Thoughts on people, teams, organizations, communities, effectiveness and success
It’s been a bad calendar quarter for funerals (two too many) but a good 90 days for learning.
The metaphorical coin that carries what you’d like to keep on one side has something that you’d like to avoid on the other; learning from others while they’re living and learning from others after they’ve passed on seems like no exception.… Read the rest
The Roche takeover of South San Francisco-based Genentech two years ago provided a field day for all sorts of commentary.
From the revisionist account of the Genentech takeover to Roche’s shifting stance on how they’d “preserve headcount and culture” at Genentech, the acquisition has provided rich fodder.
The report that key execs from Genentech such as Pat Yang [disclosure: Pat’s organization was a client] moving to Basel were required to learn to speak German because it was the language in which business was conducted (note: German is spoken in the Basel area of Switzerland) was – how to put it – was akin to the cherry on top of the sundae; the perfect topping to a trail of miscues.… Read the rest