In chapter 15, MacKenzie talks about how to address those who make their living within the hairball. He reminds us that we should not view those within the hairball as our enemies. He suggests that any time a bureaucrat stands between you and something you need or want, your challenge is to help that bureaucrat discover a means, harmonious with the system, to meet your need. He also points out the importance of having a supervisor who is supportive. Working for a person that allows their people to lead when necessary, as well as being able to shield them from the unproductive aspects of the firm and its culture is particularly valuable. It is also important to be in an environment that recognizes that the creative process takes time, and that the process is most successful in unstructured environments. Several other areas of the book touch on our culture and society, and its effects on creativity and productivity. MacKenzie believes that people are conditioned to conform at an early age, and that by the time people graduate from colleges and business schools, we are very much alike in our thoughts, values, and beliefs. The corporate world then becomes a reflection of a cold, competitive, correctness where most people have lost their individual characteristics. This creates a significant loss of energy and passion within …show more content…
Whether it be government regulation, legal specifications, or merely consumer expectations; “corporate normalcy” in the form of policies, procedures, standards, patterns, and the status quo is sometimes the only option. The collapse of Enron is a very tangible example of how dysfunctional “orbiting” can lead to a company’s demise. Utilizing creativity in its business procedures, executive decisions and accounting practices, Enron has become a symbol of willful corporate fraud and