Orbiting The Giant Hairball Summary

Book Overview The book Orbiting the Giant Hairball was written by Gordon MacKenzie in 1996. Originally self-published the book became a business "cult classic". Gordon was an employee of Hallmark Cards for 30 years, where he inspired his colleagues to slip the bonds of Corporate Normalcy and rise to “orbit” - to a mode of dreaming, daring, and doing above and beyond the rubber-stamp confines of the administrative mind-set. As a testament to his career and the level of creativity he maintained while at Hallmark, his final position title was “Creative Paradox” for Hallmark Cards. Through short stories and personal observations and experiences, MacKenzie provides insight into maintaining a creative, entrepreneurial culture within
In chapter 15, MacKenzie talks about how to address those who make their living within the hairball. He reminds us that we should not view those within the hairball as our enemies. He suggests that any time a bureaucrat stands between you and something you need or want, your challenge is to help that bureaucrat discover a means, harmonious with the system, to meet your need. He also points out the importance of having a supervisor who is supportive. Working for a person that allows their people to lead when necessary, as well as being able to shield them from the unproductive aspects of the firm and its culture is particularly valuable. It is also important to be in an environment that recognizes that the creative process takes time, and that the process is most successful in unstructured environments. Several other areas of the book touch on our culture and society, and its effects on creativity and productivity. MacKenzie believes that people are conditioned to conform at an early age, and that by the time people graduate from colleges and business schools, we are very much alike in our thoughts, values, and beliefs. The corporate world then becomes a reflection of a cold, competitive, correctness where most people have lost their individual characteristics. This creates a significant loss of energy and passion within
Whether it be government regulation, legal specifications, or merely consumer expectations; “corporate normalcy” in the form of policies, procedures, standards, patterns, and the status quo is sometimes the only option. The collapse of Enron is a very tangible example of how dysfunctional “orbiting” can lead to a company’s demise. Utilizing creativity in its business procedures, executive decisions and accounting practices, Enron has become a symbol of willful corporate fraud and