Knowledge Management:

Managing Knowledge Workers

Case Study:  Silicon Valley

Attracting People to Opportunities, Challenges, and Growth

Silicon Valley Incorporated – a Virtual Company

Silicon Valley is often characterized as a community where people really don't work for individual firms – everyone works for a virtual company: Silicon Valley Incorporated. "Skills are both so abundant and in such demand that most people could quickly contribute at several Valley firms." A unique Valley norm is that when you are facing a really tough problem, you may contact anyone who may help, regardless of where they work, even if they work for competitors. "The inducements that companies have historically used to secure loyalty have lost their clout; compensation and benefit party is essential to get people through the from door, but it won't be sufficient to retain them."

Flat and Participative Management Structures

Organizational and management structures in Silicon Valley firms are flat and participative. In a meeting rooms at most Silicon Valley companies, the mix of people, expertise, and ages is striking. More importantly, the degree of candor is tremendous. You don't expect to find such level of frankness in hierarchical companies.

In more direct cultures, such as Intel or Sun Microsystems, you can witness easily an intense argument between a senior executive and an entry-level engineer. Status and seniority aren't based on age or position; they're based on what you know and can deliver.

The Collective Power of Passion

Silicon Valley leaders recognized the value of passion and continually try to evoke, rather than mute, people passions. Once evoked, the passion is tough to control. It can result in a series of twenty-hours workdays, fun and pranks. The passion to go well beyond the extra mile is what drives people to create insanely great products and services.

The spirit and passion of Silicon Valley is best seen at the extremes of the workdays. "Flex time" means that there's not time when people aren't willing to probe and test new opportunities.

Idea Evaluation: "The Five Minute Rule"

Several firms in Silicon Valley have installed a "five minute rule." The rule permits anyone to suggest an idea.  Then for the first five minutes after the idea is expressed only positive comments can be made.  By the time the idea is talked about for five minutes it has usually spun into an impromptu brainstorm session that cultivates truly great ideas and some form of the discussion is often implemented... More