2019 Williams F1 Team - Mercedes

[munudeges]

Anyone arguing that they know more than Ross Brawn what the role of technical director involves is clearly on another planet. Just as is anyone who claims Rory Byrne has ever been a technical director, rather than designer and consultant.

I look at what people have actually, *really* done. Not their job titles and not their inflated opinions of themselves in interviews. I'm weird like that.

Right now, Williams desperately need to do exactly the same for their survival. They can't pick another Technical Director who doesn't have the chops skills-wise when it comes to taking control of overseeing a car or the ruthlessness and confidence in their knowledge and ability to do what needs to be done, i.e. firing a lot of politically toxic people. Adrian Newey did exactly that at Red Bull, post Jaguar. None of this "We win as a team, we lose as a team" wishy washy nonsense.

https://twitter.com/wbuxtonofficial/sta ... 7517553666

At testing I asked Paddy who took responsibility for the team's winter failings. He said they won and lost as a team.

If one takes the responsibility for cooking dinner, you can't blame the kids if the food's burnt because you "dine as a family."

Another twist in a sorry saga.

Frankly, I think it's over. When Newey left Leyton House he realised that when a team is run by accountants you've got to pull the ripcord.

[Wynters]

Brawn was frozen out at Mercedes they realised he was not only a con artist but also a pretender.

If your world view requires the unequivocal belief that Ross 'World Champion at multiple different teams, including his own' Brawn was a con artist and pretender then I suggest your world view is probably a little occluded.

[Zynerji]

As a quick message to Claire, if she is reading...

This is my initial process, and I suggest that she start here:

Step 1: Break down the division of labor in a chart to identify overlaps of manpower and operating venues.

Step 2: Interview each staff member, from the bottom up. The only questions that you ask in this interview is: "What should we start doing immediately? Why?" "What should we stop doing immediately? Why?" "What is your "If only"?" (If only we did this, that would become so much easier).

Step 3: Interview department heads with the same questions, and cross reference their answers against their staff's answers. This is a great way to tell what managers are simply out of touch with the project they are responsible to complete. Their answers SHOULD be almost identical to their team's answers if they are communicating at a high level.

Step 4: Identify any redundancies that can be removed, and identify the Synergy Multiplier. In a team of 500 ppl, the effective man-power or eMP, is your team count multiplied by this constant. So, a 0.85 multiplier means that you effectively have 425 staff, but a 1.25 multiplier gives you an effective 625 staff. (SEE Force India)

Step 5: Take a non-emotional look at the top-down operating systems, and reconstruct that structure to include all of the Stop/Start/If Only's that are possible.

Step 6: Execute the plan with zero tolerance to deviation.

Step 7: Profit

[GrandAxe]

I look at what people have actually, *really* done. Not their job titles and not their inflated opinions of themselves in interviews. I'm weird like that.

Says it all, doesn't it?

[Manoah2u]

Frankly, I think it's over. When Newey left Leyton House he realised that when a team is run by accountants you've got to pull the ripcord.

unfortunately, that is what it's heading to in lightspeed. this thing has been taking up speed more and more and now it's hitting the fan. mentioned this at the moment things came out directly after williams not being able to provide a car for testing. it was just the tip of the iceberg BUT it was quite the lot already. the titanic didn't sink because it hit an iceberg, it sank because it was nothing like it claimed to be and designed poorly.

anyway, the main reason why this team won't survive much longer actually is simple, and not what people want to hear.

Bernie is gone. that's why.
I can guarantee 1 thing: if Bernie was around, he would not let Williams fade.
Whatever it takes, however he manages, he'd fix this.
But, he's not around, and Williams is going to have to deal with that.

[miguelalvesreis]

As a quick message to Claire, if she is reading...

This is my initial process, and I suggest that she start here:

Step 1: Break down the division of labor in a chart to identify overlaps of manpower and operating venues.

Step 2: Interview each staff member, from the bottom up. The only questions that you ask in this interview is: "What should we start doing immediately? Why?" "What should we stop doing immediately? Why?" "What is your "If only"?" (If only we did this, that would become so much easier).

Step 3: Interview department heads with the same questions, and cross reference their answers against their staff's answers. This is a great way to tell what managers are simply out of touch with the project they are responsible to complete. Their answers SHOULD be almost identical to their team's answers if they are communicating at a high level.

Step 4: Identify any redundancies that can be removed, and identify the Synergy Multiplier. In a team of 500 ppl, the effective man-power or eMP, is your team count multiplied by this constant. So, a 0.85 multiplier means that you effectively have 425 staff, but a 1.25 multiplier gives you an effective 625 staff. (SEE Force India)

Step 5: Take a non-emotional look at the top-down operating systems, and reconstruct that structure to include all of the Stop/Start/If Only's that are possible.

Step 6: Execute the plan with zero tolerance to deviation.

Step 7: Profit

Agree with you on the overall strategy. But I would go a bit further on the enquiry and do a ONA. Seems to me that there are political wars in the team and most probably coming from people that do not have hierarchical power but have relations power. Someone machiavelically defending the status quo that appraise him (or them). Too many competent people falling at Williams suggests that.

I, as you, work on that area and, have seen it happen even in German corporate and we'll known brand. There will always be some that want to stay in their comfort zone...

Enviado do meu SM-T820 através do Tapatalk

[Zynerji]

Any successful company requires a minimum of 4 roles (can be an individual, or a department):

Visionary - Knows the goal, sets the navigation to get there.
Implementer - Gets the tasks done in the most efficient and timely method possible.
Administrator - Keeps track of everything. Currently mostly done by software.
Facilitator - Maintains a good relationship between the other 3 roles. Communicator of expectation, impartial referee.

The steps I outlined were my method of revising the Implementer role. There are also revision methods for the other 3 roles, but I felt that was overkill for the current post.

[Espresso]

Any successful company requires a minimum of 4 roles (can be an individual, or a department):

Visionary - Knows the goal, sets the navigation to get there.
Implementer - Gets the tasks done in the most efficient and timely method possible.
Administrator - Keeps track of everything. Currently mostly done by software.
Facilitator - Maintains a good relationship between the other 3 roles. Communicator of expectation, impartial referee.

The steps I outlined were my method of revising the Implementer role. There are also revision methods for the other 3 roles, but I felt that was overkill for the current post.

Only 1 (for Williams) suitable name jumps into my mind....B. Ecclestone.

...on the sideline...I'm wondering what new names Claire her pet-donkeys will get....

[zeph]

I'm intrigued about ROKiT, the title sponsor. Joe Saward offers some insight on the Missed Apex podcast (relevant bit starts around 33m31s):




The gist of it is that he feels Williams must be pretty desperate to team up with the likes of ROKiT...

[miguelalvesreis]

Any successful company requires a minimum of 4 roles (can be an individual, or a department):

Visionary - Knows the goal, sets the navigation to get there.
Implementer - Gets the tasks done in the most efficient and timely method possible.
Administrator - Keeps track of everything. Currently mostly done by software.
Facilitator - Maintains a good relationship between the other 3 roles. Communicator of expectation, impartial referee.

The steps I outlined were my method of revising the Implementer role. There are also revision methods for the other 3 roles, but I felt that was overkill for the current post.

I understood the approach, just not sure that an implementer would sort any positive effect if "opposers" are not identified and sidelined

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[munudeges]

If your world view requires the unequivocal belief that Ross 'World Champion at multiple different teams, including his own' Brawn was a con artist and pretender then I suggest your world view is probably a little occluded.

I'm sure you believe you have an argument, but that's a bit of a word salad you've put together there. I suggest reading what was written and responding accordingly, because that assumption just doesn't explain anything.

[munudeges]

I don't see seniority as the crux. If two very intelligent knowledgeable colleagues can't discuss the merits of two different technical directions and determine the best one.

That doesn't work in a Formula 1 team. I know this might sound perfectly reasonable and amicable in many walks of life, but you simply don't have the time to do this nor can you afford the compromises that result in order to keep two people happy. When two different paths can be taken and a decision needs to be made you and everyone else need a clear decision on what to go down. Whoever says "This is what we're doing" regarding the car and everything that is required to design and build it, that is your TD, regardless of the job title he has or what anyone else says.

McLaren, in particular, are a team that have tried this with disastrous results and are now recruiting themselves a clear Technical Director for the first time in probably a couple of decades. How far have they fallen since then?

[munudeges]

So any news from the team that both cars are ready?

good one

I'm sure they'll turn up with 'something', but I shudder to think how far off everyone else it's going to be.

[Manoah2u]

I'm intrigued about ROKiT, the title sponsor. Joe Saward offers some insight on the Missed Apex podcast (relevant bit starts around 33m31s):

https://youtu.be/B_zkU0pOVIg?t=2011


The gist of it is that he feels Williams must be pretty desperate to team up with the likes of ROKiT...

well duh. it's spastic movements from a cornered cat, looking impeding doom straight into the eyes.
i did manage to look up some stuff of rokit, it's not that they're new to sponsoring (sport)teams,
but i'm still baffled by that their website still says "will be launching soon".

in any case, for rokit, it's exposure and this going good or bad as for williams, for rokit, it's only good.

but yeah, it's pretty awkward and mind-boggling stupid that claire hires paydrivers, sponsors like this,
but refuse to be a b-team to mercedes. they rather dangle at the bottom and be the laughing stock.

[munudeges]

I'm intrigued about ROKiT, the title sponsor. Joe Saward offers some insight on the Missed Apex podcast (relevant bit starts around 33m31s):

https://youtu.be/B_zkU0pOVIg?t=2011

The gist of it is that he feels Williams must be pretty desperate to team up with the likes of ROKiT...

I'm not always the biggest fan of Joe Saward, or Joe Sewer, as he is called in some quarters. But, he's been around for a long time, and you get to hear and see the same names and faces over that time.

Riche Energy smells like a scam, but I'll give Gene Haas the benefit of the doubt there. They might well have some investor cash to burn though, but they've certainly not got any revenue through sales. Williams on the other hand is on another level. Apparently, Rich Energy were in at Williams but they got a better deal at Haas.

RoK - 'Return of Kendrick". That, apparently, is what it stands for.