What is Pixie Dust?
The serious bit
The original research behind this book set out to examine the factors that influence the performance of vertically integrated management dyads at the business and operational levels of management. It was a study of pairs of managers who had been recognised within their sectors for outstanding performance.
The consensus of other recent research in the field of dyadic relationships indicated that experimental alignment was not a prerequisite of high performance but the nature of the relationship between dyadic members had a significant effect on their joint performance.
In support of this consensus of secondary research, Howard G Awbery concluded that his research population of successful dyadic members came from a variety of experimental backgrounds, concurring that common histories were not necessary for success.
However, what was considered imperative across the whole of his research population was their categorical belief in the importance of dyadic compatibility, their unerring trust in clear business objectives and their convergent attitudes towards those factors that influenced their dyadic success and avoidance of failure. Of equal importance was the way they split their management roles, one dyadic partner migrating to the leadership, vision and decision-making roles and the other migrating to the leadership, action and peoples roles.
His research culminated in the construction of a cognitive model of commonalities of high-performing management dyads. Matching job vacancy candidates to this model increases the potential for the greater accuracy in today's notoriously unscientific management selection process, raising to a higher level the retention capability of organisations from a continuously reducing manager stock.