Corporate Anatomy

Sergey entered the owner's office - he was sitting in his place, and Olga sat across the table.

- Sergey, welcome! - Kurchatov stood up, stretched out his hand across the table. - Sit down!

Sergey sat down next to Olga, smiled politely and prepared to listen. The mood was not very working - there were four and a half days left before being fired.

- Sergey, I will not beat around the bush. - began Kurchatov. - I suggest you stay in our company. And not just to stay, but to head it.

Sergey sighed loudly. Again begins ...

- Evgeny Viktorovich, we have already passed this. - he said sadly. - I do not want to be a director. Besides, you already have a director.

- I already have no director. - smiled Kurchatov. - Nikolai today is the last day.

- How so? How many ... did he work a week?

- About two already. Consider that you did not pass the trial period - our training showed it. He is an alarmist, in our conditions this is not needed. Yes, it is strictly between us. I have not announced to anyone yet.

- I see.

- Seryozh. - Olga spoke with a smile. - Do you refuse the post of director?

- Yes.

- Seriously?

- Yes.

- Why?

- I am a programmer.

- So what?

- And that's it.

- Wait a minute. - Olga smiled condescendingly. - It all sounds, of course, beautiful. I am a programmer, blah blah blah, I am not the same as everyone, but, as it seems to me, such offers are not refused.

- As you can see, refuse.

- We kind of switched to "you" ...

- But what the difference ... Well, as you can see, it is quite possible to refuse the post of director.

- Are you afraid of responsibility?

- Not.

- And then what? Explain the old aunt.

- Do you run up a compliment? - Sergey smiled.

- Am I like a yoke?

- All women look like a yoke.

- So, stop. - intervened Kurchatov. - I see that during the training you made friends, but we are now discussing a serious issue. Sergey, explain to me why you refuse.

- I am a programmer.

Kurchatov paused for a second, sighed heavily, as if talking to a stupid child.

- Well, Sergey, if you look, then I am a doctor. I have a medical education, and I even worked for a couple of days until I found out what my salary would be. But, as you see, he became both a director and an owner.

- Doctor? - Sergey asked.

- Yes.

- It's funny ... So, we are almost colleagues. But no ... The doctor does not know how to create, only to heal.

- Explain ...

- Well, the doctor can not create a person? Attach him three arms and four asses?

- Theoretically ...

- Practically. Can not. A programmer - maybe.

- Create a system with four asses? - smiled Olga. - This is something new.

- Come on. - Sergey also smiled. - In the products of your company asses much more. Only one pop-up ad on the whole screen is worth something.

- Well, I would speculate with you on the subject of monetization ...

- So the doctor would reason on the subject of the need for four asses in a person.

- So, stop. - repeated his favorite phrase Kurchatov. - I do not want to listen about ass. Sergey, we're leaving again.

- OK. - Sergey nodded. - I am a programmer, not a user. I do not want to be a member.

- Director, do you think the user?

- Yes, who else.

- So, is it possible from this place in more detail? - Olga intervened.

- What is more ... Business is a system. Do you agree?

- Well, yes, the idea is obvious and repeatedly obmusoloennaya.

- And there is. - agreed Sergey. - But the fact remains that business is a system. An interesting, complex, unstable system. Any employee is in some position relative to this system. Someone is part of this system - for example, working at the machine. It sounds inhuman, but it is - a cog, part of the link, consisting of the machine and, in fact, the worker himself. Without a working machine can not do anything. Without a machine worker is not really needed ... Although, he can work as a loader.

- Or move to another machine.

- Well yes.

- And who is the director? Also a cog?

- Yes and no. Formally, the director in the system has a bunch of functions, that is, responsibilities. Meeting customers, signing contracts, making decisions, holding meetings and so on. On the other hand, he is free to change some parameters of the system - those that he can understand.

- Oh, the programmer's irony has gone. - smiled Olga.

- This is not irony, but reality. - Sergey answered seriously. - The director, even if he wants, will not be able to make major changes to the system. Just imagine ... So ...

Sergei thought, picking up the metaphor.

- Here! Does everyone have a computer?

Olga nodded.

- And who can change the behavior of the operating system?

- Well, anyone, probably ...

- Evgeny Viktorovich, can you? - turned to Kurchatov Sergey.

- In some limits. - nodded the owner.

- Yes, and in a very narrow range. For example, you can not do anything with the kernel. You can not even enter the registry. You have little access - drive disks (Kurchatov frowned), change the screen resolution, install and delete programs, change the picture on the desktop, add volume, and the like.

- This is already a lot. - answered Kurchatov.

- But a little bit. How the system works - you do not understand and you will never understand. Even if you want, nothing will come of it - the programmers made sure that you couldn’t spoil anything. On the laws of the behavior of the system you can only guess. Well ... Right now ... Like ancient people, some Neanderthals tried to understand the laws of nature.

- Oh, thanks. - smiled Kurchatov.

- Do not be offended ...

- And I did not think.

- Good. Now it is clear?

- What exactly?

“Why is the director a user?”

- Because they do not understand how the computer's operating system is arranged?

- No, because I do not understand the laws of the functioning of the business system.

- Sergey, I created this business, actually ...

- Well, yes, you can install the operating system yourself. - Sergey nodded. - And programs, for example, and drivers. In the same place continuous eniky.

- I do not understand, where are the programs and drivers ...

- Well, how ... How did your business start?

“There were four of us: me, two design engineers, and a supplier.

“There, this is a bare operating system.” Then what happened?

- Well, we started to produce products ... Not by ourselves, at first ordered on the side according to our drawings, then began to expand the staff.

- This is, in our metaphor, the installation of new programs. At first you acted out of necessity, right?

- In terms of?

- Well, you work, you have money and an urgent need, for example, in your own warehouse. You rent a warehouse and hire an employee there. So?

- So.

- Well, it was an affordable level of understanding of the system. Not enough of a piece - add. It doesn't matter that you installed an e-mail program or a text editor on your computer when it became necessary to write letters or draw up agreements.

Kurchatov nodded.

- Then you continued to expand. At some point you have dependencies.

- In terms of? - Kurchatov frowned. - What are the dependencies?

- You put the game on the computer?

- Well, yes, it used to happen ...

- Remember, there was this ... Set, for example, a shooter. And she says - listen, my friend, here it would be ... DirectX install. Or some strange libraries like C ++, Net Framework, etc.

- Yes, it was like that. - nodded Kurchatov.

- This is a dependency. Programs that you decide to install, they tell you - listen, you need to plant another couple of my friends here ... Doesn't it remind you anything?

Kurchatov frowned, thinking.

- Are you talking about accounting? He asked finally.

- Not really ... Accounting is rather a driver. To communicate with external devices, such as tax, PFR, Rosstat, etc. When you install accounting in your system, who goes the trailer?

- Who?

- Programmers. Bookkeeping wants automation, right?

- Right. Although, it seems to me, they could manage ...

- No, not anymore. Real accountants, like real programmers, are becoming less and less. Now an accountant is the same user who does not understand the essence of his work.

- In terms of?

- Well, I'm talking about the principle of double entry.

- I did not hear ...

- They too. They know how to issue an income expense in the program, that's all. Without the program, in the old manner, in the barn book, they will not be able to keep records. Therefore, they want automation. Who goes to the automation trailer?

- Programmers, you already said.

- Yes, programmers. Although, the program is designed so that the accountant can work independently. But no one admits this. And you get in your system ... Guests, in short. Like worms.

- Programmers are worms?

- Not all, but many. A typical 1C programmer, for example, sitting at a plant is a worm.

- Seriously? - frowned Kurchatov. - You're a programmer himself ...

- Programmer programmer disagree, including - among 1Snikov. There are those who change the system, automate new contours, understand the processes, optimize, suggest solutions. And there are those who ... stuck to the accounting, more precisely - to you, in the business system, through accounting, and sits quietly, it is not visible and not heard, but he, as in the song ... Suck and suck. He takes advantage of the fact that accountants do not want to delve into anything, to understand, to reduce the cost of accounting.

- What to reduce?

- The cost of accounting.

- What is this term?

- Well, how ... Here we keep records. This process is worth some money. So?

- Well, perhaps, yes ...

- Only you have no idea how much it costs. See for yourself. Accounting salary, taxes on this salary, the chief accountant's salary and her deputies, the cost of software and licenses, the cost of updates and support, the salary of programmers, computers and peripherals, depreciation of equipment, such as servers, depreciation of intangible assets, such as the same licenses, the cost of involved specialists ...

- what? We do not use outsourcing.

- It seems so to you. This, if I may say so, temporary worms. To calculate any VAT export, to help to charge insurance premiums, and the like - neither local programmers, nor accountants know how to do this. That is the name of external programmers. So the cost of accounting is formed.

- How many?

- So ... - Sergey turned his eyes away, estimating the amount. - Million per month, if not more.

- Hmm. - smiled Kurchatov. - Interesting information. So your programmers are also guests?

- No, my - normal.

- Yeah ...

- I'm serious. Have you ever been to meetings when I swear with the chief accountant?

- Yes. - smiled Kurchatov.

- We swear, if you look, for one reason - I don’t want any worms in our business system. A typical accounting dispute sounds like this. "The program does not work, sort it out!". “Everything works, you are just stupid.” "We are accountants, not programmers!" "You are not accountants, but data entry operators." "What do you allow yourself!". “What we want is what we allow. Now we will turn off the program, keep records in Excel. ” "No, we can not without the program!". "What the fuck are you accountants for?" "Will you help, or not?" "Not. We discussed this question a month ago, everything was shown to your little Lena. Pull your head out of your ass and work. ” "Yes, how long will it continue!". Well, and so on.

- Well, okay. - nodded Kurchatov. - Any more examples?

- Examples of what?

- Well ... Guests.

- Of course. Here in your marketing department ...

- Do you? Or with us?

- You, I'm firing.

- Okay ...

- In the marketing department you have a real worm - Benjamin.

- Programmer Bitrix?

- Damn ... If you do not want to disgrace somehow, you should never put these two words together.

Olga smiled.

“Okay ... what's wrong with him?”

- Typical took hold. We bought the bitrix, made a website on it - well, it can still be experienced. Although, as in the case of 1C, it was argued that the system is of high quality and no programmer will be needed. And he, you bastard, needed.

- What for?

- I would know ... There is still Vika.

- What is Vika?

- The content manager is called. News writes, vidosa lays out, and so on.

- So this is a useful work ...

- Come on. Do you read this news straight?

- Well, to be honest ...

- To be honest, you do not read them. And if you read, then expel Vika. And if you yourself try to order something on our website, then Venu will be thrown out afterwards, with kicks in the ass.

“Hmm ... how would you check this?”

- Go to the site. - Sergey nodded toward the computer.

Kurchatov turned to the computer, unlocked, opened the browser.

- In incognito. - Sergey advised. - And then you have auto-complete work, and send the order under your account.

- What kind of incognito?

- Ctrl + Shift + N.

- Got it. - nodded Kurchatov. - What's next?

- Order something.

- So ... - Kurchatov poked with the mouse, added something to the basket. - Done. I will indicate the personal mail box ... So ... What phone should I drive?

- Drive in your own, without a difference.

- Good. So, send ... Thanks for the order, within five minutes the manager will contact you to clarify the details.

- Well, well ...

- Order gets into our system?

- Not.

- Why?

- Because Benjamin. Just an email will come, him and Vika.

- I do not understand why not get into the system?

- From our side, everything is ready, but he still can not do. He says, we still have to pamper.

- So we made a site a year ago!

- Well, it means the anniversary of the worms. - Sergey smiled.

- Well, wait five minutes. So, programmers and content managers are superfluous people in the system?

- Well, yes, and not only they.

- Who else?

- Service quality management. - Sergey smiled.

- Wait, what's wrong with them?

- They came after the ISO standard. Two girls are sitting there, you know them?

“Well, yes ...” Kurchatov was embarrassed. - I don’t remember by their names, but they are also busy with an important matter - process optimization, implementation of improvements.

- Oh well. - Sergey smiled. - They are busy with only one thing - paperwork. They create pieces of paper, copy pieces of paper, coordinate pieces of paper, make pieces of paper on pieces of paper, and so on. Moreover, they also prevent everyone else from working.

- What is it like?

- Well, how ... Here is a process, production management for example. First, we took a sample from the standard. Then they decided that it should correspond to our realities. They strained the production manager, he was tormented for half a year, he gave birth to something in the end. The warlocks blinded him with standard control for another couple of months so that all letters, fonts and indents were in place, then they agreed on a piece of paper.

- Well, this is a normal process ...

- Yes, if once - normal. Then they read the ISO standard, and saw that the process should be amended regularly, improvements and other vermin. And again they stuck to the production manager - like, come on, make improvements. He is on them with mats, and those impenetrable already, like tax auditors, are not staggering, they say it is necessary, then do it. Well, he ponil again degenerated something. And they came again. Normal control, reports on the status of processes, reports on improvements, indicators of the quality of processes, and so on to infinity.

- Sounds, of course, wildly. - frowned Kurchatov. - But wait ... Marina told me that it should be so. This is an endless cycle of process improvement. Deming cycle, as I recall. To improve the quality.

- It's funny ... - Sergey smiled. - Somehow, on occasion, ask Marina what quality is. It is terribly interesting that she will answer.

- You think, will not answer?

- I am sure that he will not answer. And what is, for example, the index of reproducibility, or, God forbid, the Fisher criterion, and even more so.

- What is it?

- Basic concepts of statistical methods of quality management. This is when they do not write papers, but go to the workshop and really improve the quality of production processes.

- Ours do not go to the shop?

- We can look at Yukos. - Sergey smiled.

- Where?

- Well, the access control system, in order to enter the shop, you have to make a pass. Worms in shit do not like to be picked ... Although ... Damn, the metaphor broke.

- Well yes. - smiled Kurchatov. - Ok, I get it. There are extra people in our system, we need to take care of this. Surely, you still have examples ...

- Enough. - Sergey nodded. - But the essence is not in worms.

- Perhaps, yes. - agreed Kurchatov. - As a doctor, I will tell you - almost all people have parasites. But somehow they

live ... - Both people and business live. Because it is so accepted to create a business system, and not understand how it works, what prevents it, why it slows down, where such costs come from, and what can be done with all this. You recently said - I created this business. This is the key phrase that is spoken not only by the owners, but also by everyone else.

- Explain ...

- Well, take me. I often appeal to my colleagues, and I say - let's improve this, or that! What do they answer me?

- What?

- Do not bother, do not interfere, it works - and all right. Do you understand?

- This is the reaction of the environment, completely normal. - nodded Kurchatov.

- Here! I, as a programmer and engineer, are terribly angry with such a reaction! Is it okay? What to climb? Will you still teach us? There Kurchatov, so he will understand! If he says, we will improve! And you do not go! After all, everything is fine! (Sergey made a special emphasis on the last word).

- Is that why you quit? - suddenly intervened Olga. - Because they do not give me a change?

- Yes! - Sergey answered. - I feel like a programmer who is not allowed to program! I want and can change the business system, improve communication, optimize processes, but nobody needs it, because everything is fine with us. (Sergey again focused on the last word).

- Why then refuse to become a director? - Olga squinted. - After all, this post gives direct access to changes.

- Damn! - Sergey smiled. - The director is the most powerless, slow and conservative element of the system. Moreover, if he is not an owner, but an employee. He has too many indicators to answer for. He is literally bound hand and foot. Moreover, he will not be able to change anything, even if he wants.

- Because they do not understand the business system?

- Yes. He is just a user. Perhaps even with administrative rights, but what's the point if he doesn’t know what to do with these rights? He sat down, connected, and ran like a squirrel in a wheel.

- Wait, Sergey. - entered Kurchatov. - I can change the system. As I like, I will change it.

- Well, so can a computer user. From where, then, at each entrance are so many ads, such as setting up a computer, removing viruses, and so on?

- Business is not a computer. These are people in the first place.

- And there is no system?

“Hmm, good question ...” Kurchatov smiled. - Probably still there.

- Where are the people in this system?

- I do not know ... Yes, you said that they are cogs and users.

- Exactly.

- Ok, then what is the change in the system?

- First of all - work with connections, especially cross-functional ones.

- Explain ...

- In the first approximation, specific functions can be considered as closed, unchangeable links. Black boxes. What then remains?

- Connections?

- Yes. Control actions, feedback, adjustment of signals. A typical example is the linkage of sales, production and supply. Sellers found a customer, knocked out the need, went a signal - either to supply, if it is a resale, or to production, if it is their own products.

- Well, yes, everything is clear.

- This is for you, as a user, it seems that everything is clear. But in fact, the signal is not going anywhere.

- That is, as?

- At meetings, do you often hear the question of sellers, such as “provide delivery time for products”?

- Yes.

- This is a typical example of a broken connection. Information from sellers does not reach suppliers. And if it comes, then we observe the breakdown of the second branch - the reverse, the sellers do not know when the products will come. And perhaps, the suppliers do not know if the third connection is broken - with suppliers.

- Is there really a connection issue? - frowned Kurchatov. - It seems to me that people simply do not work well. About whom, by the way, is it?

- Yes, it does not matter! - Sergey snapped. - Evgeny Viktorovich, I have been working here for a long time, and I know what I'm talking about. How many supply managers have we changed in the last five years?

- Several, I do not remember exactly ...

- And I remember - seven people. Doesn't this mean anything to you?

- He speaks. - nodded Kurchatov. “We have personnel shortages in the city for good procurement specialists.”

- And here is nifiga. It's not about people. I could agree with sellers or designers - personal qualities, creative abilities, and ability to negotiate are important there. And the supply is a very simple, conditioned function.

- What is it like?

- It is completely subordinated to the external signal, does not invent anything, it cannot and should not show any initiative. Like a meat grinder. Put meat in it - the need of customers, it must spin and give the stuffing - the satisfaction of this need.

- If everything is so simple, why did we change the seven bosses?

- Because we, that is, you, directors are just users. You see that some link does not give the desired result, and just change it. Not because you are fools - it's just not your level of competence. You cannot, and do not want to understand, why the supply periodically fails.

- So wait ... Well, we can not, and why the chief of supply can not work out? We are far away, but he is close, he is inside, in the process!

- The fact of the matter is that he is inside. And the problem is not inside, but outside.

- In sales?

- Not. Sales is a link. Supply is also a link. And between them - the connection. So they do not work. And the key feature is that neither one nor the other is responsible for communication.

- And who is responsible?

- And this is a mystery to you, maybe you will solve it ... - smiled Sergey.

- Director?

- Not. The director is responsible for communication as the computer user is responsible for the operation of the data bus. That is, in any way. The director, as well as the user, sees only the elements of the system, and tries to control them, not realizing that the problems are in the connections. But he cannot do anything with connections, because he does not know how, does not see, does not attach importance. The only thing that can dismiss and hope that the new employee will change something. And so on to infinity.

- Do you suggest not to fire anyone?

- I propose to do what is really important - to understand and change the system, and not to disperse people with a fan, not to drag in new worms, and not to puff up our cheeks about the fact that everything is fine with us. Although, I don’t offer anything already ... So this is me, you just asked ...

- And I'm glad I asked. - smiled Kurchatov. - Listen, Sergey ... If I create the conditions under which you can change the system, will you stay?

- You can not create such conditions. You will hire a new director, he will refuse to change the system, will deal with its stabilization, conservation, and fan layoffs of unwanted.

- You did not understand. I myself will become a director. I will return to direct control, as before. And you will be my assistant. I will use the system, and you will improve it. We will work in a team. You and me.

Sergey was silent and thoughtful. Kurchatov carefully looked at him, Olga - too.

- I like the model you presented. - continued Kurchatov. - I'm not talking about worms, although this is also important. The strategy that you outlined at the training still does not go out of my head.

- Yeah, me too. - wedged Olga. - And it is terribly interesting how you will implement it in practice.

“I will give you extraordinary powers.” - said Kurchatov. - You will be my right hand. Or, more precisely, I will be your right hand, because now I understand that the director is not the owner of the system, but only a part of it, a user, a function. I want you to manage my work. Not promptly, on a daily basis, but at a systemic, strategic level. What do you say?

- I need to think. - sighing heavily, said Sergey. - To be honest, I do not believe you. It will take a day or two, some new crisis will come, and you will forget about the changes, you will be delayed by the routine, you will politely get rid of me every time I come with suggestions.

“Well ...” said Kurchatov. - Of course, I would like to tell you that I promise to keep, but I am also a person. Come on. Are you going to quit?

- Yes.

- Here you go. You always have time to quit, but still worth a try. As soon as it starts to seem to you that I will pedal you, or I will become dynamite with the changes, talk about it boldly. If I change my mind to play the designated role, I will not resist, and you will leave. So that you don’t worry, I’ll promise you a good severance package right now ... How about six salaries?

- Six ?! - Sergey rounded his eyes.

- Well yes. - nodded the owner. - This is your insurance, and my motivation. Immersion in the routine, the rejection of changes will cost me dearly. I am willing to take the risk. And Olga will witness our agreement. Although, if you insist, put it on paper.

- No, no, I trust you. - Hastened to say Sergey. - But I still need to think. Good?

- Good. - shrugged Kurchatov. - By the way, they didn’t call them, about the order ...

- And they won't call. - Sergey smiled. - Worms love peace and quiet.

- I would start with them ... - the owner smiled in response. - Any suggestions?

- Yes, weight.

- Tell me ...