An insider's view of what is really happening in the Harris County Criminal Courts
Tuesday, March 27, 2012
Great Post by Mark Bennett
I'm being lazy today and outsourcing my blogging duties to Mark Bennett's Defending People.
He's got a really good article on the D.A.'s Office today. Check it out by clicking here.
12 comments:
Anonymous
said...
There were unquestionably a few rotten eggs that needed to be culled but BBQing all the top producing birds left the coop with mostly sterile chickens.....if the old hen is replaced with a new rooster they'll be even more eggs to fry and very few egg layers left to pick up the slack.
Every once in a while Bennett gets something right. Even if he is just saying what I've been telling you for years--stand up and be leaders. All this titty baby crying on a blog won't do a thing, and demonstrates a lack or character for those in the office who won't do anything to make the place better.
Rage, As was proved in the case of Donna Goode, standing up only proved Lykos can and does fire at will. The only other thing it accomplished was it gave Galveston DA's Office one of the best and experienced Administrators and Trial Lawyers in Harris County. Lucky for the DA in Galveston and too bad for the citizens of Harris County.
"It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better.
The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat."
--Theodore Roosevelt
As to leadership; it seems that the 26th POTUS would agree with Kelly Siegler, Donna Goode and even Rage's last comment.
One more employee action that seems to "shadow" Mark's central topic of "lack of leadership" - to me - is additionally: "A lack of management" I spoke with Mark about this and he agrees that managing is not the same as leading. The following piece from the WSJ is very interesting. What is sad - and my point here is that, based on all the credible evidence and observation of the present Administration of the HCDAO, it lacks both Leadership and management:
April 7, 2009, 2:07 PM ET.What is the Difference Between Management and Leadership?. Adapted from “The Wall Street Journal Guide to Management” by Alan Murray, published by Harper Business.
Leadership and management must go hand in hand. They are not the same thing. But they are necessarily linked, and complementary. Any effort to separate the two is likely to cause more problems than it solves.
Still, much ink has been spent delineating the differences. The manager’s job is to plan, organize and coordinate. The leader’s job is to inspire and motivate. In his 1989 book “On Becoming a Leader,” Warren Bennis composed a list of the differences:
– The manager administers; the leader innovates.
– The manager is a copy; the leader is an original.
– The manager maintains; the leader develops.
– The manager focuses on systems and structure; the leader focuses on people.
– The manager relies on control; the leader inspires trust.
– The manager has a short-range view; the leader has a long-range perspective.
– The manager asks how and when; the leader asks what and why.
– The manager has his or her eye always on the bottom line; the leader’s eye is on the horizon.
– The manager imitates; the leader originates.
– The manager accepts the status quo; the leader challenges it.
– The manager is the classic good soldier; the leader is his or her own person.
– The manager does things right; the leader does the right thing.
Perhaps there was a time when the calling of the manager and that of the leader could be separated. A foreman in an industrial-era factory probably didn’t have to give much thought to what he was producing or to the people who were producing it. His or her job was to follow orders, organize the work, assign the right people to the necessary tasks, coordinate the results, and ensure the job got done as ordered. The focus was on efficiency.
But in the new economy, where value comes increasingly from the knowledge of people, and where workers are no longer undifferentiated cogs in an industrial machine, management and leadership are not easily separated. People look to their managers, not just to assign them a task, but to define for them a purpose. And managers must organize workers, not just to maximize efficiency, but to nurture skills, develop talent and inspire results.
The late management guru Peter Drucker was one of the first to recognize this truth, as he was to recognize so many other management truths. He identified the emergence of the “knowledge worker,” and the profound differences that would cause in the way business was organized.
With the rise of the knowledge worker, “one does not ‘manage’ people,” Mr. Drucker wrote. “The task is to lead people. And the goal is to make productive the specific strengths and knowledge of every individual.”
I couldn't agree more. That was really a great post by Mark Bennett. He has the great points about leadership and it all makes sense. Thanks for sharing by the way.
12 comments:
There were unquestionably a few rotten eggs that needed to be culled but BBQing all the top producing birds left the coop with mostly sterile chickens.....if the old hen is replaced with a new rooster they'll be even more eggs to fry and very few egg layers left to pick up the slack.
Every once in a while Bennett gets something right. Even if he is just saying what I've been telling you for years--stand up and be leaders. All this titty baby crying on a blog won't do a thing, and demonstrates a lack or character for those in the office who won't do anything to make the place better.
Rage
Rage,
As was proved in the case of Donna Goode, standing up only proved Lykos can and does fire at will. The only other thing it accomplished was it gave Galveston DA's Office one of the best and experienced Administrators and Trial Lawyers in Harris County. Lucky for the DA in Galveston and too bad for the citizens of Harris County.
"It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better.
The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat."
--Theodore Roosevelt
As to leadership; it seems that the 26th POTUS would agree with Kelly Siegler, Donna Goode and even Rage's last comment.
One more employee action that seems to "shadow" Mark's central topic of "lack of leadership" - to me - is additionally: "A lack of management" I spoke with Mark about this and he agrees that managing is not the same as leading. The following piece from the WSJ is very interesting. What is sad - and my point here is that, based on all the credible evidence and observation of the present Administration of the HCDAO, it lacks both Leadership and management:
April 7, 2009, 2:07 PM ET.What is the Difference Between Management and Leadership?.
Adapted from “The Wall Street Journal Guide to Management” by Alan Murray, published by Harper Business.
Leadership and management must go hand in hand. They are not the same thing. But they are necessarily linked, and complementary. Any effort to separate the two is likely to cause more problems than it solves.
Still, much ink has been spent delineating the differences. The manager’s job is to plan, organize and coordinate. The leader’s job is to inspire and motivate. In his 1989 book “On Becoming a Leader,” Warren Bennis composed a list of the differences:
– The manager administers; the leader innovates.
– The manager is a copy; the leader is an original.
– The manager maintains; the leader develops.
– The manager focuses on systems and structure; the leader focuses on people.
– The manager relies on control; the leader inspires trust.
– The manager has a short-range view; the leader has a long-range perspective.
– The manager asks how and when; the leader asks what and why.
– The manager has his or her eye always on the bottom line; the leader’s eye is on the horizon.
– The manager imitates; the leader originates.
– The manager accepts the status quo; the leader challenges it.
– The manager is the classic good soldier; the leader is his or her own person.
– The manager does things right; the leader does the right thing.
Perhaps there was a time when the calling of the manager and that of the leader could be separated. A foreman in an industrial-era factory probably didn’t have to give much thought to what he was producing or to the people who were producing it. His or her job was to follow orders, organize the work, assign the right people to the necessary tasks, coordinate the results, and ensure the job got done as ordered. The focus was on efficiency.
But in the new economy, where value comes increasingly from the knowledge of people, and where workers are no longer undifferentiated cogs in an industrial machine, management and leadership are not easily separated. People look to their managers, not just to assign them a task, but to define for them a purpose. And managers must organize workers, not just to maximize efficiency, but to nurture skills, develop talent and inspire results.
The late management guru Peter Drucker was one of the first to recognize this truth, as he was to recognize so many other management truths. He identified the emergence of the “knowledge worker,” and the profound differences that would cause in the way business was organized.
With the rise of the knowledge worker, “one does not ‘manage’ people,” Mr. Drucker wrote. “The task is to lead people. And the goal is to make productive the specific strengths and knowledge of every individual.”
My favorite coach put it a little differently, Black Ink:
"Get up, and try it again."
Looks like even you can get it right occasionally, even if you have to use someone else's words to gain credibility.
Rage
Rage,
Black Ink quotes Teddy Roosevelt and you quote your pee wee coach?
Talk about credibility!
I'm hearing we may be having to appoint ANOTHER special prosecutor very soon...
Anon 7:35,
It seems that very soon the HCDAO will have more Special Prosecutors than HCADAs.
Harris County needs real leadership and not a step backwards.
ZACK FERTITTA FOR DA
Too Anon. 7:35pm:
Can you give us any details about the reason for another special prosecutor?
I couldn't agree more. That was really a great post by Mark Bennett. He has the great points about leadership and it all makes sense. Thanks for sharing by the way.
Bidet,
I love your new name. It cleans you up perfectly and Republican Activist was kinda dirty.
VMI Rat Pack
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