Jeff Pfeffer's New Book: What Were They Thinking?

My co-author Jeff Pfeffer has a great new book coming out in July of this year, called "What Were They Thinking: Unconventional Wisdom About Management."   After writing two books with Jeff -- and spending a lot of time in other ways as we are good friends -- I love this book because it is so much like sitting down and talking with him.  It contains a series of "rational rants" -- that is how I think of Pfeffer, an emotional and persuasive person, but one whose passions are driven by evidence and logic. Indeed, Jeff is one of the most prestigious and influential organizational theorists who has ever lived, and I suspect the most productive who has ever lived. So although his opinions on everything from stock options, to incentive pay, to leadership, to the suspect monetary value of most MBA degrees, to the sometimes questionable ethics of Stanford MBAs are filled with stories and passion, Jeff's grasp of evidence and logic is always present. So, to me, although his ideas may strike some people as unconventional, what Pfeffer is doing is toppling the dangerous half-truths and total nonsense that so many people believe with facts -- which are wrapped in  vivid examples so you can remember them and figure out how to use them (Just as the Heath brothers suggest in Made to Stick).  I don't agree with every essay in the book -- for example Jeff is more accepting of the virtues of assholes than I am -- but that is why we look to work together. Indeed, two of our motto's are "when two people always agree, one of them is unnecessary" and  "the more we fight the better write."

Jeff's other books (about 15 of them) are all "novels" that weave together disparate ideas into coherent themes. I think of this book as a collection of short stories glued together by the strength of  Pfeffer's voice, values, and commitment to what is true rather than what makes people comfortable.  I have read every book that Pfeffer has ever written and many of his articles (indeed, people in our field joke that he has written so much that no one has read it all -- including Jeff). I think that this is the most fun to read and is filled with ideas to help managers who strive to be humane and effective, to build organizations profit through their people and that develop rather than demean and destroy their "human resources."

Comments

[Diego Rodriguez]

Wow, I've gotta read that book!

[Lauchlan Mackinnon]

Hi Bob,

You mention your take on Jeff's opinions on (amongst other issues) incentive pay.

I am interested in the context of idea suggestion systems for innovation, where some authors (e.g. Robinson & Stern) argue that incentive systems that reward innovative ideas are counterproductive in that they tend to focus creative/innovative activity only on the specific goals identified and marginalise equally important objectives that have not been made into explicit goals, and that managers may be tempted to take credit for others'ideas. Their argument that rewarding people for participating in making suggestions rather than for the value of their ideas is better.

What do you and Jeff think?

Regards,

Lauchlan Mackinnon