Lee Kai-Fu learned the art of management at Apple.

by qingchuyulan on 2010-04-19 22:40:03

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Back in the group, I began to treat this veteran employee with a firm and stern attitude. In public meetings, if he deliberately opposed my views, I would warn him that over 90% of people supported this view, so there was no need for discussion in the meeting. In non-public settings, I also gave him a severe warning about his lackadaisical work attitude. Additionally, I clarified his work objectives, and when he failed to meet them, I would promptly remind him. When speaking to him, I was no longer like the mild person I used to be; instead, I was organized and decisive. A month later, he finally realized that Kai-Fu was no longer someone to mess with, and it was no longer easy to get by at Apple. Not long after, he started looking for another way out and left the company voluntarily.

Thus, I very calmly told this employee, "Right now, it's a very difficult time for you, me, and the company. I understand how you feel. Once you calm down, if you have any suggestions, please tell me what you think is the most appropriate course of action, and we can discuss it carefully."

After multiple reorganizations, a nearly 60-year-old senior engineer was assigned to my group. He had worked at Apple for many years and didn't take me, the young manager, seriously at all. Not only did he fail to complete tasks on time, but he also deliberately opposed my decisions and publicly challenged me during meetings. As someone who doesn't like to conflict with anyone, I could only endure it again and again. As a result, certain departmental indicators were often not met, and I couldn't vent my anger, which made me very uncomfortable inside.

At this point, I understood the well-intentioned efforts of my "management mentor."

Apple's products are always seen as works of art, and their creators - Apple's employees - also have the traits of artists. Each engineer is a genius with a strong personality. Therefore, I firmly believe that "delegation" is the best management method.

Afterward, I went to work feeling depressed. My mentor noticed my troubles and counseled me, saying, "Learning how to manage people, one important step is learning how to handle layoffs. When you take this step, you are unknowingly maturing and growing up."

This senior colleague in my voice group worked lazily and had little achievement. After evaluations from various parties, he was placed on the list of people to be laid off. Another person on the list was a young man who had just joined my group and hadn't yet had the chance to show his capabilities. After careful consideration, I felt that the opportunity to stay should be given to the younger person.

The senior colleague who was laid off by me was extremely angry. Even when attending some meetings later, he printed a line of red text on his business card — "Laid Off by Kai-Fu Lee." Although I indeed felt quite uncomfortable, when I repeatedly reviewed my decision and found that I hadn't made a mistake, I managed to overcome this psychological hurdle.

When I shared these experiences with my "management mentor," he said, "Kai-Fu, I know that laying off someone within a month is a very difficult thing. However, a good manager cannot just be a technical expert; they need diversified leadership skills. In terms of leadership, I feel your empathy is very strong, so most employees like you and trust you, which is very important. But sometimes, you also need to show your decisiveness. So, I've given you a tough problem, hoping you can understand that being kind to everyone doesn't necessarily win respect. Respecting principles and executing effectively is the essence of management."

If the previous layoff tested my determination, then the next one truly tested my courage, because the person I had to lay off was my "fellow alumnus" — a senior student of Professor Reddy.

What to do? I thought of my mentor Fred Foryth. The so-called mentor is the "management mentor" equipped by Apple for each mid-level manager. When encountering thorny problems, you can seek help from the "management mentor." I mentioned my worries, and Fred earnestly told me, "Kai-Fu, as a manager, your character is too soft. When you need to make the right choice, you need to use the weapons at your disposal. Being a manager requires not only wisdom but also determination. I order you to fire this person within a month."

After knowing he faced the crisis of being laid off, my senior came to plead with me. He said that he was already 40 years old and had two children, hoping I would consider our schoolmate relationship and let him off. Even Professor Reddy called me, hinting that I should take care of my senior.

I see myself as a bridge between the company's employees and the management, first understanding the strategic thinking from the higher-ups, then conveying it to the employees. I suppress my curiosity, restrain the impulse to inquire about every matter personally, fully trust the employees, and give them a certain degree of freedom. I deeply believe that this is truly artistic management. And as a manager, when an employee's values don't align with the company's, you need to make bold decisions.

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During my time at Apple, besides gaining world-class work experience, I believe the most valuable thing I gained was these management experiences.

At that time, I was really at a loss, so I used the "newspaper headline test" I learned from books to examine my actions. The so-called "newspaper headline test" is to imagine before something happens, tomorrow, if your friends and family all read the news about what you did, what kind of headline will they read? Does what you do match your values?

So, I did the "newspaper headline test" for myself. First, laying off the new employee, the headline would be "Private Favor Li Kaifu Lays Off Innocent New Employee"; second, laying off the senior, the headline would be "Cold Li Kaifu Lays Off Schoolmate Senior." Although I wouldn't want to see either of these headlines, compared to each other, the former would hit me harder because it goes against my basic integrity principle. If so, I would not be able to be a responsible professional manager.

Later, that employee privately apologized to me and thanked me for not embarrassing him in front of the entire team. Some time afterward, this employee moved his whole family to Europe, both he and his wife found suitable jobs, and they send me holiday cards every year and frequently email to ask about me.

In the end, I still chose to lay off my senior. Although I believed I made the right decision, it actually caused me pain because it violated my principle of compassion. On the day my senior left, I told him that if he ever needed help in the future, I would try my best to assist him.

Of course, these management experiences also come from various "setbacks." In 1992, when I became the manager of the speech recognition group at the age of 31, I had no management experience at all. I not only had to manage engineers around my age but also manage "old Apple hands" with much more seniority than me.

Later, after I became the director of the multimedia interactive department, once during a meeting, an employee whose wife and friends were all laid off was extremely dissatisfied with the company's policies and directed all his anger at me. He said a string of extremely vulgar words, even among the most reckless Americans, such rudeness would be rare. At that moment, my first reaction was anger because his method of insulting and cursing was extremely improper. Just as I was about to explode, I thought, "People inevitably lose their rationality when their loved ones are hurt, and inevitably lose their composure when disaster strikes." Then I thought, although his behavior was abnormally rude, there must be many employees who share the same thoughts but dare not express them. Finally, I thought, as the director of this department, I represent the company's interests and cannot let temporary anger affect the progress of normal work.

Starting from 1993, Apple's performance has been continuously declining, layoffs happened frequently, and salary increases were "frozen." Employees always worked with feelings of disappointment, which was a huge "test" for managers.