A B C Player by Steve Jobs

Hi frens,

If you’re a manager, how do you manage people? Or, how would you like to work with people?

It may seems arrogant but here’s the methodology I’ve been using. Let’s start with three ranks:

• A players like working with each other. Don’t want to work with B and C players.

• B players hire C players so they can feel superior to them.

• C players hire D players. The bozo explosion expected.

As an individual, that’s why it’s incredibly important to work in the domain you have a passion and gift for. We may be A players in some domain, but C players in some other domains.

As Steve Jobs said, “When you get really good people, they know they’re really good, and you don’t have to baby people’s egos so much, and what really matters is the work. And everybody knows that.”

I was in some situations where I had to deal with egos, but I didn’t have enough self-confidence to handle it well. That definitely made me the B or C player.

On the other side, there should never be any micro-management. If you do, you’re the B player or so.

People often ask, how do you know someone is an A player or not? My answer is, you’ll know when you find it.

Your friend,

Denken

Refs:

1. Steve Jobs The Lost Interview 1995 - Full Transcript

2. What I Learned From Steve Jobs, Guy Kawasaki.