Three quotes have been swirling in my mind for a few weeks. The first is “only the mad get things done.” The second is “Don’t confuse motion with progress,” and lastly “If you need to monitor computers or track hours, you hired the wrong people.” They all relate to getting things done, but they come at the problem from different perspectives.
“Only the mad get things done” is a double entendre. ‘Mad’ may refer to anger or to a mental imbalance. The line between genius and insanity can be very fine. The original author may have been referring to people on the edge who tend to be very creative and innovative, so skirting the edge of madness may be what it takes to get things done. Alternatively, it may be a reference to individuals who are in a constant state of anger or agitation. Some of the most successful technology companies have been led by individuals who probably qualify for both definitions of ‘mad.’ Steve Jobs, Larry Ellison, Bill Gates, Elon Musk - to name a few, are notorious for their ‘assaholic’ behavior. Steve Jobs was known to insult people, and throw tantrums when he was disappointed with their work. The others have similar reputations. If you failed to deliver, or got in the way of these ‘mad’ geniuses, they would mow you down. That aggression drove teams to great achievements and to ‘get things done.’
Motion and progress have a different relationship to getting things done. The message is to focus on the outcome, not the behavior. Lots of people are very busy, and appear to be in constant motion, but they fail to get things done. In other words all that motion does not make progress toward completion. The mad geniuses quickly distinguished motion from progress, and their wrath reigned down on those who, despite their constant motion, failed to get things done. It was not enough to look busy, you had to deliver. We have all worked with ‘mole hill people,’ who can turn any molehill (small task) into a mountain of work or motion. The result is that things just do not get done. Which brings me to the third quote “If you need to monitor computers or track hours, you hired the wrong people.”
Monitoring computers and tracking hours reflects a lack of trust and a focus on motion, not outcomes, and misses the bigger picture of accomplishment. In trusting environments, leaders often say that they “don’t care how many hours you work, as long as you get the job done.” They know that their teams are dedicated, and will work hard to achieve a result. The whole concept of open Paid Time Off (PTO) plans that do not limit PTO days is a recognition that people generally want to work and achieve success, so if they need some time off, let them have what they need because they will figure out how to get their job done. If not, then the failure to get the job done is the measure for discipline, not how many days they worked.
Putting all three concepts together creates a picture of how things get done. One part is ‘mad genius’ driving the troops toward greatness. One part rewarding accomplishment, not activity, and one part building an environment where employees are respected and management trusts that they will work hard, and do not need to babysit them to measure their work ethic.