To Terminate

One tradeoff, like when hiring young people, is between initiative and coordination. 

Rap battles rely on the initiative. Ballets rely on coordination. 

We were reminded of this tradeoff with last week’s news about Arnold Schwarzenegger. The former Governor of California, Terminator, Commando, and Twin, took the initiative and filled in a pothole in his California neighborhood. 

The internet celebrated. 

Until the local utility company said they weren’t done working. Arnold’s pothole was their work trench. 

Who is right doesn’t matter to us. Instead, it’s the framing of the tradeoff. 

After one corporate retreat, Jeff Bezos decided Amazon needed more initiative. From then on projects were assigned “two pizza teams”. All projects, Bezos reasoned, should be tackled by teams of people which could be fed by two pizzas on nights they worked late. 

Does your business need people with initiative who will accidentally occasionally fill in the active trench? Or does your business need people with coordination? The work proceeds slower but it’s done right the first time.

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