Lesson #5: Strong Management Is The Backbone Of A Strong Company
Lesson #5: Strong Management Is The Backbone Of A Strong Company
Perhaps the strongest legacy that Watson left behind him was his unique management style, remnants of which still persist today throughout the ranks of IBM. “The IBM spirit, the IBM heart and the IBM language were the same in all tongues and in all countries,” Watson said, in large part due to the effective management style he put in place before handing over the reins of the company to his son.
“A manager should regard his position as one that gives him a splendid opportunity to render assistance,” said Watson. This was the first and most essential component to Watson’s management strategy. He strongly believed in the principles of equality and cooperation, claiming that, “A manager is an assistant to his men.” Watson might have been at the top of the corporate ladder, but he knew that if it weren’t for those under him, that ladder would easily crumble.
“It is impossible for any man, I don’t care how able he may be, to do the work and attend to all the details of a business – to accomplish anything – without the support of his entire organization,” said Watson. “This business is such that neither I nor any executive staff can run it alone. It is too big. Our company has grown each year and succeeded because everybody has been contributing to its success.”
Watson believed that good management meant good organization, and while everybody knew their proper place within the company, Watson claimed that cooperation was the only way the company would prosper as a whole. “Cooperation means to give just as much as you get,” he said. “Every manager’s first duty is to help the men under his direction…Listen to the man below you as well as the one above.”
In addition to working together as a team, Watson believed in the importance of sharing a common vision. In order to achieve success, management had to ensure that everybody was on the same page about where the company was heading. In a speech to IBM staff, Watson said, “We have proved the worth of our machines to the world, and I feel it is now our obligation to plan so that this business may go on for all time. I want all of you to get the same kind of vision and belief in IBM.”
However, while stressing the importance of teamwork and cooperation, Watson also emphasized the importance of individuality and accountability. “Learn to supervise yourself,” he said. In a presentation that he would use time and again in staff meetings, Watson listed off all the positions within IBM, including General Manager, Sales Manager and Factory Manager. He would then highlight the construction of the word ‘manager’, focusing on ‘man’ and the individual nature of each position. To this end, Watson never required his workers to wear uniforms, although a dark business suit – which Watson believed showed business respect – soon became the unofficial uniform.
“The great accomplishments of man have resulted from the transmission of ideas and enthusiasm,” said Watson. By emphasizing teamwork, cooperation, and accountability, and by promoting a shared vision and sense of enthusiasm, Watson was able to construct a winning team.
Lesson 5 Strong Management Is The Backbone Of A Strong Company
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“A man is known by the company he keeps,” Watson once said. “A company is known by the men it keeps.”
Perhaps the strongest legacy that Watson left behind him was his unique management style, remnants of which still persist today throughout the ranks of IBM. “The IBM spirit, the IBM heart and the IBM language were the same in all tongues and in all countries,” Watson said, in large part due to the effective management style he put in place before handing over the reins of the company to his son.
“A manager should regard his position as one that gives him a splendid opportunity to render assistance,” said Watson. This was the first and most essential component to Watson’s management strategy. He strongly believed in the principles of equality and cooperation, claiming that, “A manager is an assistant to his men.” Watson might have been at the top of the corporate ladder, but he knew that if it weren’t for those under him, that ladder would easily crumble.
“It is impossible for any man, I don’t care how able he may be, to do the work and attend to all the details of a business – to accomplish anything – without the support of his entire organization,” said Watson. “This business is such that neither I nor any executive staff can run it alone. It is too big. Our company has grown each year and succeeded because everybody has been contributing to its success.”
Watson believed that good management meant good organization, and while everybody knew their proper place within the company, Watson claimed that cooperation was the only way the company would prosper as a whole. “Cooperation means to give just as much as you get,” he said. “Every manager’s first duty is to help the men under his direction…Listen to the man below you as well as the one above.”
In addition to working together as a team, Watson believed in the importance of sharing a common vision. In order to achieve success, management had to ensure that everybody was on the same page about where the company was heading. In a speech to IBM staff, Watson said, “We have proved the worth of our machines to the world, and I feel it is now our obligation to plan so that this business may go on for all time. I want all of you to get the same kind of vision and belief in IBM.”
However, while stressing the importance of teamwork and cooperation, Watson also emphasized the importance of individuality and accountability. “Learn to supervise yourself,” he said. In a presentation that he would use time and again in staff meetings, Watson listed off all the positions within IBM, including General Manager, Sales Manager and Factory Manager. He would then highlight the construction of the word ‘manager’, focusing on ‘man’ and the individual nature of each position. To this end, Watson never required his workers to wear uniforms, although a dark business suit – which Watson believed showed business respect – soon became the unofficial uniform.
“The great accomplishments of man have resulted from the transmission of ideas and enthusiasm,” said Watson. By emphasizing teamwork, cooperation, and accountability, and by promoting a shared vision and sense of enthusiasm, Watson was able to construct a winning team.
Lesson 5 Strong Management Is The Backbone Of A Strong Company
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Dianne CramptonDianne Crampton is an executive leadership coach, team culture consultant, author and president of TIGERS Success Series, Inc. Dianne has been helping CEO's and Executives connect their employees to their core values and goals for over 20 years using the trademarked TIGERS team culture process, which stands for trust, interdependence, genuineness, empathy, risk and success. To download a free white paper on behaviors that build strong teams and behaviors that will predictably tear them down go here. Dianne's contribution to the 2010 Pfeiffer Consulting Journal (an imprint of John Wiley and Sons Publishers) entitled TIGERS Hearted Teams is available in November 2009. Her new book TIGERS Among Us: 5 Winning Business Team Cultures And Why, Three Creeks Publishing will release in March 2010. To receive publishing discounts, subscribe to the free TigerTracks Newsletter here. - Visit Dianne Crampton's Website |
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Dave KurlanDave Kurlan is the founder and CEO of Objective Management Group, Inc., the industry leader in sales assessments and sales force evaluations, and the CEO of David Kurlan & Associates, Inc., a consulting firm specializing in sales force development. Dave has been a top rated speaker at Inc. Magazine's Conference on Growing the Company, the Sales & Marketing Management Conference and the Gazelles Sales & Marketing Summit. He has been featured on radio and TV, including World Business Review with General Norman Schwarzkopf, in Inc. Magazine, Selling Power Magazine, Sales & Marketing Management Magazine and Incentive Magazine. He is the author of Mindless Selling and Baseline Selling – How to Become a Sales Superstar by Using What You Already Know about the Game of Baseball. He created and wrote STAR, a proprietary recruiting process for hiring great salespeople, and he writes Understanding the Sales Force, a popular business Blog and is a contributing author to The Death of 20th Century Selling and 101 Great Ways to Improve Your Life, Volume 2. - Visit Dave Kurlan's Website |
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Linda RichardsonLinda Richardson is the Founder and Executive Chairwoman of Richardson, a global sales training and performance improvement company. As a recognized leader in the industry, she has won the coveted Stevie Award for Lifetime Achievement in Sales Excellence and she was identified by Training Industry, Inc. as one of the “Top 20 Most Influential Training Professionals.” Ms. Richardson is credited with the movement to Consultative Selling and is the author of ten books on selling and sales management, including Sales Coaching — Making the Great Leap from Sales Manager to Sales Coach, and Stop Telling, Start Selling. She teaches sales and management at the Wharton Graduate School of the University of Pennsylvania and the Wharton Executive Development Center. Linda is a frequent speaker at industry and client conferences, has been published extensively in industry and training journals, and has been featured in numerous publications, including The Wall Street Journal, Forbes, Nation’s Business, Selling Power, Success, and The Conference Board Magazine. Learn more about Richardson's sales training and performance improvement solutions at http://www.richardson.com web - Visit Linda Richardson's Website |
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David AchesonDavid Acheson is the founder of DCJA Consultancy. DCJA Consultancy is a management consultancy business specialising in B2B sales consultancy. They offer bespoke and packaged sales consultancy including Sales Optimisation Review, Interim Sales Management, Sales & Marketing Review, 1:1 Sales & Management Staff Analysis, Management Training, Solution Sales Training, Creation of New Pay Plan, KPI's, run Customer Feedback Campaigns, assist with Recruitment, Coaching, Appraisals and set up Strategic Marketing Campaigns. David spent his early career in accountancy and then moved into sales in 1982, working in Office Equipment, IT, Advertising, Training, Outsourcing and Consultancy. He has held many Senior Positions in SMBs and Global Organisations including Head of Sales Operations & Head of Business Development. His knowledge, skills and great experience of the Sales Industry has led to David making keynote speeches and running educational sessions to key businesses through organisations including The Chamber of Commerce and Business Link. - Visit David Acheson's Website |
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Jeff FosterWebBizIdeas.com is a Minneapolis website design company founded to help people start an internet business by providing them with website, business, and internet resources that help foster the growth of successful online businesses and develop innovative Internet business ideas. We specialize in internet consulting & internet marketing. - Visit Jeff Foster's Website |
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John PowerJohn Power, founder of Biltmore Franchise Consulting, has extensive experience developing and marketing franchises and business opportunities. He has been in and around franchising for over twenty years. From 1980 through 1990 he conceptualized, organized, and developed the American Video Association. He grew AVA to 2,000 national members, before selling the company it 1990. It was later merged into another home video marketing company. From 2000 to 2005 he worked as a contract marketing and human resources consultant to several local and national companies. In 2005 Mr. Power began working as a franchise development consultant on a full-time basis. Since that time he has helped more than three dozen companies initiate and develop their franchising program. He notes that there are many companies interested in developing a franchise program, and who need his specialized assistance. Mr. Power is a “hands-on” franchise consultant. He said, “I am the ‘nuts and bolts’ person who tends to the details for my clients.” Mr. Power holds a B.S. degree with a major in Marketing. See: www.biltmorefranchise.com You may contact Mr. Power at: jpower@biltmorefranchise.co - Visit John Power's Website |
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Anne BarrAnne Barr has over 26 years experience in sales and marketing, six years as a franchisee. She has assisted over 367 business owners and purchasers to achieve their goals in career change, transition and exit strategy. She holds the designation of Certified Franchise Executive from the International Franchise Association, Certified Business Intermediary from the International Business Brokers Association and Board Certified Broker from the Texas Association of Business Brokers. Anne is active in professional organizations, networking groups and volunteers for non-profit entities. As owner/operator of four successful businesses, Anne has proven people skills and enjoys helping clients find the right "fit" in business ownership. Visit www.FranchiseOpportunitySpecialist.com for more information about me and my company. - Visit Anne Barr's Website |
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Joe DagerJoe Dager is President of Business901, a progressive coaching company providing no-nonsense direction in areas such as Lean Six Sigma Marketing and organized referral marketing. What others say: In the past 20 years, Joe and I have collaborated on many difficult issues. Joe’s ability to combine his expertise with “out of the box” thinking is unsurpassed. He has always delivered quickly, cost effectively and with ingenuity. A brilliant mind that is always a pleasure to work with.” - James R. If you want to learn more about Business901, start a conversation with us. We can be found @ Web/Blog: Business901.com Web/Blog: FundingYourNonprofit.com LinkedIn Profile Follow me on Twitter - Visit Joe Dager's Website |
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