8 Accelerators for Professional Managers

Author: Zhang Haiqing
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-09-01
Features: In today's emphasis on teamwork, organizations often avoid conflicts among members, yet professional managers deliberately foster a competitive atmosphere within the company. In fact, organizational morale is often stimulated through competition. Proper, healthy conflict not only helps activate the company's innovative management but also enhances its competitiveness. Jack Welch, the former CEO of the globally renowned General Electric Company, highly valued the positive role of internal conflict within the company. He believed that open, honest, constructive conflict and mutual respect are important management principles. The company must oppose blind obedience, and every employee should have the freedom and confidence to express dissenting opinions. Discussions should be based on facts, and different opinions should be respected. Welch called this an "open debate style of constructive conflict." It was this constructive conflict that nurtured General Electric's unique corporate culture, thereby achieving Welch's remarkable success.
Long ago, in a small town in Norway, people lived by fishing. The town was famous for its sandlance, which was harvested from the nearby sea. When fishing boats returned to port, live sandlance would fetch a good price. Unfortunately, due to the long duration of each trip—sometimes two or three days, and as long as six or seven days—by the time they returned, the sandlance had either died or rotted. This made the live sandlance even more desirable. People tried every trick to keep the sandlance alive, but no one succeeded. With no other options, they could only sigh in disappointment.
One day, an old fisherman set out to sea as usual. Before leaving, his adorable grandson pleaded for him to bring back more sandlance. The little boy must have missed eating sandlance for a long time, his teeth aching for it. After working hard for several days, the old fisherman caught many fish, including the sandlance his grandson had requested. Overjoyed, he set sail for home at full speed. But halfway there, the sandlance stopped being lively, floating lazily in the water without moving. The old fisherman watched the fish in the hold, his heart racing with worry. With no other choice, he followed the old method and removed the dead fish. Then he noticed a plump pike floating on the surface and scooped it up, placing it in the same tank as the sandlance.
The old fisherman arrived home safely after a long journey. When he reached the shore, he couldn't believe his eyes—the sandlance were all jumping around, alive and well. Surprised, he thought hard about what had happened. After careful observation, he finally discovered the secret to keeping the sandlance alive. It turned out that once the pike entered the tank, it would swim around, exploring the unfamiliar environment and stirring up trouble. The sandlance, suddenly encountering a completely different "outsider," would naturally become tense and alert. Their instinct to protect themselves from being preyed upon would cause them to swim faster and more cautiously, filling the entire tank with vitality. As a result, even after a long journey by sea, the sandlance remained lively and energetic.