By David Choi

1
TRANSFORMATIONAL MANAGEMENTor How to become a
good manager by watching the Transformers.

• By David Choi Todd Lubsen
• Ver.1

2
Management. More Than Meets The Eye

• Youve got to be asking yourself, how in the hell
  will the Transformers, (a low quality Saturday
  morning cartoon from the early 80s) help me to
  become a good manager.
• Answer How can it not?

3
Quick Overview

• A spaceship crash lands on Earth over four
  million years ago.
• With Decepticons. (Bent towards total evil
  domination)
• Leader - Megatron
• With Autobots. (Bent towards peace lovin)
• Leader - Optimus Prime
• When a power source is detected by the ship, a
  probe is sent out to scan for anything
  mechanistic to repair the inhabitants of the
  ships.
• The Decepticons get revived first from a nearby
  military base.
• Thinking the Autobots were killed in the crash
  they leave the ship not even thinking twice to
  make sure the Autobots are dead. BIG mistake
  Decepticons.
• The Autobots are revived second by accident from
  a nearby city.

4
Quick Overview contd

• Decepticon Transforming States
• Leader Megatron is a ji-normus freakn GUN!
• Followers are mostly comprised of Military
  Hardware with enough firepower to waste cities.
• Red Fighter Jet (Star Scream)
• Blue Fighter Jet (Thunder Cracker)
• A Giant Cassette Player ( )
• Another Fighter jet ( Laserback)
• Mountain Lion (Ravage)
• Mid-sized Robot (Rumble)
• And the list goes on

5
Quick Overview contd

• Autobot Transforming States
• Leader Optimus Prime is an 18 wheel truck.
• Followers are mostly comprised of civilian
  vehicles.
• Volkswagon Beetle (Bumble Bee)
• Wrangler Jeep (Hound)
• White Sports Car (Jazz)
• Red Sports Car (Cliffjumper)
• Ambulance (Ironhide)
• Maintenance Truck (Wheeljack)
• Yellow Sports Car (Sunstreaker)
• Red Sports Car (Sideswipe)
• Tow Truck (Hauler)
• And the list goes on
• They also baby sit two human weaklings.

6
The Management Paradox

• How can the Decepticons, clearly the side with an
  overwhelming accumulation of destructive
  firepower continually loose to a bunch of
  civilian sports cars, service vehicles and
  blue-collar delivery trucks?
• The answer is obvious isnt it?
• POOR MANAGEMENT.

7
DECEPTICON Management Analysis

• Megatron The problem always comes from above.
• Lead Style
• Tends to get emotional and yell quite a bit in a
  fit of rage.
• Leads through negative intimidation and
  reinforces it with high ego trips.
• Does not give clear instructions.
• Tends to give up and retreat in the absence of an
  overwhelming advantage.
• Likes to taunt his own team and speaks in a
  megalomaniacal voice.
• Does not offer signs of support and goodwill, nor
  any rewards for good work.
• Has a strong sense of entitlement with no
  patience.
• Doesnt learn from previous failures. Keeps on
  making the same old mistakes, over and over, and
  over again.
• Resulting Team Dynamics
• Starscream constantly promotes in-fighting,
  organizes mutual betrayals, and consistently
  makes extremely stupid mistakes. He also has the
  most annoying voice that would shrill even a
  banshee.
• The team while somewhat confident of Megatrons
  ability to lead, mostly follows him out of fear
  of obliteration. Consequently, it doesnt occur
  to any of them to go fight for the Autobots or
  just leave and live a happy life as if a giant
  weight had been taken off their shoulders.

8
AUTOBOT Management Analysis

• Optimus Prime Leading by example.
• Lead Style
• Strong confident management qualities.
• Gives clear instructions.
• Relates to his teammates in a like-able fashion.
• Gives positive support and honest understanding
  when things go wrong.
• Relates to others about life without seeming fake
  about it.
• Laughs with his team.
• Does what he can with whats hes got.
• Expects the best from the team with positive
  reinforcements.
• Learns from past mistakes and admits fault with a
  sincere sense of humility.
• Creative thinking to solve difficult problems.
• Approaches problems with courage and conviction.
• Team Dynamics
• The Autobots truly care about the cause and is
  willing to go the extra mile for Optimus.
• The team is well coordinated and executes
  spontaneous ideas quickly.
• The team works, lives, fights well together. Sure
  they have internal problems every now and then,
  but they understand each others characteristics
  and work well together with true understanding
  and positive energy.

9
Conclusion

• How many doubted the Transformers had anything to
  teach us?
• Come on, be honest.
• Thank you.