she said, i know these guys by now — i made him swear. … · 1979-04-18 · #3284a plymouth...

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#3284A

PLYMOUTH MANAGEMENT CLUB

R. M. PRICE

April 18, 1979

I. INTRODUCTION

THANK YOU, IT' S A PLEASURE FOR ME TO SPEAK TO YOU THIS EVENING. IT

REALLY IS'. YOU KNOW I USED TO HATE GIVING SPEECHES — NOW I ONLY

HATE WRITING THEM — BUT IT'S WORTH IT TO BE ABLE TO GET OUT AND

SPEND SOME TIME WITH YOU AND YOUR COLLEAGUES AROUND THE COMPANY. I

HAVE THIS DREAM, YOU KNOW, — IN IT AL NETTEN, OR SOMEONE, SAYS —

COME SPEND A COUPLE OF HOURS WITH US WEDNESDAY. WE ARE GOING TO

EXPLAIN TO YOU NOT ONLY HOW WE ARE GOING TO BEAT THE BUDGET, THE

PLAN, AND THE WORLD BUT WE ARE GOING TO EXPLAIN THE WORLD ECONOMY,

THE SOLUTION TO THE ENERGY PROBLEM, IBM' S FUTURE PRODUCT STRATEGY

AND THE CONTROL DATA ACCOUNTING SYSTEM — AND ALL YOU HAVE TO DO IS

LISTEN. ACTUALLY THAT ALMOST HAPPENED A FEW WEEKS BACK — JIM

MURDAKES CALLED MY SECRETARY AND ASKED THAT I ATTEND A LUNCH WITH

THE QFT SALESMEN. SHE REPORTED — "NO SPEECH", JIM SAYS — "JUST

WANT THE CHIEF TO BE THERE TO HEAR HOW TECHNOTEC IS GONNA HAVE A

BANNER YEAR." "KAREN", I SAID, "THE LAST TIME SOMEBODY ASKED ME TO

GO TO LUNCH WITHOUT MAKING A SPEECH WAS WHEN PEOPLE THOUGHT THE

"MIDDLE EAST" REFERRED TO SOME PLACE AROUND PHILADELPHIA." "NO",

SHE SAID, "I KNOW THESE GUYS BY NOW — I MADE HIM SWEAR." WELL, I

FORGOT ABOUT THE WHOLE THING — AND THE DAY CAME TO ATTEND. WHILE

R M Price CDC speeches Charles Babbage Institute <www.cbi.umn.edu>

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PAGE 2

WE WERE WALKING TO THE SEMINAR ROOM — JIM SAYS — "GLAD YOU' RE COM

ING CHIEF — GREAT GROUP — GOOD SESSION NO SPEECH JUST

AFTER LUNCH YOU' RE SCHEDULED TO GIVE THE GROUP YOUR REMARKS ONHOW TO

MAKE QFT A SUCCESS, HOW IMPORTANT IT IS, ETC., ETC. SO MUCH FOR

DREAMS.

BUT PUBLIC SPEAKING IS PART OF THE JOB — AND LIKE MINNESOTA

WINTERS, IT IS EVEN FUN. I JUST MADE UP MY MIND TO ENJOY IT. THAT

WASN'T EASY AT ALL. I WAS SO BAD I HAD TO READ MY NAME WHEN CLASS

INTRODUCTIONS WERE MADE IN GRAMMAR SCHOOL.

REALLY'. I REMEMBER SOMEHOW OR OTHER I GOT ENROLLED IN A PUBLIC

SPEAKING COURSE WHEN I WAS GOING TO DUKE UNIVERSITY.

(STORY: BENRUS — USING EXPERIENCE TO HELP)

THE FIRST SPEECH OF THE COURSE WAS TO BE A TEN-MINUTE DEMON

STRATION SPEECH AND WE SUBMITTED THE TITLES IN ADVANCE. MINE

WAS: "HOW TO MAKE A BENRUS". DO YOU RECALL A BRAND OF WATCH

CALLED BENRUS? DOES IT EXIST ANYMORE? I DON* T KNOW — PROBABLY

REBORN AS A TIMEX.

ANYWAY, I DON'T KNOW IF THE PROFESSOR THOUGHT I WAS A MAGICIAN

OR JUST ANOTHER OVER-OPTIMISTIC SOPHOMORE BUT HE LET IT RIDE.

LITTLE DID HE KNOW THE DEPTH OF MY FEAR OF PUBLIC SPEAKING.

INEXORABLY THE DAY CAME — TO THE FRONT OF THE ROOM WITH MY BAG

OF MATERIALS. MY SPEECH WAS EXACTLY FOUR LINES LONG:


"THE SCENE IS WRIGHTVILLE BEACH." "I AM THERE WITH ADELE."

WITH THAT, OUT CAME TWO LARGE PAPER CUPS. THEN A BOTTLE OF

ORANGE JUICE — HALF IN EACH CUP. THEN A BOTTLE OF GIN — HALF

IN EACH CUP. AND THE FINAL LINES:

"I NOW REMOVE MY BENRUS WATCH AND STIR — THAT' S HOW TO MAKE A

BENRUS." I CHUGGED MY CUP, OFFERED THE OTHER TO THE PROFESSOR,

AND SAT DOWN....AMIDST THUNDEROUS APPLAUSE. THE RESULTS WERE

MIXED — AN "F" FOR CONTENT AND DELIVERY AND AN "A" FOR AUDACITY

AND BEING THE FIRST TO BRING BOOZE TO THE CLASSROOMS OF THAT

THEN STAID DUKE UNIVERSITY, AND AN AVERAGING OF THOSE TO A "C"

BY THE UNDERSTANDING AND — I SUSPECT A LITTLE BOMBED — IN

STRUCTOR.

ANYWAY, SPEAKING OF TIME, WHAT A GREAT TIME TO BE A PART OF CONTROL

DATA. THE GROWTH AND CHANGE AND EXCITEMENT — THE CHALLENGE OF THE

PAST TEN YEARS WILL PALE BY COMPARISON WITH THE OPPORTUNITIES AND

CHALLENGES OF THE 1980's. AND, TONIGHT, I WANT TO SHARE WITH YOU

SOME THOUGHTS ABOUT WHAT WE AS MANAGERS MUST DO — WHAT WE MUST

BE — IF WE ARE TO HAVE OUR COMPANY FULFILL THE PROMISE THOSE OPPOR

TUNITIES PROVIDE.

1979 IS KIND OF A PLATFORM — A FINAL JUMPING OFF POINT FOR THE

1980'S AND SO FAR WE ARE OFF TO A GOOD START. REVENUES FOR THE

FIRST QUARTER ARE UP 22.3% FROM LAST YEAR AND PROFITS ARE UP 97.8%

WHILE AVERAGE ASSETS FOR THE QUARTER WERE UP 6.7%. SO WE ARE IM

PROVING OUR PROFITABILITY AS WELL AS OUR PROFITS.


AND WHAT A CHANGE FROM 1970'. IN THAT FIRST YEAR OF THIS PAST DECADE

WE HAD REVENUES OF $550 MILLION. THIS YEAR COMPUTER BUSINESS

REVENUES WILL BE IN EXCESS OF TWO BILLION. AND THE COMPUTER

BUSINESS NET LOSS IN 1970 WAS $46.6 MILLION — A FIGURE WE WILL EX

CEED ON THE POSITIVE SIDE THIS YEAR.

STILL AND ALL, THERE ARE PLENTY OF HURDLES THAT MUST BE CLEARED

SOME OF THOSE HURDLES ARE VERY CLOSE TO HOME FOR THIS MANAGEMENT

GROUP — OMEGA AND MASS STORAGE IN PARTICULAR — AND SOME OF THEM

ARE MORE REMOTE FROM YOUR ACTIVITIES — FOR EXAMPLE, THE IMPACT OF

EVENTS IN IRAN OVER THE PAST SIX MONTHS. AND ALL OF US WILL HAVE TO

CONTEND WITH A COMPLEX AND POORLY UNDERSTOOD ECONOMIC ENVIRONMENT;

ONE THAT BECOMES INCREASINGLY SO WITH EACH PASSING DAY OF INFLATION,

ENERGY DISLOCATIONS, LABOR AND POLITICAL UNREST.

THE SECRET OF DEALING WITH ALL THAT IS IN THE INTERNAL STRENGTH WE

CAN DEVELOP IN CONTROL DATA. FUNDAMENTALLY SOUND STRATEGIES AND

OPERATING PRACTICES WHICH YIELD SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENT IN

PROFITABILITY AS OPPOSED TO JUST GROWTH OF REVENUE . IN THAT REGARD,

OUR STATEMENTS - BOTH INTERNALLY AND EXTERNALLY - REGARDING

FINANCIAL RESULTS DO US A GREAT DISSERVICE. THERE IS IN THEM THE

LURE OF SELF-SATISFACTION AND THE TRAP OF SELF-DECEPTION. FOR WHILE


THERE IS INDEED PROGRESS, CONTROL DATA'S ABSOLUTE PERFORMANCE OF A

3.5% RETURN ON SALES, 9% RETURN ON STOCKHOLDER EQUITY CAN ONLY BE

CATEGORIZED AS POOR. LET ME READ TO YOU OUR FIRST QUARTER EARNINGS

RETURN:

CONTROL DATA REPORTS STRONG FIRST QUARTER

MINNEAPOLIS, MINN., APRIL 11, 1979 — CONTROL DATA CORPORATION

TODAY REPORTED COMBINED REVENUES OF $717 MILLION FOR THE THREE

MONTHS ENDED MARCH 31 COMPARED WITH $604 MILLION IN THE SAME

QUARTER OF 1978. CONSOLIDATED NET EARNINGS FOR THE FIRST

QUARTER OF 1979 WERE $25.0 MILLION OR $1.45 PER SHARE COMPARED

WITH $15.7 MILLION AND $0.90 PER SHARE REPORTED A YEAR AGO.

NOW LET ME READ IT TO YOU THE WAY IT SHOULD READ:

CONTROL DATA REPORTS FIRST QUARTER PROGRESS

MINNEAPOLIS, MINN., APRIL 11, 1979 — CONTROL DATA CORPORATION

TODAY REPORTED CONSOLIDATED NET EARNINGS FOR THE FIRST QUARTER

OF 1979 WERE 3.5% OF REVENUES — SOMEWHAT IMPROVED FROM LAST

YEAR'S FIRST QUARTER RATE OF 3.0% BUT STILL WELL BELOW THE IN

DUSTRY AVERAGE OF 6.0%.

WE MUST CHANGE THAT LEVEL OF PERFORMANCE. HOW? BASICS THAT'S

HOW — AND ONE OF THESE BASICS IS LEVERAGE. LEVERAGE....MAN FACED

WITH TASKS BEYOND HIS INDIVIDUAL STRENGTH IN- VENTED LEVERS — AND

HE IS STILL DOING IT. WE SAY WORK SMARTER, NOT HARDER — WE'RE

TALKING LEVERAGE.


TODAY, WE NEED TO USE LEVERAGE IN SUCH VITAL AREAS AS PRODUCT

UNIQUENESS. FEATURES, ADVANTAGES, BENEFITS. AND NOT JUST IN PRODUCT

FEATURES — BUT STARTING FROM THE PLANT AND EVERY STEP ALONG THE WAY

THAT AFFECTS EACH LINE OF OUR P&L AND BALANCE SHEET — WE NEED TO

APPLY LEVERAGE IN OUR MARKETING, AND OUR ADMINISTRATIVE AND DEVELOP

MENT AREAS. IN SHORT, LEVERAGE IS THE KEY TO GREATER PRODUCTIVITY.

NOW, FINDING THAT LEVERAGE — BUILDING THOSE LEVERS — THAT IS THE

RESPONSIBILITY OF MANAGEMENT.

IF I HAD TO NAME JUST ONE FACTOR THAT WILL DETERMINE THE FUTURE

PERFORMANCE OF CONTROL DATA — IT WOULD BE THE MANAGEMENT CAPABILITY

THAT WE DEVELOP. IT IS A DEVELOPMENT PROCESS THAT ALL OF US MUST

SHARE IN.

TO THAT END, WE HAVE DEVELOPED SOME AIDS, SOME GUIDES, SUCH AS THE

STATEMENT OF EXPECTATIONS AND THE CAREER PLANNING GUIDES. THERE ARE

THE EXPANDING PLATO TRAINING PROGRAMS.

BUT I CANNOT TELL YOU THAT THERE EXISTS, MUCH LESS THAT WE HAVE, A

CUT AND DRIED SYSTEM OF EQUATIONS THAT BEGET MANAGERIAL EXCELLENCE.

WHAT I CAN GIVE YOU IS A SIMPLE, FIVE-POINT STATEMENT OF FUNDAMENTAL

BELIEFS THAT CAN MOTIVATE AND LEAD US TOWARD MANAGERIAL EXCELLENCE.


FIRST OF ALL, THERE IS THE REWARD OF MANAGEMENT. THE MANAGERIAL JOB

OFFERS ONE OF THE BEST OPPORTUNITIES AROUND FOR A MEANINGFUL LIFE.

IT OFFERS THE OPPORTUNITY TO WORK WITH OTHERS IN THE MOST REWARDING

WAY CONCEIVABLE TO SIMULTANEOUSLY LEARN FROM AND TEACH OTHERS. THIS

MEANS A DESIRE TO LEARN AND OPENESS OF MIND ARE FUN- DAMENTAL TO

MANAGERIAL EXCELLENCE.

THE MANAGERIAL JOB ALSO OFFERS GREAT CHALLENGE. WE ALL THRIVE ON

COMPLEX SITUATIONS THAT PUT US TO THE TEST. AFTER ALL, THAT'S WHAT

SEPARATES MANAGERS FROM THOSE WHO ARE CONTENT MERELY TO FOLLOW.

PEOPLE, HONESTLY SUPPORTED, GIVEN GUIDELINES OF INTEGRITY, AND TRULY

MOTIVATED CAN ACCOMPLISH INCREDIBLE THINGS. AND, MANAGERS MAKE THAT

HAPPEN. IT IS THEIR REWARD FOR EXCELLENCE.

I CAN GIVE YOU A VERY PERSONAL EXAMPLE OF THIS REWARD.

IN 1970, AFTER TEN AGONIZING YEARS, TICKETRON FINALLY BROKE THR

OUGH AND HAD ITS FIRST YEAR OF PROFIT. NOT JUST A LITTLE PROFIT.

BUT, IT BECAME ACTUALLY ONE OF THE MOST PROFITABLE GROUPS IN THE

COMPANY. (WHAT THAT MEANT TO ME'.)

SO, TO CELEBRATE, I INVITED THE CURRENT PRESIDENT OF TICKETRON, AND

HIS THREE PREDECESSORS WHO PARTED ALONG THE WAY, TO A SPECIAL DINNER

IN NEW YORK. WE REMINISCED A BIT, AND WE MUTUALLY AGREED THAT EACH


OF THEM HAD CONTRIBUTED TO THE ULTIMATE SUCCESS OF TICKETRON. AND,

BEFORE WE WENT OUR SEPARATE WAYS, THERE WAS ONE LAST TOAST, WHICH

CAUGHT ME BY SURPRISE.

IMMODESTLY, I REPORT, THAT THE FOUR MEN RAISED THEIR GLASSES "TO

CONTROL DATA AND BOB PRICE", THEY SAID, "NOBODY ELSE WOULD HAVE MADE

TICKETRON SURVIVE." I FELT LIKE I HAD JUST EARNED THE NOBEL

PRIZE — AT LEAST.

I ASSURE YOU THAT NO MATTER WHAT YOUR JOB TITLE, YOU CAN'T BUY THIS

KIND OF FEELING OF SATISFACTION AND PRIDE AND CONFIDENCE WITH ANY

AMOUNT OF MONEY.

NOW, LET ME TURN TO THE SECOND AREA FOR DEVELOPING MANAGEMENT

EXCELLENCE. MANAGEMENT STYLE.

BY STYLE, I MEAN THE DEVELOPMENT OF AN INDIVIDUAL APPROACH TO

ACHIEVING GOALS AND SHARPENING YOUR PERSPECTIVE AND ABILITIES OF

DEALING WITH YOUR PEOPLE.

WHEN I' M OUT CROSS COUNTRY SKIING OR HIKING I NOTICE THAT NONE OF

THE PEOPLE HAVE QUITE THE SAME EQUIPMENT OR STYLE. BUT, THEY

UTILIZE WHAT IT TAKES TO SUIT THEIR NEEDS AND TO HELP THEM GET WHERE

THEY WANT TO GO.


YOU NEED TO DEVELOP AND MASTER AN INDIVIDUAL STYLE THAT IS COM

FORTABLE FOR YOU — TO GET YOUR JOB DONE. IMPLICIT IN THIS MATTER

OF STYLE — THE POINT OF IT ACTUALLY — IS THE MANAGERS OBLIGATION

TO PROVIDE AN ENVIRONMENT THAT WILL ENABLE HIS SUBORDINATES TO REAL

IZE THEIR FULL POTENTIAL.

THE MANAGER MUST NOT ONLY WANT TO SEE THEM SUCCEED, BUT MAKE SURE

THEY ARE RECOGNIZED FOR THEIR SUCCESS. IN OUR SUBORDINATES, AS IN

OURSELVES, WE WILL FIND FEARS AND ANXIETIES. THE FEAR OF FAIL

URE. ANXIETY. JUST PLAIN CONCERN. THESE ARE USEFUL, EVEN POWERFUL

MOTIVATORS. BUT ON THE OTHER HAND, THE MANAGER WITH INSIGHT AND

BALANCE KNOWS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN "USE" AND EXPLOITATION". AC

COUNTABILITY AND CONSISTENCY ARE THE KEYS TO MANAGERIAL BALANCE.

ACCOUNTABILITY WILL PRODUCE SELF-IMPROVEMENT, SELF-MOTIVATION AND

SELF-DISCIPLINE. ANY TYRANT CAN INDUCE "SWEATY PALMS" — BUT GOOD

LEADERSHIP WILL INDUCE SELF-DISCIPLINE.

CONSISTENCY WILL BE FOUNDED ON A STRONG SET OF PERSONAL BELIEFS —

THE PRODUCT OF STUDY, UNDERSTANDING, AND WILLINGNESS TO FORM

OPINIONS.

CONSISTENCY WILL COME TO THE MANAGER, MORE THAN FROM ANYTHING ELSE,

IF THE OBJECTIVE OF FURTHERING THE ENTERPRISE IS PLACED ABOVE ALL

OTHERS — INCLUDING THE MANAGER'S PERSONAL GOALS. THAT MIGHT SOUND

LIKE THE OLD CALL TO "GIVE ALL FOR THE COMMON GOOD" ~ AND TO SOME


DEGREE IT IS. BUT FUNDAMENTALLY, I'M TALKING ABOUT PERSPECTIVE —

THE MANAGER'S ABILITY TO VIEW AND ACHIEVE HIS PERSONAL GOALS IN THE

CONTEXT OF THE WHOLE.

THE THIRD POINT CONCERNS CHALLENGE. IN A LARGE ORGANIZATION, A

MANAGER'S GREATEST CHALLENGE IS TO ENCOURAGE RISK-TAKING CHANGE.

THE RESPONSIBILITY FOR AND IMPORTANCE OF THIS GROWS GREATER WITH THE

HIGHER LEVEL OF MANAGEMENT.

INNOVATION IS SIMPLY NOT IN THE CHARACTER OF LARGE ORGANIZATIONS —

IT MUST BE CONSCIOUSLY INDUCED. THE PEOPLE WHO INNOVATE MORE

FREQUENTLY THAN NOT HAVE CHARACTERISTICS THAT MAKE THEM UNAPPEALING

TO THE ORGANIZATION AT LARGE. INDEED, THEY FREQUENTLY WORK AT CROSS

PURPOSES TO THE OBJECTIVES OF THE ORGANIZATION. SO THESE PEOPLE ARE

A GREAT CHALLENGE — THEY MUST BE NURTURED.

ON THE OTHER HAND, A MANAGER MUST REMEMBER THAT WHILE MOST

INNOVATORS ARE MAVERICKS, MOST MAVERICKS ARE NOT INNOVATORS. LET'S

LOOK AT HOW A NEW BUSINESS DEVELOPS:

STAGE I — PERCEPTION OF THE OPPORTUNITY. IT ALL BEGINS WHEN

SOMEONE PERCEIVES AN OPPORTUNITY, REDUCES THAT PERCEPTION TO A FEAS

IBLE PLAN AND SELLS THE PLAN.


STAGE II — START UP. THE PROGRAM IS LAUNCHED. THE EMPHASIS IS ON

ACTION — GET SOME BUSINESS — SOMEHOW, SOMEWAY. THE ORGANI- ZATION

IS LOOSE — PEOPLE OPERATE WITH FEW CONSTRAINTS — EVERYONE DOES A

LITTLE OF EVERYTHING. AT THIS POINT, THE MANAGER OR MANAGERS

INVOLVED HAVE A GREAT CAPACITY TO FACE UNCERTAINTY AND FAILURE. THE

OPPOSITION TO THE NEW ENTERPRISE AT THIS POINT IS CONDECENDING AND

DERISIVE — BUT IS MOSTLY ON THE SIDELINES WAITING FOR FAILURE.

STAGE III — INTERMEDIATE PHASE. EXPERIENCE GENERATES REVISION —

SEVERAL REVISIONS -- TO THE ORIGINAL PLAN. THE START UP EUPHORIA

HAS FADED AS SALES GROWTH IS HARDER TO ACHIEVE AND MUCH SLOWER THAN

ANTICIPATED. THE ORGANIZATION IS GETTING REFINED AND CONSTRAINTS

HAVE BEGUN TO BE APPLIED.

AT THIS STAGE, THE OPPOSITION IS AT ITS MOST VOCAL AND POINTING

CONCLUSIVELY TO THE FINANCIAL FOLLY OF THE UNDERTAKING (TICKETRON).

STAGE IV — MATURE PHASE. THIS COULD ALSO BE CALLED THE "MBA

PHASE." THE UNDERTAKING IS NOW SUCCESSFUL. THERE ARE NORMAL OR

GANIZATION CONSTRAINTS. THE OPPOSITION HAS GIVEN UP AND GONE AWAY.

MOST OF THE CREATIVE PEOLE HAVE LOST INTEREST AND ALSO GONE AWAY —

OR PERHAPS THEY WORK IN PLANNING.


FOURTH, LET ME TALK ABOUT MANAGEMENT RESPONSIBILITY. HERE, I GO FAR

BEYOND THE RESPONSIBILITY FOR LEADERSHIP WITHIN THE COMPANY. I

REFER TO A WIDER SPECTRUM OF STAKEHOLDERS THAT COVERS OUR OWNERS,

OUR EMPLOYEES, OUR COMMUNITIES, OUR CUSTOMERS.

AS INDIVIDUAL MANAGERS, WE ACCEPT A DUAL RESPONSIBILITY: ONE AS A

LEADER OF THE COMPANY, AND SECOND AS A LEADER OF THE COMMUNITY. OUR

RESPONSIBILITY ALSO MEANS AN ABILITY TO COMMUNICATE. WE CANNOT BE

TOSSED BACK AND FORTH ACCORDING TO THE WHIMS OF UNINFORMED PEOPLE

WHOSE MAIN PURPOSE IS TO HARRASS INSTEAD OF TO BE OF VALUE.

WE HAVE ALL WATCHED THE GROWING DEBATE OVER WHETHER BUSINESS HAS A

SIMPLISTIC PURPOSE — PROFITS — OR A MORE COMPLEX PURPOSE INVOLV

ING THE BROAD AREA TERMED SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY.

WE CAN STATE THE PURPOSE OF BUSINESS SIMPLISTICALLY. IT IS

SURVIVAL. ONLY BY STAYING HEALTHY CAN IT SERVE THOSE SEVERAL STAKE

HOLDERS . BUT FINANCIAL HEALTH IS ONLY ONE DIMENSION OF THE PROB

LEM. SOCIAL CHANGE CAN JUST AS SURELY THREATEN — OR HELP — A

BUSINESS IN ITS QUEST TO SURVIVE.

THE RESPONSIBILITY OF THE MANAGER IS TO CORRECTLY SENSE HIS EN

VIRONMENT AND ITS CHANGES AND ESTABLISH POLICIES AND STRATEGIES TO

INSURE SURVIVAL. HIS PERSONAL INVOLVEMENT IN COMMUNITY NEEDS WILL

HELP PROVIDE LEADERSHIP WHERE IT IS BADLY NEEDED AS WELL AS PER

SPECTIVE FOR HIMSELF.


FIFTH, AND LAST: THE PERSONAL RESOURCES OF MANAGERS.

THE MANAGERIAL JOB IS PHYSICALLY, EMOTIONALLY AND MENTALLY DE

MANDING. THE MANAGER HAS AN OBLIGATION TO CAREFULY NURTURE HIS PER

SONAL RESOURCES — HIS HEALTH, HIS INTELLECTUAL WELL-BEING AND HIS

TIME.

THESE PERSONAL RESOURCES ARE HIGHLY INTERDEPENDENT. MENTAL

ALERTNESS IS IMPOSSIBLE WITH A SLUGGISH BODY. CONFUSION AND DIS

TRESS LEAD TO PHYSICAL DETERIORATION. AND DISORGANIZED USE OF TIME

CAN INDUCE PATHOLOGICAL STATES IN EITHER BODY OR MIND. FAILURE TO

CARE FOR OUR PERSONAL RESOURCES CAN RESULT IN SUBTLE DETERIOR

ATIONS. TIME SCALES TEND TO BE EXTENDED. THE RESULTS OF A MISSED

OPPORTUNITY — OR LACK OF VIGOR — OR JUST PLAN SLOPPY THINKING —

ARE SELDOM IMMEDIATELY APPARENT.

YET A SENSE OF URGENCY IS FUNDAMENTAL. AND A PROPER SENSE OF

URGENCY IS NOT POSSIBLE TO PEOPLE WHO ARE PHYSICALLY DEBILITATED OR

MENTALLY DULLED OR EMOTIONALLY UNSTABLE.

SO THOSE ARE FIVE SIMPLE BELIEFS ON MANAGEMENT. REWARD, STYLE,

CHALLENGE, RESPONSIBILITY AND PERSONAL RESOURCES.


AS DIFFICULT AS THOSE THINGS ARE TO MEASURE, I BELIEVE WE CAN KNOW

AND WILL KNOW WHEN WE FIND SUCH A STRUCTURE OF MANAGEMENT DE

VELOPING. WE SENSE SOME OF THEM EVERYWHERE IN OUR ORGANIZATION

TODAY. WE SENSE ALL OF THEM IN A VERY FEW PLACES TODAY.

THE BUILDERS OF THAT STRUCTURE OF MANAGEMENT ARE ALL OF YOU IN THIS

ROOM TONIGHT. IT IS UP TO YOU TO PASS THIS PHILOSOPHY AND ON YOUR

FUNDAMENTAL HIGH STANDARDS TO THOSE WHO WORK WITH YOU.

WHEN ALL IS SAID MAYBE IT COMES DOWN TO THIS: LET'S STRIVE SO HARD

IN OUR PURSUIT OF EXCELLENCE, THAT IT WILL BE INEVITABLE FOR OUR

PEOPLE TO FOLLOW.

THANK YOU.


she said, i know these guys by now — i made him swear. … · 1979-04-18 · #3284a plymouth...

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