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Answer: Rodger B Morrison
Skunk
works is a common phrase, at least in North America, for something that is
done without official management sanction by the management level that
should approve it. Where the term came from I could only guess - possibly
because it is done sub rosa it stinks.
Oftentimes the immediate supervisor or manager is complicit by not obtaining
blessing from higher up the organization.
For
example a particular group such as maintenance or production might develop a
piece of equipment, hardware, software or a new capability but management a
few levels up won’t know about it.
Answer: Donna Fitzgerald
To
extend Rodger's comment's a skunk works has also come to mean a group of
experts who basically drop out of the system with the sole charter of
getting the job done. These projects are never really publicly acknowledged
and have often dealt in risky technology or where the project is divergent
to the expressed goal of the organization (designing and building a PC in a
company that sold mainframe hardware.)
Skunk
works never follow the established bureaucratic procedures but are
successful because of the level of expertise of the team. You have to know
the rules to know which ones you can safely break. They can also be viewed
as the off org chart organization.
Early
one in my career, I was part of a spontaneously formed cross functional
group that basically ran the company for an 18 month period. We set our own
rules, defined our own procedures and greatly increased company productivity
as a result. It was a classic case of self-organizing behavior in action.
Lockeed Martin has an official Skunk works division. Their charter is:
"The
Skunk Works is a concentration of a few good people solving problems far in
advance--and at a fraction of the cost--by applying the simplest, most
straightforward methods possible to develop and produce new products."
The
literal origin of the term seems to be Al Capp's Lil Abner. In the cartoon
two of the characters used to brew up some noxious spirits in their hidden
still which was called the Skunk Works.
The
cartoon referred to the ongoing conflict between the moonshiners (the makers
of white lightening) and the revenue agents from the department of alcohol,
firearms and tobacco who wanted to tax and regulate the production and sale
of the said moonshine.
According to the source I found, the term has also been used to describe
small "unofficial" research/engineering groups working away at creating
marvelous new inventions.
Answer: Robert Benjamin
The
Skunk Works began as a group of aeronautical engineers working on advanced
aircraft for Lockheed during World War II. It was headed by Clarence
"Kelly" Johnson, who promulgated fourteen operating principles for these
types of projects. Its first project was the P-80 "Shooting Star" jet
fighter that was designed and built in 143 days, 37 days ahead of schedule.
Incidentally, the Skunk Works was so successful for so long that Lockheed
made it a separate division and trademarked the name. It still has the same
charter under Lockheed Martin.
Answer: John Bing
The
postings on the "Skunk Works" really don't do it justice. But then, it
might just be a generation gap as it started over 50 years ago.
Kelly
Johnson was both a genius of advanced aeronautical design and a genius in
organizing and motivating the people who performed again and again truly
outstanding projects. Robert mentions just the first
project, the F80 jet. But much more challenging were, first, the famous U-2
spy plane followed by the SR-71 titanium bird that still holds the maned
airplane speed record. And it is still flying. The latest (published)
success is the F-117 stealth fighter.
What
these aircraft represent is the value and results of a hand picked
outstanding group of men and women dedicated to a cause and lead by a true
giant of a leader. However, from what I have read about the Skunk Works and
heard from a successor to Kelly who spoke to our chapter of PMI several
years ago, it was not an ad hoc group that did it. Kelly demanded and got
very broad authority to organize and run the works, now Lockheed Advance
Development Co. It recruited the best of the best designers and workers
from Lockheed and carried out their work in a separate and secret facility.
With full backing by Lockheed and the Pentagon, it was able to speed up
development and to do it with a fraction of the more typical organization
staffs. It was the ultimate of corporate team work and one that
demonstrates the best potential of PM. Kelly is the PM and leader to end
all PMs.
One
feature of Kelly's system was to hold a staff meeting every morning attended
by the key people responsible for the various elements of the project. The
critical problems of the day would be mentioned and discussed and it would
be dictated that the solution would be found/done that day. There was to be
no place to hide from this responsibility but on the other hand, each staff
knew that the entire organization was behind him. In somewhat of a
contrast, some of the postings on NewGrange, sound like some of the software
teams are composed of talented staff, but with many independent contractors,
and with PMs that don't necessarily have in depth experience in managing
large groups.
The
Skunk Works and Kelly's 14 rules should be studied but don't think that
adopting the name, is the same as replicating it. That would be like a
neighborhood softball team thinking they can be the New York Yankees.
A
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