Jmhines - -
The kind of question that we Google Answers researchers love - - a
little humor mixed up with our facts.
1. The Fred Smith Academic Supporters
Smith's business case for a hub-and-spoke delivery concept got a 'C'
when he submitted it at Harvard Business School. Of course he turned
that into Federal Express and a $21 billion company.
Smith is known for thinking out of the box. Once in a management
class that I attended, a FedEx employee told a story about Smith
proposing a solution to the delivery company's congestion problems in
New York City: build an airport in the East River. FedEx scheduled a
meeting with their construction engineering company to discuss it.
When Smith left the presentation during a break, the president of the
engineering company said, "He's joking, right?"
This article has a good thumbnail profile of Smith and some other
potential candidates:
Chief Executive
"Chief Innovators" (August, 2002)
http://www.chiefexecutive.net/depts/innovators/181.htm
2. Duelling Skeptics
Charles H. Duell, U.S. Patent Attorney General, 1899, is widely
credited with having recommended closing the U.S. Patent Office by
saying, "Everything that can be invented, has been invented." But
it's a business urban legend and patent + copyright has become an
important aspect of value to business:
Ideafinder.com
"Rumor has it . . ." (June 23, 2000)
http://www.ideafinder.com/resource/archives/wow-duell.htm
3. Silver Ideas
Actually two guys invented 3M's Post-It Notes, Arthur Fry and Spencer
Silver (but Silver's name has so much more symbolism!) They did what
many of your successful business people will have done - - persevered
when the test markets said Post-It notes flunked:
About.com
"Post-It Notes" (undated)
http://inventors.about.com/library/inventors/blpostit.htm
4. Grace Hopper Admiration Society
Rear Admiral Grace Murray Hopper loved a good quotation and knew how
to use them. She was a "bureaucrat" all of her life but knew how to
communicate and how to get things done. You probably know her for
creating the computer term, 'bug;' perhaps for her role in developing
COBOL. At her presentations, she'd have a 12" piece of wire to show
what a 'nanosecond' was. Several of her get-down-to-business quotes:
" Humans are allergic to change. They love to say, 'We've always done
it this way.' I try to fight that. That's why I have a clock on my
wall that runs counter-clockwise."
" A business' accounts receivable file is much more important than its
accounts payable file."
"You manage things, you lead people. We went overboard on management
and forgot about leadership. It might help if we ran the MBAs out of
Washington."
"One accurate measurement is worth a thousand expert opinions."
"A ship in port is safe, but that is not what ships are for. Sail out
to sea and do new things."
"If it's a good idea. . . go ahead and do it. It is much easier to
apologize than it is to get permission."
U.S. Navy (Norfolk)
"RADM Grace Hopper" (undated)
http://www.norfolk.navy.mil/chips/grace_hopper/womn.htm
If none of these ideas provide a kernel of the sparkling idea that
you're seeking, I might suggest a book to generate more ideas: "The
Manager's Book of Quotations," Lewis Eigen and Jonathan Siegel, AMACOM
(American Management Association). It has 47 chapters with quotations
on topics from accounting to entrepreneurship to training.
Google search strategy:
"Fred Smith" + "Harvard Business School"
"Grace Hopper" = quotations
"Post-It Notes" + history
Best regards,
Omnivorous-GA |
