QUOTATION 31

RON DENNIS ON SUPPORTING THE WEAKEST LINK

Use this to remind you that you need to remedy the weak points in your operation.

Ron Dennis (b. 1949) is best known as the owner, CEO and Chairman of McLaren Technology Group, which runs the famous Formula 1 racing team.

Considering the ultra-competitive nature of Formula 1 racing, the following quotation can appear surprising as it posits an essentially benign and humanistic approach to management. But does it?

The role of management is always to identify the weakest links, support them and strengthen them.

Ron Dennis

WHAT TO DO

  • Remember that in whatever team, department or organisation you run, you are only as good as your weakest link. You can’t afford to carry passengers – unless your weakest link is the owner’s son/daughter, in which case you can’t afford not to carry them.
  • Identify your weakest link. This could be a person, process or procedure. If it’s a person, look to retrain them or move them to a less challenging task that they can do well. Start by carrying out a training needs analysis on the person (see Quotation 15), followed by an agreed programme of training and development. If retraining and/or redeployment doesn’t work, you need to get rid of them.
  • Firing someone doesn’t contradict Ron Dennis’s suggestion: it’s merely the logical conclusion to his line of thought. You help people to improve but if they can’t or won’t improve you let them go. You can’t run your operation well if, demonstrably, there is someone not pulling their weight. Their presence will have a negative impact on both production and staff morale as others have to rectify their mistakes. For example, I can’t imagine that Ron would allow anyone who cocked-up changing a tyre during a Grand Prix twice anywhere near the pits again.
  • Involve human resources from a very early stage whenever you have a concern about someone’s ability to do their job to the standard required.
  • If the weakest link is a process, procedure, machine or other inanimate object, replace it. If you can’t afford to do that, find a way to minimise the impact it has on your team.

QUESTIONS TO ASK

  • How many people have I personally sacked in my career?
  • Am I capable of sacking someone?
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