Tim Cook has made some changes at Apple. Perhaps most intriguing, is the CEO's approach to his employees. While Steve Jobs was known for sometimes being cruel to his underlings, a new program at Apple gives certain employees two weeks to tackle other projects within the company.
According to Wall Street Journal's Jessica Lessin, Apple initiated the side-project program, called Blue Sky, earlier this year. Essentially, the system allows Apple employees to work on projects that may fall out of their usual scope of responsibilities.
But Lessin also says Blue Sky is a "far cry" from similar programs at Silicon Valley employers like Google. Apparently, the two-week breaks only apply to a small, select group of Apple employees.
Google's 20-percent program allows its employees to spend 20-percent of their time on other ideas.
Still, Blue Sky is a bit of a different step for Apple. If Cook plans on extending the program, it could mean the CEO is interested in showing a kinder hand with employees, perhaps choosing a different path than his predecessor.
Most recently, Apple executive Scott Forstall was demoted from his position as senior vice-president on iOS software, until his exit from the company next year. The executive shake-up has left some wondering if the management at Apple is changing course.
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Image Source: Robert Galbraith/Reuters
