Tell me a business statement or model (or guru quote) that used to be “the one” few years ago but would quickly break your company in today’s world.
Here are some of my favorites …..
- If you build they will come
- If ain’t broken, don’t fix it
- Quality is measured by the level of complaints we receive
Have fun and think about all those statements that your first boss used to tell’a
Edison Reis
Tags: "Edison Reis", "Quote", business statement, Guru
April 12th, 2009 at 5:30 pm
I don’t know if anyone was foolish enough to say it outright, but in the SPC days of the early-to-mid 1980s there was a definite belief that the short-term didn’t matter, only the long term. Ignoring the short-term cost many senior leaders their jobs; William E. Conway of Nashua comes to mind. I think ignoring the short term in today’s volatile environment could cost a company its survival. Leadership is a balancing act: short-term/long-term, customer/employee/investor.
Snoop around a bit and see what you find. Maybe look at Deming. I’m a Deming fan, but he wasn’t infallible. Nor, for that matter, is anyone. (My apologies to the Pope!)
April 12th, 2009 at 5:31 pm
Three dangerous ones:
Failure is not an option.
Price sells cars.
Money fixes everything.
April 12th, 2009 at 5:32 pm
I have been told:
The customer is always right
You reap what you sow
Do unto others as you would have them do unto you
April 12th, 2009 at 5:33 pm
Need to meet the customers Business Plan versus your own.
Being everything to everyone.
April 12th, 2009 at 5:34 pm
Our first responsibility is to the stockholders.
April 12th, 2009 at 5:35 pm
Lets make things better
April 12th, 2009 at 5:36 pm
“Supply side economics”
“Outsourcing” - After we outsourced every well defined business process, we see the discrepant between Management Bonuses and Unemployment and still wonder why we are in the pickle we are in.
“Knowledge Worker” - Engineering is done in China or India, why do we need schools any longer. Accounting, Medical Analysis, Customer Service, Inside Sales, wonder why legal is protected and nobody else to practice in this country.
April 12th, 2009 at 5:41 pm
If it ain’t broke don’t fix it.
April 12th, 2009 at 5:42 pm
The brain of all manufacturing processes:
“We MAKE it work.”
April 12th, 2009 at 5:46 pm
If ain’t broken, don’t fix it … well heck … “That’s the way we’ve always done it!”
Scary how the bar just keeps getting raised. Happy Easter! - Herb
April 12th, 2009 at 5:47 pm
Great quotes!
My all time favorit, It’s good enough. I read a little story about Rolls Royce how went bananas when he heard a factory worker make this statement.
The next one is something we say in Austria (my country of origin)
We never have the time to do it correct the first time, but we always seem to find the time to fix it later.
Happy Easter to all of you
April 12th, 2009 at 5:48 pm
When I was in Spain … they referred to deadlines as “Deathlines”.
Talk about a motivator to get-r-done!
April 12th, 2009 at 5:54 pm
“A company’s sole objective should be to create shareholder value” Mmm… look where we are now, thanks to that. And for the record, that was not what Jack Welch said. Happy Easter.
April 14th, 2009 at 7:14 pm
If you’re not on the train, you’re under it.
Don’t throw the baby out with the bath water.
Always take your unfair share, never leave money on the table.
April 14th, 2009 at 7:17 pm
Well, you forgot about one of the greatest quotes:
- Our people is our most valuable asset
Not to mention:
- Our goal is to delight the customer
- Cash is king
- Leave no stone unturned
April 14th, 2009 at 7:18 pm
clubhouse and beer, that’s how I get the sale…LOL…worked for awhile!
April 16th, 2009 at 6:55 pm
“The best is the enemy of the good” from the spanish “lo perfecto es enemigo de lo bueno” The English and Spanish are very similar, as they are both translations of Voltaire “Le mieux est l’ennemi du bien.”
The original idea is that by trying to do thing perfect you may jeopardize a process or product that is already at a satisfactory standard. The problem is that whith such statement a manager may destroy initiatives which may make a product an outstanding one, and also may instate conformity and mediocrity within the company by stopping progress.
April 16th, 2009 at 6:58 pm
“Sell it cheap, we’ll make it up with volume.”
April 16th, 2009 at 6:59 pm
“I know what Quality is when I see it.”
April 16th, 2009 at 7:02 pm
Maybe not totally business quotes, but wow!!! imagine the opportunities missed if these people were at the helm.
Famous Computer (mostly) Quotes
“Computers in the future may weigh no more than 1.5 tons.”
- Popular Mechanics, 1949
“I think there is a world market for maybe five computers.”
- Thomas Watson, chairman of IBM, 1943
“I have traveled the length and breadth of this country and talked with the best people, and I can assure you that data processing is a fad that won’t last out the year.”
- The editor in charge of business books for Prentice-Hall, 1957
“But what…is it good for?”
- Engineer at the Advanced Computing Systems Division of IBM, 1968, commenting on the microchip
“There is no reason anyone would want a computer in their home.”
- Ken Olson, president, chairman and founder of DEC
April 16th, 2009 at 7:03 pm
The same in manufacturing - just imagine all the missed opportunities TODAY because of tremendous lack of leadership….
I can think of three…….
1) I am the boss, I know that, I show you what to do and how to do it……. (biggest obstacle to have an open mind and learn from others)
2) What goes around, comes around (I wished it would be only good things and not the way how people mostly interpret this saying)
3) If you don’t like it, there’s the door (cannot believe how many managers still say that)
April 23rd, 2009 at 11:30 am
” …and that’s why we’re here today your Honor.”
April 23rd, 2009 at 11:32 am
We are just building what the people want! (said by the world’s SUV makers during the oil crisis)