The best shepherds shoot the most dogs
I was in a meeting a few years back with a group of biotech people who were commenting on the number of under-performing initiatives in that sector. One chap (whose name I can’t remember) recounted to the meeting about his previous life as a South Island high country 
shepherd. Apparently he wasn’t too efficient due to his rather mediocre team of dogs. He couldn’t bear to part with the individual animals that just weren’t making the mark. This chap told the room that the top shepherds were the ones who got rid of their most incompetent canines.
Anyway, I’ve been banging on about the aptness of applying this metaphor to business in New Zealand since then.
But let’s get one thing straight. I’m not talking about the puppies. Killing puppies is just not on. The start-ups deserve a fair crack. It’s the under-performing mature mongrels that I want put down. They’re tying up good employees, talent and office space.
If we are going to be the shepherds of New Zealand’s industries, we have to be prepared to shoot a few dogs. It’s not pretty and there will be some loss of pride along the way. We’re just too small in the world to allow mediocre performance to slow things up. We’re just one long sheep farm and if the dogs aren’t performing, and they’re beyond training, let’s put them out of their misery quickly.
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May 18th, 2007 at 6:43 am
Michael - I agree with what you are saying - natural attrition and all. But we don’t need to shoot them - the current trading situation is clearing out the deadwood and leaving just those with the nous to compete in this modern age.
May 18th, 2007 at 6:48 am
Really? Surely the positive trading conditions, despite the high dollar and repressive tax regime, are allowing inefficient domestic businesses to continue to trade.
May 18th, 2007 at 8:24 am
Isn’t there another saying “eat your own dog food” … might be interesting to try and apply this to the ‘mature mongrels’ of the industry
May 18th, 2007 at 8:47 am
Hell, I hope you’re not referring to me, Brenda
May 18th, 2007 at 9:13 am
The best shepherds shoot the most dogs…
If we are going to be the shepherds of New Zealand’s industries, we have to be prepared to shoot a few dogs. It’s not pretty and there will be some loss of pride along the way. We’re just too small in the world to allow mediocre performance to s…
May 18th, 2007 at 9:22 am
Do you consider yourself to be a mature mongrel MG? Surely not
May 25th, 2007 at 9:15 am
And one more vote makes 6… which gets this post onto the FP of Scoop.
For my 10 cents worth lets shoot some of the gorillas and godzillas…. if you are really interested in releasing talent from a bureaucratic waste that would be the way to do it.
May 25th, 2007 at 9:24 am
[...] do like Scoop’s clean makeover. In the meantime, this post by MG was scooped. I’m giving it my vote [...]
May 25th, 2007 at 9:58 am
Definitely scooped….
May 15th, 2009 at 3:33 pm
[...] didn’t retell this gem but it still makes sense today as a business analogy. More so now than ever [...]
March 2nd, 2010 at 11:14 am
Very good..keep it up