Commentary
Elon Musk is undeniably a genius, but his true strength lies in his common sense. In today’s business world, common sense is a rare quality, as many individuals in high corporate positions have been indoctrinated with misleading information and nonsensical thinking since their college days.
This has led to a corporate culture that has veered off course, becoming susceptible to various unfounded ideological trends that do not contribute to productivity or profitability.
One of the most interesting aspects of Elon’s approach is his method of staffing. Upon arriving at Twitter, he promptly dismissed 3 out of 5 employees within a few weeks. Operating on instinct, his aim was to eliminate those whose roles involved overseeing others, scheduling meetings, and generally parading around as authority figures. Entire teams were let go. The next round of dismissals targeted those with fabricated roles that did not contribute to the company’s objectives.
These standards resulted in the dismissal of a majority of employees. Surprisingly, the site immediately improved, and feature development accelerated dramatically. Within a year, Elon transformed Twitter from a mere amusement into the essential tool it is today, easily the most valuable social media platform on the internet.
The key factor in this transformation was the act of cleaning house, akin to “draining the swamp,” as the saying goes.
Similar scenarios have played out in numerous U.S. companies of medium to large sizes. Favorable financial conditions in the early 2000s led to bloated workforces and inflated salaries. The low-interest-rate environment fueled excessive borrowing and inflated valuations. Management believed that throwing more employees, particularly those with prestigious credentials, at problems would solve them.
This marked a significant shift in the professional landscape.
For two decades, the pattern was as follows:
“We need better marketing.”
“Let’s assemble a marketing team led by a top marketeer with a marketing degree from a prestigious university.”
“We need better data.”
“Let’s hire a data expert to oversee a team of analysts.”
“We need to prioritize compliance.”
“Great, let’s establish a dedicated compliance team.”
Thousands, if not hundreds of thousands, were employed in such superfluous roles, only to find themselves engaging in activities that were essentially self-serving. Their primary focus was creating the illusion of productivity rather than contributing to the organization’s core objectives.
They excelled at creating elaborate spreadsheets and utilizing task-planning platforms to document meaningless tasks, all while deceiving superiors with managerial jargon. An entire lexicon developed around this facade. If you could speak this language and fill meetings with empty talk, you were considered successful.
For about two decades, this facade of inflated roles persisted in countless corporations and organizations, becoming deeply ingrained in corporate culture. Hardly anyone knew how to perform actual tasks beyond deceiving their superiors into believing they were indispensable. This deception became the essence of professional life in America, as depicted in various books on the subject of meaningless jobs.
Ultimately, the lockdowns exposed this charade, as entire workforces transitioned to remote settings with minimal impact on organizational functioning. It became apparent that individuals were earning substantial salaries for minimal effort, simply by engaging in casual conversations on Slack and participating in video meetings.
Elon Musk, however, has long been aware of this deception and has never tolerated it within his companies. He possesses a keen sense for identifying those attempting to deceive him and has issued stern warnings to his employees against pretending to work. Consequently, his companies are productive and profitable.
Today, much of Elon’s management strategy is transparent and shared with the public. He has outlined a three-pronged criteria for evaluating employees at X. They must be excellent, necessary, and trustworthy.
Let’s delve into this criteria:
“Excellent” primarily entails a willingness to engage in real work, rather than delegating tasks. This involves industry knowledge, task specialization, consistent performance, dedication beyond regular hours, and a lack of constant complaints about being overworked. Individuals who excel possess real skills, implement tangible changes, take full responsibility, and understand the entire production process.
“Excellent” does not involve micromanaging, withholding information, monopolizing tasks, undermining colleagues, or engaging in other negative behaviors.
Excellence also means refraining from incessantly demanding a work-life balance, as this false dichotomy suggests that work and life are separate entities. Work is an integral part of life, a means of achieving goals.
A fulfilling vacation involves working towards a goal, whether it’s exploring new places or trying new experiences. Believing that work equates to not living poses a problem.
During job interviews, certain red flags indicate that a candidate may not be the right fit. Asking about benefits excessively, showing disinterest in company processes, or worrying about being contacted after hours are signs of potential issues.
The principle of necessity is crucial in determining the value of something or someone. In a business setting, only essential employees should be retained, while unnecessary ones should be let go to avoid draining resources.
The same standard of necessity applies to all aspects of life, including decisions such as getting COVID shots. Unnecessary actions or individuals should be eliminated to avoid inefficiency and wastage.
Employing unnecessary staff can demoralize hardworking employees and disrupt the company’s productivity. Good employees often wish for the removal of underperforming colleagues to maintain a positive work environment.
Trustworthiness is another key factor in evaluating employees. Individuals who spread negativity or engage in harmful behavior are detrimental to the organization and should be promptly dismissed.
In both corporate and government settings, the criteria of excellence, necessity, and trustworthiness should guide decision-making. All organizations can benefit from adhering to these standards to improve efficiency and effectiveness. Can you please rewrite this sentence for me?
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