in a no-holds-barred style. At the same time, regular performance-based rankings result in the lowest per- forming percentage each year being managed out of the company. It is a practice that leaves many former (and present) alumni reeling from the experience. Getting the balance right between fostering construc- tive contention and generating unhelpful divisiveness is incredibly hard—but critical to long-term success.
A lesson might be learned from the aviation industry, where the cost of a single mistake is so high that air- lines have made it a priority to foster truly collaborative cultures both within and between companies—where everyone feels safe and respected to voice concerns and alternative ideas early on.
