June 2003
Volume 1, Report 3
from
Twyman L. Towery, Ph.D., LFACHE
Speaker * Author * Consultant * Facilitator
Rule 31 Listed Civil Mediator
Website: http://www.twymantowery.com
Email: tt@twymantowery.com
The topic of this issue of Towery Report is "The Phenomenon of the Given."
Definition of given: (giv'n) 1. bestowed; presented 2. accustomed as from habit or inclination 3. taken as a premise; assumed; granted 4. issued or executed on the specified date by the specified person
In This Report
1. Management
2. Major Business Turnoff
3. Humor
1. MANAGEMENT
"CAPITALISM
WTHOUT BANKRUPTCY IS LIKE CHRISTIANITY WITHOUT HELL"
-Frank Borman, former CEO of what was formerly Eastern Airlines
I never met Frank Borman, but I sure wanted to. Why? I logged hundreds of thousands
of miles with Eastern and I just wanted to find out if anybody could be as
much of an ogre as his employees said HE was. I mean, the people that ran that
airline, from the pilots to the ticket takers, despised him.
Eastern employees talked openly to anyone that would listen: passengers, colleagues,
and workers from competing companies alike, about what a jerk they worked for.
I even heard some remark that they hoped the airline would go under, even though
it would cost them their jobs, just to get Borman.
Employees said he treated them as no more than commodities to be bought, sold
and used as he pleased. One story stands out: I had just lost my tough little
bird dog Clyde, a beautiful orange and white Brittany, to a mystery case of
influenza. An unavoidable business trip had to be made and Eastern was my airline.
There I sat in the first class cabin with tears streaming down my face (I had
plenty of frequent flier points) when the flight attendant sat down beside
me, held my hand and told me about her wonderful mixed Terrier Mamie, that
had met a similar fate. Soon, she was crying too.
As I got off the plane I told the attendant how kind she had been and how much
it meant to me. "Shh!" she cautioned me, "Someone may tell Frank
and King Frank doesn't like kindness."
"IT IS EVEN HARDER FOR THE AVERAGE APE TO BELIEVE HE HAS DESCENDED FROM
MAN." - H.L. Menken
I guess we will never know if employee hatred of management caused the demise
of the once high flying carrier or not. But Eastern was no longer the airline
of choice for regular travelers and that had to take its toll on profitability.
No customer likes to constantly hear employee's complaints, but after hearing
so much of it I found myself joining the rank and file employees in their anger
at Eastern's corporate management. Borman may have achieved his type of "Capitalism," but
a once powerful airline with thousands of competent employees went down with
his philosophy.
This is the point: How your employees feel about you and your organization
during these rocky economic times may well make the difference between "YOUR" managerial
success or failure.
"I LIKE TO BUY STOCK IN A COMPANY ANY FOOL CAN MANAGE BECAUSE EVENTUALLY
ONE DAY ONE WILL." - Peter Lynch, Former head of Fidelity Investments Magellen
Fund
TODAY
Many employees and executives alike are shaky about the future of their companies,
ergo, themselves and their families. It is going to take more than platitudes
to get over this hump. Many have read the following quote, or at least sensed
its potential truism:
"WE IN AMERICA ARE NEARER TO THE FINAL TRIUMPH OVER POVERTY THAN EVER BEFORE
IN THE HISTORY OF THE LAND. THE POORHOUSE IS VANISHING AMONG US." - Herbert Hoover, Aug. 11, 1928. (Just before the stock market crash of 1929.)
SO WHAT IS A GOOD MANAGER/EXECUTIVE TO DO?
Be specific. Tell the truth, even when it hurts. You are not dealing with dummies
and if you are, YOU ought to be fired for keeping people like that on the payroll.
Lead by
example. Show people that they are not working for an Enron. Simply telling
them won't get it in this atmosphere of mistrust. Underscore rather than overestimate.
Avoid generalizations and platitudes like the plague. People are not buying
the fuzzy-wuzzy stuff today. (Remember, President Bush recently gave an extremely
well crafted, but somewhat soft, speech to Wall Street - and the market went
DOWN!)
- IDENTIFY THE PROBLEMS ONE BY ONE
- BRAIN STORM EACH ONE INDIVIDUALLY
- PRIORITIZE YOUR SOLUTIONS
- IMPLEMENT SOLUTIONS
- CROSS YOUR FINGERS
BE PROACTIVE, because
"AFTER THE SHIP HAS BEEN SUNK, EVERYONE KNOWS HOW SHE MIGHT HAVE BEEN SAVED." -
Italian proverb
>>back to top
2.
MAJOR BUSINESS TURN-OFF
Dale Ware,
a management Trainer/consultant and good friend of mine from Dickinson, Texas
gives us this edition's major business turn-off. Dale says it irritates
the stew out of him to agree with someone on a time for a future meeting and
then have that person tell him to call and remind him of the upcoming event.
Whoa!!! Is this meant to establish a superior-inferior type relationship from
the "git-go" or is it that the other person can't keep a calendar,
afford a planner or have a secretary? Or does it just mean they are lazy?
Well, in any case Dale, I agree with you. It is presumptuous and rude and I resent
it as much as you do. Thanks!
>>back to top
Interested
in Dr. Towery's healthcare-related services?
www.twymantowery.com/health.htm
Legendary football coach, Paul "Bear" Bryant once remarked, "It's the itsy-bitsy, teeny-weeny things that beat you."
3.
HUMOR
As kids and teachers head back to school, this story comes to mind:
A mother
was having a hard time getting her son to go back to school one morning.
"Nobody likes me at school," said the son. "The teachers don't
and the kids don't. The superintendent hates me, the school board wants me to
drop out, and the custodians have it in for me. I don't want to go."
"You've got to go," insisted the mother. "You're healthy. You've
got a lot to learn. You've got something to offer others. You are a leader."
"Give me one good reason why I should care," said the son.
"I'll give you two," replied the mother. "You're 49 years old
and you're the principal."
Don't Forget:
THE KEY TO SUCCESS IS, ALWAYS REMEMBERING WHERE YOU CAME FROM AND HOW MUCH
YOU DREAD GOING BACK THERE."
Stay in touch!
Twyman Towery