Most successful organisations have a strong culture and Intel is no exception. Under CEO, Andy Grove, Intel grew 4500% in a little over 10 years in the 90’s– a key part of that success was Andy’s belief that the heart of an organisation is its middle management. Middle management? – I hear you say. Aren’t we trying to cut back on them?
According to biographer, Richard Tedlow, Andy believed that “If you’ve got bright middle management willing to—and this is another part of Intel culture—constructively confront you and your suppositions and your assumptions and the suppositions and the assumptions of the whole firm, you’ve got eyes and ears all over the country, all over the world, that give you a competitive edge.”
In other words, keep close to the people who are close to the customer.
Tedlow summarises the essence of Intel culture as:
- constructive confrontation,
- disagree and then commit,
- knowledge power not position power,
- put common sense on a pedestal,
- let chaos reign and reign in chaos.
Put these ideas to work in your organisation and live them – and maybe, just maybe, great things will happen!
To read an interview with Richard Tedlow about his book click here.
Philip Dennett
Tags: andy grove, corporate culture, intel, richard tedlow
