Excerpts from the The Drucker Lectures by Rick Wartzman, referencing various writings and engagements by Peter F. Drucker.
First Quote: Focuses on enabling employee performance by removing obstacles and then holding them accountable.
Second Quote: Discusses the shift from capital to knowledge as the primary driver of productivity.
Third Quote: Highlights the rising expectations of the new workforce for rational management, utilizing their skills, and taking on responsibility.
Meanwhile, the few retail chains in the last few years that have shown outstanding success-the Gap and so on-all follow the same procedure. They go to salespeople and say,"What should we expect from you?" And then,"What do you need by way of information?" And also:"What impediments do we create?" Most organizations make it difficult for people to perform. And so it is important in managing knowledge people-and not just knowledge people-that we go to them every nine months and say, "What do we do in this organization and in this department, and do I do as your boss, that helps you do the job you are paid for? And what do we do that hampers you?" And then it's your job to get rid of as many of the impediments as you can.
When you enable people to perform, you can demand performance. And so put as much of the responsibility on people, and keep it on them. And say, "Well it's no better than you did two years ago. Haven't you learned anything?" And then you will not have much trouble, especially if you accept responsibility for enabling people to do the work they are already paid for.
Peter Drucker, Knowledge Lecture III
So let me say we will need much less money. When you look at the new industries-software compared with an integrated steel mill-they are not capital intensive. This is not to say that money will be unimportant. But it will mean that you can't base control on the ability to marshal capital for productivity. Instead, it will be based on an ability to marshal the scarce critical resource of knowledge.
Peter Drucker, Knowledge Lecture IV
At the same time, the more important development, perhaps, is that the composition of the labor force is changing. In this country now about half of the young people coming into the labor force have gone to school beyond high school. They have learned very much. But even more, they have changed expectations.
First, they expect management to be rational. They expect management to behave the way they have been told management behaves. Now you and I, particularly the older ones of us in this group, know that this is sheer delusion. But they expect that there is a way to make decisions—and it’s more than just saying, “Do this because I tell you so.” That there is some thinking ahead, that there is some rhyme or reason behind what management does. They expect it, and by golly, they’re going to get it. Because don’t forget, they’re going to survive us. They expect that what they have learned will be put to use. They expect to make a contribution and to earn their keep. All the things that we have preached to them, they have swallowed. That may be very stupid of them, but young people do believe what parents and teachers tell them. And we have told them to expect rationality from management. We have told them to expect challenge. We have told them to expect responsibility. And they expect it. Above all, we will have to learn to put these tremendous energies to work. I am frankly not yet seeing any place where this is even practicable. But I think we owe it to ourselves to do so.
Excerpt from a lecture delivered at Claremont Graduate School (currently known as Claremont Graduate University) in 1974.