maximum randomness.  Or, as our plant manager once put it - "left to its own, everything goes to s...".  I suppose it sums up all the laws you did include.

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Submitted by umberto mario tunesi on Fri, 02/01/2013 - 22:27

What about n-laws, instead?

I have no personal experince of FEA - Finite Elements Analysis, but I respectfully object any kind of ruling approach that reduces Human existence to numbers that can be counted on a hand's fingers. Thank you.

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