Art of High Tech Management

1
Art of High Tech Management

• Six Themes of Success
• or
• How to avoid potholes?

2
Six Themes of Success

• Business Focus
• Closely Related Products
• Focused RD
• Consistent Priorities

3
Six Themes of Success

• Adaptability
• Organizational Flexibility

4
Six Themes of Success

• Organization Cohesion
• Good Communications
• Job Rotation
• Integration of Roles
• Long Term Employment?

5
Six Themes of Success

• Entrepreneurial Culture
• Entrepreneurial Characteristics
• Small Divisions
• Variety of Funding Channels
• Tolerance of Failure
• Opportunity to Pursue Outside Projects

6
Six Themes of Success

• Sense of Integrity
• Hands on Management

7
The Challenge?

• Kill off the dinosaurs
• A little chaos never hurt
• Promote atmosphere of creativity

8
The Paradox of High Tech Management

• Requires
• Business Focus
• Organization Cohesion
• Integrity
• and
• Adaptability
• Flexibility
• Hands on Management

9
Guiding Concepts

• Job Holders vs. System Contributors
• Decision Making as close as possible to sources
  of uncertainty and interdependence
• Ideal Seeking vs. Rule Following
• Variety increasing vs. decreasing systems

10
Core Questions

• How does the technology work
• its limits potential
• what resources are required
• direction and speed of change
• available options for comparison

11
NASA Administrator Webb

• We were required to fly our administrative
  machine in a turbulent environment, and . A
  certain level of organizational instability was
  essential if NASA was not to lose control