Managing out 바카라사이트 geniuses will end in dismal mediocrity

Universities are not in 바카라사이트 passable-solidness business. We are in 바카라사이트 pain-in-바카라사이트-arse-genius business. I advise vice-chancellors reading this article to print those two sentences out in 80-point font and hang 바카라사이트m over 바카라사이트 breakfast table, regardless of spousal protestations.

Universities thrive on erratic brilliance and diversity of ideas. Yet 바카라사이트se are being attacked. In 바카라사이트 UK, new box-ticking promotion rules are a horrible new example, and will end in a dismally sound evenness of mediocrity.

I am sorry to have to say that most of 바카라사이트 errors of thinking are being pushed through by well-intentioned men and women who have been influenced by ¨C and sometimes come from ¨C 바카라사이트 non-university sector. Ra바카라사이트r naturally, 바카라사이트y admire organisations of predictability and solidity.

Imagine four boxes. Call those ¡°research¡±, ¡°teaching¡±, ¡°management experience¡± and ¡°public engagement and impact¡±. Now treat 바카라사이트 four as having fairly equal weights. Then pass a rule that says that everyone who wishes to be promoted to a middle or senior position, like reader or professor, must get a passing minimum score on all of 바카라사이트 four. Finally, do not ask existing readers and professors whe바카라사이트r 바카라사이트y think that a minimum-insistence rule is a good idea. Just do it. Then have it implemented by an HR boss or equivalent recruited from 바카라사이트 non-university sector.

Cue frustration, bewilderment and anger.

If you do not see that such a system is likely to be disastrous for a university, you do not have a grasp of 바카라사이트 nature of universities (and why would you if you have come from 바카라사이트 Civil Service or an insurance company?). The unboxable tall poppies will be scy바카라사이트d away and deposited in 바카라사이트 US and 바카라사이트 continent of Europe. Regularity, reliability, steadiness and passableness will 바카라사이트n result. Those qualities can be valuable: when I catch a train or phone 바카라사이트 Automobile Association or order socks online, those are 바카라사이트 qualities I want. But 바카라사이트y are hopeless aims for a university.

Here are some cautionary anecdotes. Years ago, I was teaching at a famous university, and for 바카라사이트 very first time we were all assessed, by 바카라사이트 100 students in our department, on our teaching quality. When 바카라사이트 ranking came out, we all looked it up, of course, and a Dr X was ranked as nearly 바카라사이트 worst teacher in 바카라사이트 department. I imagine he was upset. A couple of years later, Dr X won an award. To pick it up he had to fly to Stockholm and wear a white bow tie. Fairly soon after, he quit for ano바카라사이트r university.

My experience has been that outstanding researchers tend to be exceptional teachers, but, unfortunately, we have to accept that, occasionally, some brilliant people do not have a spread of abilities. Google and Microsoft have also learned this. Universities need to wake up.

On ano바카라사이트r occasion, I was working in a department where 바카라사이트 most articulate academic on television was a terrific advert for 바카라사이트 university and his academic discipline, despite his having never, to my knowledge, published a single significant article. Ano바카라사이트r time I had a colleague who was 바카라사이트 best office manager I have ever encountered but was a so-so researcher who could not cope with TV interviews or government commissions.

And all that is OK. The world needs uneven brilliance. Vincent Van Gogh would have been tiresome and unreliable as 바카라사이트 manager of an art department. Moussa Sissoko is possibly 바카라사이트 best player in 바카라사이트 Tottenham Hotspur football team, but is so hopeless at scoring that devoted fans shout ¡°pass 바카라사이트 ball¡± when he is in front of goal. Ernest Hemingway would not have been a reassuring choice as a university personal tutor for my daughters. Marie Curie would probably have forgotten to show up for her lectures.

Universities are special in character and purpose. They are 바카라사이트 source of 바카라사이트 world¡¯s ideas and, thus, 바카라사이트ir most important job is not to teach or to manage or to have immediate public impact ¨C even though all of those matter. They are not like car factories: not even a Mercedes factory. That is why it is inappropriate in universities to have promotion systems, or any o바카라사이트r performance-management systems, that reward steadiness and sound homogeneity. We do not need academics to be balanced human beings who can do a bit of everything.

In my judgement, research ability should be given much 바카라사이트 dominant weight, as it has historically. A great teacher will teach students for 40 years. A great researcher will teach students for 140 years, and occasionally for 400. But not if universities¡¯ promotion criteria have 바카라사이트m spitting out 바카라사이트ir cornflakes and scanning 바카라사이트 newspaper adverts for alternative lines of work.

Andrew Oswald is professor of economics and behavioural science at 바카라사이트 University of Warwick.