Comments on: What’s Ricardo Semler got to do with events http://www.eventmanagerblog.com/psychology-of-events/whats-ricardo-semler-got-to-do-with-events The first blog for event planners Wed, 18 Nov 2009 16:00:28 -0800 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 hourly 1 By: Julius http://www.eventmanagerblog.com/psychology-of-events/whats-ricardo-semler-got-to-do-with-events/comment-page-1#comment-172 Julius Thu, 03 Apr 2008 14:03:10 +0000 http://www.eventmanagerblog.com/?p=178#comment-172 Hi Travel Diva, I definitely agree with you when you say that these positions are extrememly valuable to get involved into the business. On the other hand, you have to agree that a lot of bosses keep an assistant in that position forever, not empowering or engaging him/her in any sort of activity. I think that you definitely share with Semler the vision that assistants are"extremely valuable" and cannot be thought as photocopy machine substitutes. A lot of people do think like that. Semler is obviously challenging the reader but what he is really trying to do is to defend the people abused from vertical management practices. He has introduced forms of management such as the reverse performance review in which employees judge managers and not the other way around. You also have to think that he has done that in Brazil and contextualize his statements in that particular country in the late '80s. He has stood behind the workers to the point where he has been victim of threats and terrorist attacks to his home and family. I deeply invite you to have a look at the book to fully understand his point as of course my post alone is not comprehensive. Thanks for your comment and sharing your opinion. Julius Hi Travel Diva,

I definitely agree with you when you say that these positions are extrememly valuable to get involved into the business.

On the other hand, you have to agree that a lot of bosses keep an assistant in that position forever, not empowering or engaging him/her in any sort of activity.

I think that you definitely share with Semler the vision that assistants are”extremely valuable” and cannot be thought as photocopy machine substitutes. A lot of people do think like that.

Semler is obviously challenging the reader but what he is really trying to do is to defend the people abused from vertical management practices.

He has introduced forms of management such as the reverse performance review in which employees judge managers and not the other way around.

You also have to think that he has done that in Brazil and contextualize his statements in that particular country in the late ’80s. He has stood behind the workers to the point where he has been victim of threats and terrorist attacks to his home and family.

I deeply invite you to have a look at the book to fully understand his point as of course my post alone is not comprehensive.

Thanks for your comment and sharing your opinion.

Julius

]]> By: Travel Diva http://www.eventmanagerblog.com/psychology-of-events/whats-ricardo-semler-got-to-do-with-events/comment-page-1#comment-171 Travel Diva Thu, 03 Apr 2008 13:40:25 +0000 http://www.eventmanagerblog.com/?p=178#comment-171 I do not follow the logic of as quoted, "We don’t believe in cluttering the payroll with ungratifying, dead end jobs.” Firstly, he is insulting my former jobs as a secretary/assistant when in actuality they led me to my successful meeting planning career. Secondly, these positions are invaluable to people like me who need to rely on someone to do the administrative tasks so I am freed up to negotiate contracts, go to site visits, manage logistics and conduct staff meetings. That said, nobody on my team has ever felt that faxing, answering the phone and making copies is 'below' them - we all just do what needs to be done. As a planner, I have always felt my assistant was an extremely valuable part of my team, and when there was an opportunity to move up within the department the assistant usually got the first crack at the position. I do not follow the logic of as quoted, “We don’t believe in cluttering the payroll with ungratifying, dead end jobs.”

Firstly, he is insulting my former jobs as a secretary/assistant when in actuality they led me to my successful meeting planning career.

Secondly, these positions are invaluable to people like me who need to rely on someone to do the administrative tasks so I am freed up to negotiate contracts, go to site visits, manage logistics and conduct staff meetings. That said, nobody on my team has ever felt that faxing, answering the phone and making copies is ‘below’ them – we all just do what needs to be done.

As a planner, I have always felt my assistant was an extremely valuable part of my team, and when there was an opportunity to move up within the department the assistant usually got the first crack at the position.

]]>