Rank and Yank
Forced ranking systems (firing bottom 10-15% annually) create internal warfare that destroys collaboration.
If you helped someone else close a deal, you pushed yourself down the curve. Collaboration was suicide.
Rank and yank mirrors despotic primate hierarchies where dominance is enforced through aggression and fear. It creates the same physiological stress markers: elevated cortisol in both 'alphas' (managers) and subordinates, suppressed immune function, and accelerated biological aging. Like despotic baboon troops, these systems are brittle - when challenged, subordinates immediately defect rather than defend.
Business Application of Rank and Yank
Forced ranking systems (firing bottom 10-15% annually) create internal warfare that destroys collaboration. GE's 20-year implementation contributed to cultural trauma and $500B value destruction. Microsoft's stack ranking created 'fiefdoms' and 14 years of flat stock. Enron's version created 'culture of wolves' enabling fraud and 47-day collapse.