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S U M M A R Y


DIARY: November 1, 1994 06:02 PM Tuesday; Rod Welch

Received article on Lee Iacocca, example of executive work practices.

1...Summary/Objective
2...Writing to Convert Plans into Action


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CONTACTS 

SUBJECTS
Correlation to accepted practice and
Executive Work Practices
Hiring/Recommending Employees
Communications
Feel Good Management
So Let It Be Written, So Let It Be Done,
Talking & Listening Inadequate, Need
Writing Improves Creativity, SDS Synergy
Debugging Management Mistakes

1711 -    ..
1712 - Summary/Objective
1713 -
171301 - Received into the record what seems like an extract from a book by
171302 - Lee Iacocca, former COB of Chrysler,
171303 -
171304 - Iacocca's background was sales, his management style relied on common
171305 - sense, ref OF 6 line 35.
171306 -
171307 - He developed from the requirement for corporations to report to
171308 - stockholders, a practice for executives to set personal:
171309 -
171310 -        Objectives for next 90 days?
171311 -        Plans, hopes
171312 -        Priorities
171313 -        Methods/steps for implementation
171314 -
171315 -   ...these are Iacocca's management practices, ref OF 6 line 53.
171316 -
171317 -     This practice is implemented in SDS by empower (i.e., making it
171318 -     practical) for executives and anyone else, to set objectives,
171319 -     plans, priorities and develop methods.
171320 -
171321 -
171322 -
171323 - Writing to Convert Plans into Action
171324 -
171325 - Iacocca says at ref OF 6 line 70:
171326 -
171327 -     ... the discipline of writing something down is the first step
171328 -     toward making it happen. In conversation, you can get away with
171329 -     all kinds of vagueness and nonsense, often without even realizing
171330 -     it.  But there's something about putting your thoughts on paper
171331 -     that forces you to get down to specifics. That way, it's harder to
171332 -     deceive yourself--or anybody else.
171333 -
171334 -  ...this supports the POIMS concept of turning plans into action using
171335 -  the SDS management cycle:  plan, perform, report.  By writing things
171336 -  down we give ourselves a chance to figure things out, to achieve a
171337 -  better understanding of obsticals, solutions and opportunities that
171338 -  are otherwise overlooked by mere mental perusal, plus we commit
171339 -  ourselves to doing them.
171340 -
171341 -  Iaccoca says his idea is "simple" but it works, ref OF 6 line 79:
171342 -
171343 -     ...for several reasons.  First, it allows a man to be his own boss
171344 -     and to set his own goals.  Second, it makes him more productive
171345 -     and gets him motivated on his own. Third, it helps new ideas
171346 -     bubble to the top.  The quarterly review forces managers to pause
171347 -     and consider what they've accomplished, what they expect to
171348 -     accomplish next, and how they intend to go about it.  I've never
171349 -     found a better way to stimulate fresh approaches to problem
171350 -     solving.
171351 -
171352 -
171353 - Personnel Management
171354 -
171355 -    This is discussed in the vien of putting people in the correct
171356 -    position, ref OF 6 line 159.
171357 -
171358 -
171359 - Leap of Faith
171360 -
171361 -    ... at some point you've got to take that leap of faith.  First,
171362 -    because even the right decision is wrong if it's made too late.
171363 -    Second, because in most cases there's no such thing as certainty.
171364 -
171365 -
171366 - Communication - Feel Good Management
171367 -
171368 -    Iocacca believes successful executives need to be able to talk and
171369 -    listen well -- he says "real communication" is in both directions
171370 -    ref OF 6 line 413.
171371 -
171372 -        ...this conflicts with POIMS concept of "communication
171373 -        metrics," discussed at ref OF 1 line 339.
171374 -
171375 -       You've got to know how to talk to them, plain and simple.
171376 -
171377 -   ...this is the fast talker image of management that will fall out of
171378 -   favor as the infomration highway reduces the time frame of failure,
171379 -   discussed at ref OF 1 line 656.
171380 -
171381 -
171382 -
171383 - Motivating
171384 -
171385 -    Iacocca feels this is a major duty or attribute of good management,
171386 -    per ref OF 6 line 498.
171387 -
171388 -
171389 -
171390 -
171391 -
171392 -
1714 -