Who Says Elephants Can't Dance?: Leading a Great Enterprise through Dramatic Change by Jr. Louis V. Gerstner Page B
Authors: Jr. Louis V. Gerstner
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CAN’T DANCE? / 79
leadership. This has been as true of those leaving the company as of those staying here. It all underscores that our strength is indeed our people and their commitment to success.
Some of you were hurt and angered by being declared
“surplus” after years of loyalty, and by some reports in the press about performance ratings.
I am acutely aware that I arrived at a painful time when there is a lot of downsizing. I know it is painful for everyone, but we all know, too, that it is necessary. I can only assure you that I will do everything I can to get this painful period behind us as quickly as possible, so that we can begin looking to our future and to building our business.
I want you to know that I do not believe that those who are leaving IBM are in any way less important, less qualified, or that they made fewer contributions than others.
Rather, we ALL owe those who are leaving an enormous debt of gratitude and appreciation for their contributions to IBM.
Finally, you’ve told me that restoring morale is important to any business plans we develop. I couldn’t agree more. Over the next few months, I plan to visit as many of our operations and offices as I can. And whenever possible, I plan to meet with many of you to talk about how together we can strengthen the company.
Lou Gerstner
The reaction from IBM employees was overwhelmingly positive and, for me during the dark, early days, a source of comfort, support, and energy. Said one:
Tears of joy came to my eyes.
Another wrote to me, simply:
80 / LOUIS V. GERSTNER, JR.
Thank you, thank you, thank you. Sanity is returning to IBM.
At the same time, IBM employees were never afraid to speak their minds when it came to expressing feelings of opposition. I got e-mail messages so frank, so candid, so blunt—well, I’ll just say that when I was younger, I would never have sent such messages to my boss, much less the CEO. One employee wrote to me: GIMME A BREAK. Do some real work. Cut the order cycle time. Get the new products on the market. Find new markets.
Listen to the folks that are not our current customers but would be if we had products for them.
Stop this bleeding heart stuff. Do things that will keep you from having to trash more and more people every 6 months.
Another greeted my arrival this way:
Welcome and don’t worry about not knowing very much about microchips, just as long as you don’t get them mixed up with chocolate chips.
One employee, even as his employer was burning and sinking to the delight of our competitors, had the time and inclination to cri-tique my entire visit to an IBM facility:
There were three areas in which I thought your attitudes and perspectives could be healthier. You come across as so accessible and willing to accept feedback that I feel comfortable sharing them with you in a note.
1—You gave a pecking order of importance for IBMers; first, the Customer, second IBM, third one’s own unit. This sounds like a McKinsey hierarchy. I submit a more appropriate number one on the list, and an IBM tradition, is one’s self—the rest of the list
WHO SAYS ELEPHANTS CAN’T DANCE? / 81
could stay the same. Respect for the individual is fundamental to health, whether it be the health of an individual, of an organization, or of a society. (The McKinsey hierarchy, in which the individual is somewhere after Customer and company, burns out employees and their families.)
You described the need for us to examine ourselves and the way we’ve been doing business. I also value self-reflection and suggest the following as areas in which you may benefit from introspection. (These are opportunities for you to lead by example.)
2—You seemed to want to compete and placed a great deal of importance on beating the competition. I recognize this attitude is culturally endorsed, but I also believe it is unnecessary, unhealthy, and less productive than other forms of social interactions. For example, the competitive
leadership. This has been as true of those leaving the company as of those staying here. It all underscores that our strength is indeed our people and their commitment to success.
Some of you were hurt and angered by being declared
“surplus” after years of loyalty, and by some reports in the press about performance ratings.
I am acutely aware that I arrived at a painful time when there is a lot of downsizing. I know it is painful for everyone, but we all know, too, that it is necessary. I can only assure you that I will do everything I can to get this painful period behind us as quickly as possible, so that we can begin looking to our future and to building our business.
I want you to know that I do not believe that those who are leaving IBM are in any way less important, less qualified, or that they made fewer contributions than others.
Rather, we ALL owe those who are leaving an enormous debt of gratitude and appreciation for their contributions to IBM.
Finally, you’ve told me that restoring morale is important to any business plans we develop. I couldn’t agree more. Over the next few months, I plan to visit as many of our operations and offices as I can. And whenever possible, I plan to meet with many of you to talk about how together we can strengthen the company.
Lou Gerstner
The reaction from IBM employees was overwhelmingly positive and, for me during the dark, early days, a source of comfort, support, and energy. Said one:
Tears of joy came to my eyes.
Another wrote to me, simply:
80 / LOUIS V. GERSTNER, JR.
Thank you, thank you, thank you. Sanity is returning to IBM.
At the same time, IBM employees were never afraid to speak their minds when it came to expressing feelings of opposition. I got e-mail messages so frank, so candid, so blunt—well, I’ll just say that when I was younger, I would never have sent such messages to my boss, much less the CEO. One employee wrote to me: GIMME A BREAK. Do some real work. Cut the order cycle time. Get the new products on the market. Find new markets.
Listen to the folks that are not our current customers but would be if we had products for them.
Stop this bleeding heart stuff. Do things that will keep you from having to trash more and more people every 6 months.
Another greeted my arrival this way:
Welcome and don’t worry about not knowing very much about microchips, just as long as you don’t get them mixed up with chocolate chips.
One employee, even as his employer was burning and sinking to the delight of our competitors, had the time and inclination to cri-tique my entire visit to an IBM facility:
There were three areas in which I thought your attitudes and perspectives could be healthier. You come across as so accessible and willing to accept feedback that I feel comfortable sharing them with you in a note.
1—You gave a pecking order of importance for IBMers; first, the Customer, second IBM, third one’s own unit. This sounds like a McKinsey hierarchy. I submit a more appropriate number one on the list, and an IBM tradition, is one’s self—the rest of the list
WHO SAYS ELEPHANTS CAN’T DANCE? / 81
could stay the same. Respect for the individual is fundamental to health, whether it be the health of an individual, of an organization, or of a society. (The McKinsey hierarchy, in which the individual is somewhere after Customer and company, burns out employees and their families.)
You described the need for us to examine ourselves and the way we’ve been doing business. I also value self-reflection and suggest the following as areas in which you may benefit from introspection. (These are opportunities for you to lead by example.)
2—You seemed to want to compete and placed a great deal of importance on beating the competition. I recognize this attitude is culturally endorsed, but I also believe it is unnecessary, unhealthy, and less productive than other forms of social interactions. For example, the competitive
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