Comments on: the three c’s: changers, contributors and coasters

By: Keith Combs

Keith Combs — Tue, 26 Aug 2008 06:15:38 +0000

He seems to have mellowed since moving to Texas.

By: Toby

Toby — Mon, 25 Aug 2008 18:40:11 +0000

Love it!

By: phil jones

phil jones — Mon, 25 Aug 2008 16:10:54 +0000

Hmmm … where’s the cynical Hugh I know and love? The one who drew this cartoon? http://www.gapingvoid.com/Moveable_Type/archives/000887.html
Tell us which of *those* you’re now selling to …

By: Carolyn

Carolyn — Fri, 22 Aug 2008 21:54:36 +0000

Coasters are the majority & I’m not sure how much would get done without them.They’re happy to go along to get along & don’t usually make waves. Sure it seems like they aren’t doing much, but they allow me, a Contributor, to do what I want to do — which is anything but Coast.At my job Changers are elites who take credit for change that’s set in motion by Contributors.

By: John

John — Thu, 21 Aug 2008 02:38:20 +0000

Y’know, when I worked tech support for Dell, the Blue Monster was my desktop wallpaper. Everybody wondered what the hell it was, and everybody asked me about it. Now I’m interviewing for another position at Dell, and maybe, just maybe, I won’t be the only one with the Blue Monster on his desktop.
I’m glad to see you taking your energy and your insight to the colossi of the tech world, the Microsofts and the Dells, because I’ve been on the ground doing grunt work for these companies and they are painfully unaware of the emerging post-Cluetrain realities, the things people like you and Scoble have been shouting from the rooftops for thee past five years. It makes me think that there may be some hope for these old-school desktop-era guys yet.
Then again, by virtue of what they produce, these guys should be the smartest and the fastest, shouldn’t they

By: David Everitt-Carlson

David Everitt-Carlson — Wed, 20 Aug 2008 10:04:41 +0000

As other posters I'd like to add a category. I'll call then the "Cabateures" with the "c" pronounced as "s". These people resist change strenuously and work hard to undermine change of all kinds because it will make them look bad or expose them for being the laggards they really are. I know a guy here who is one of your "water cooler" people. He makes a point of socializing with workers just enough to get the information he wants to use against them. He's friendly to those when he's on his research missions and then talks poorly about them behind their backs in his undermining role. Every company has a few of these people as well - people who work very very hard to make sure that nothing changes because that's where their power lies.

By: epredator

epredator — Mon, 18 Aug 2008 19:09:27 +0000

I shall certainly be using (and giving props accordingly) the 3 C’s
I think that much of the tension in corporate culture is caused by the fact that many coasters end up in controlling management positions as many changers cant be bothered with the formalities, whilst the contributors deliver the goods.
The balance in control therefore is in the wrong place due to a natural settling. All 3 classes are needed, but I suspect the distribution makes life hard for the changers. Mind you.… thats what makes them/us want to change things

By: gregorylent

gregorylent — Mon, 18 Aug 2008 17:52:56 +0000

find the rebels .. then go home

By: Gjorgi

Gjorgi — Mon, 18 Aug 2008 15:15:33 +0000

great post. i have 2 categories however: live to work, work to live. at the end of the day, if what u do is what makes u happy, then we are all good

By: joelipka

joelipka — Mon, 18 Aug 2008 13:03:01 +0000

The three C’s are a great model for explaining basic behaviors. I think that one thing you could add to them is that they are situational behaviors. Sometimes you must be a changer, sometimes you see the change too late and must become a contributor and other times you might have to be a coaster because of overwhelming family problems.
You need to add the “chainers” because these people are the worst. They are the ones that kill companies, putting their own personal needs above that of their company.

By: Sara Mooney

Sara Mooney — Sun, 17 Aug 2008 22:37:51 +0000

I always looked at these three types as Innovators, Improvers, and Maintainers. But the three C’s has a much better sound to it. In either case, there is always a need for change to stay in front of the competition. There are definitely many levels to keep a company running, and it takes all three types to keep it moving smoothly.

By: Howard

Howard — Sun, 17 Aug 2008 17:09:28 +0000

Great post Hugh!
I hope it serves as a catalyst to create a face to face with Michael Dell. While there may be people that push change at Dell there is only 1 person that can decide to make an idea into the corporate mission.
“He who pays… says” True in any organization in varying degrees. But still true.

By: Keith Combs

Keith Combs — Sun, 17 Aug 2008 15:02:34 +0000

I don’t think you are giving the Coasters their just due. They are the majority. They are a force. And who says just doing their job in order to have a real life is bad?
I envy coasters.

By: Huw

Huw — Sun, 17 Aug 2008 11:37:42 +0000

I recognise the three C peoples;and the changers are the way to go. I reckon there is (at least) one other group in most organisations — what shall I call them? The Crappers? The Chainers? Fossils? Whatever. These people actively resist change because of fear, desire to control etc. Much more destructive than Coasters, and very different dynamic from Changers. Alienating and disempowering them can be satisfying in many ways.

By: Jan

Jan — Sun, 17 Aug 2008 10:04:21 +0000

I like Dell. I love my Dell gaming notebook. It does all my daily productivity stuff plus also allowing me to attend the occasional LAN-party.
It’s the perfect combo of powerful portable gaming hardware + the peace of mind from knowing you will get support from a large company and that getting spare parts won’t be a problem (unless you want to switch your notebook’s keyboard by one with a different layout, because at least in Europe Dell won’t sell it to you).
My next notebook may be a Dell again (I was satisfied about the quality, stability and warranty options), but I hope that, before I fall for a cheap desktop pc, they’ll bring a gaming notebook to market that:
1) weighs much less than the current generation (5kg + a massive power supply! My back hurts when I carry it in a backpack)
2) Has a clip-on cover that can make it look like something an adult would use.
3) Has pricetag that would keep people from flocking back to desktop pc’s during an economic recession.
4) Has palmrests in black plastic (transpiration during games wears off the silvery coating of the plastic.