The "use-by-date" of a CEO LO10035

Ben Compton (BCOMPTON@novell.com)
Wed, 18 Sep 1996 07:44:57 -0600

Replying to LO10026 --

Dave wrote,

> Has it been successful? We shall see. Downsizing articles I have
> read point to most (70+ per cent) companies not being any more
> successful financially than they were prior to downsizing.
> Management by fad says do what your network "board members"
> are doing. Gary Hamel even talked about the "leming approach"
> by management at the Sustaining Transformational Change
> Conference. Companies are so "unique" they even hire the same
> ets of consultants to help them get ahead of their competitors(who
> are doing the same thing they are)

Maybe a year ago (perhaps two) there was an article in the Wall Street
Journal that refered to corporate anorexia. The basic premise of the
article was that downsizing has done little more than leave companies in
worse shape. I think the author has a poin t.

Instead of downsizing why not create spin-offs? Take the very competent
managers and employees and help them start a subsidiary or a new business?

> Maybe someone can give a reference here. An article or book
> published within the past year talked about successful companies
> as Visionary Companies. Yes, visionary companies without the
> CEO necessarily being a visionary CEO. If I remember correctly,
> the vein that ran through the article would be something we might
> refer to as Shared Vision, across the company. And, it was about
> long-term success. Can we get manager's to believe this in today's
> world? It is a curious question many of us are working on. -----
> Does someone remember the source for Joe to reference?

A couple of books come to mind, both written by or about visionary CEOs. I
know that's not what your thinking about, but both books are a fairly good
read.

First is "Profit from Experience," written by Gil Amelio who is currently
Apple's Chief Executive.

Second, "The Art of the Long View," written by Peter Schwartz.

--

Ben Compton bcompton@novell.com

Learning-org -- An Internet Dialog on Learning Organizations For info: <rkarash@karash.com> -or- <http://world.std.com/~lo/>