Apple is one of my favorite companies. I do not know where I would be without my IPhone or IPad. The first computer we had when I was a child was a Macintosh. My girlfriend recently purchased an Apple watch, and I now want one. In fact, I loved my IPod before the phone was released. Apple has never made a product that I did not like. Steve Jobs changed the history of technology when he co-founded Apple in 1976. In 1985, after a dispute with the other partners of Apple, Jobs began his subsequent journey starting the computer company NeXT. This week I had the pleasure of viewing a short 1985 documentary going behind the scenes of the start-up team of NeXT entitled Steve Jobs brainstorms with NeXT team.
As I watched the video, I pondered how I would fit in with the other members of the start-up team. Would I get along with the group? What could I bring to the table to help the company grow? I came to realize that as much as I love Steve Jobs as a technological innovator, we may not be the best leader/follower team. One thing I noticed in the video was that he was the brain trust of the company and was not afraid to let anyone know. My interpretation of Steve in the video was that he was the innovator of the company, and his ideas were going to be used. I believed his demeanor illustrated that this was his company and ideas, and everyone else must format their thinking to fit his ideas. EveryVideo (2014) stated that Jobs constantly disrupted other members of the team to reiterate the focus of his vision.
Last month I was able to take part in a management assessment profile (MA) survey conducted by Nextsteps Research. According to my MA results, I am driven by goals that are set internally. Whetten and Cameron (2016) stated that intrinsic motivation includes a sense of purpose or accomplishment. I am not motivated by goals that are externally produced, so I am not sure if I would vibe with the goals that were set by Steve Jobs. On the other side of the coin, if I were able to establish an internal goal as a member of the start-up team, I believe I would be a highly contributing member of the team. According to my MA results, I am very highly motivated to achieve and also very highly motivated by challenges.
In general, a concern I have about fitting into the start-up team is the basic thought of starting up a computer company. According to my MA results, I have a strong desire to follow a structure and dislike creating or conceiving new processes or inventing new products. My characteristics show that I would not enjoy being on a team that is driven by creativity. I strive in a work environment where a secure structure already exists.
When Steve Jobs left Apple to start NeXT, he was taking a risk. How would he be seen by the public? What would he do next regarding developing technology? I am sure there many other questions were asked in the summer of 1985 when Apple’s co-founder left the company. But, Jobs was already a successful business person and millionaire. I believe the biggest risk was taken by the 11 Apple employees that decided to follow Jobs on his new technological adventure. EveryVideo (2014) showed the staff talking about the timeline and dates that the computer must be launched to keep the company afloat, or as I hear it… to save your jobs.
Everyvideo (2014) mentioned that the majority of these employees had great jobs at Apple but followed their leader when he left the company. On that principle alone, I do not think I would ever be part of the start-up team. According to my MA results, I have a low desire for personal risk. I do not believe I would have left my career at Apple to go and work for a start-up. I always weigh my risks extensively and do not believe I would have taken the risk of leaving Apple.
Another area I would not fit in with the team is problem-solving. The second retreat consisted of solving “actual problems in time to meet critical deadlines” (EveryVideo, 2014, n.p.). According to my MA results, I am more highly motivated to the find problems and less motivated to solve problems. The sole purpose of the second NeXt company retreat was to solve problems. The team members discussed launch date, costs, coming up with a name and logo, the design of the computer, the design of the operating system, how to distribute the finished product, and the best target market. This retreat was full of problems that had to be solved for the company to continue. My MA results hint that I would not thrive in a work environment that possesses the problems that a start-up company must solve.
My MA results also revealed that I have more of a desire to work alone than I do in a team setting. So, the basic definition of a team may defer me from fitting in with the start-up members. The tension of trying to stay on schedule would also be an area of concern for me. Brown (2011) discussed some of the major stressors in a work environment as: lack of participation in decision making, conflicts with other people, and not enough time to do expected duties. According to Everyvideo (2014), the second retreat contained several stressors. A lot of finger pointing, conflicting views, and he said/she said were taking place. I believe the stress would be too much for me, and I would not be able to be a part of the team.
I have mentioned many areas where I believe I would not fit in with the NeXT startup team, but there are a couple of areas in which I believe I could coexist with the team. One personality trait that I believe Steve and I would share is the pursuit of perfection. According to my MA results, I have a high desire to achieve perfection. If Steve and I were able to share the same idea or direction, our mutual desire for perfection could have been a boost for the company.
One other area where I could have helped the company is the budgetary concerns. As an accountant and former budget accountant, I have worked with shrinking budgets. Of all of the ideas and concepts discussed in the Everyvideo (2014) documentary, I would be most comfortable with the shrinking budget.
According to Hormby (2012), NeXt was sold to Apple in 1996, and Jobs returned to work at as an advisor. The company did not have the impact on technology that Jobs had hoped, but his return to Apple opened the door for the next line of technology including the IPhone’s, and IPad’s that we could not live without today.
References
Brown, D. (2011). An experiential approach to organizational development (8th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall
EverySteveJobsvideo. (2014, January 1). Steve Jobs brainstorms with the NeXT team (1985) [Video File]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BNeXlJW70KQ
Hormby, T. (2013). The NeXT Years: Steve Jobs before his triumphant return to Apple. Retrieved from http://lowendmac.com/2013/next-years-steve-jobs-before-triumphant-return-apple/
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