In the era of optimization, and efficiency, there’s the view that investment seeks “optimal efficiency” out of the workforce. That workforce output is measurable and quantifiable. The contrarian view is that this decreases room for creative output, which is often the most valuable1.
Dan Davies 2
A prince who is not wise cannot be advised and a manager who doesn’t have access to excess analytical capacity won’t be able to tell when something has gone wrong with their subordinates.
1. DeMarco, T. Slack: Getting Past Burnout, Busywork, and the Myth of Total Efficiency. (Currency, New York; London, 2002).
2. Davies, D. The Unaccountability Machine: Why Big Systems Make Terrible Decisions – and How the World Lost Its Mind. (Profile Books Ltd, 2024).