The first section of this page consists of two talks given by Bob Hendricks when he retired, one at his retirement dinner in February, 1991, to an audience consisting of co-workers and family; the second at the First Unitarian Church of Rochester, as part of its annual Rite of Passage service in early January, 1991 - an opportunity for members of the congregation to comment on a significant event or milestone in their lives during the past year. These talks, given to different audiences for different reasons, provide a look back over Bob's career, and at how retirement seemed to Bob when it was taking place.
Following those is a memo written by Bob a year later, as he completed part-time consulting within the R&D division of Imaging Systems and Electronics Products Departments, critiquing what he saw as dangerous trends in recent management decisions.
Talk by Bob Hendricks at his Retirement Dinner - February, 1991
Everyone here knows I've been around a while, and in thinking about what "words of wisdom" I could share with you, I began to think about how many changes have taken place since I began work. There have been many gigantic changes not only in Du Pont, but in our society, our attitudes, and the world in general in the last 35 years. It's been really exciting to observe all this happening and to try to keep up. For example, since 1955:
- Starting salaries for scientists and engineers have gone up about seven-fold, and similar changes have taken place in other salaries and wages.
- But the price of a first class stamp went from 3 cents to 29 cents.
- The cost of a "starter house" went from about $10 - 15,000 to the vicinity of $ 75 - 100M (or more).
- The cost of a new car went from under $2000 to $10,000 or more - so we've all had to run faster and faster just to stand still! (All this inflation has probably had something to do with how hard it's been to save much of a nest egg for retirement, by the way.)
- In addition to inflation, there's been salary compression. I've been told by someone who was in a good position to know that the salary of a lab director was about five times that of a new Ph.D. right after World War II. Now it's only about twice that of a new Ph.D. (And I probably don't have to add that lab directors don't automatically command respect anymore - we have to EARN it!)
In our society,
- In 1955, wives usually expected to work only till they had their first child. Now, most young women expect to have careers - not just be wives and mothers. Often, families are deferred. And partly because of the higher cost of living, most wives continue working after they have children, take maternity leave, then return to work and use day care instead of staying home.
- And of course computers have had a major impact on our lives since 1955, TV has gone from black and white to color, we now have live coverage of wars half way around the world, we've travelled to the moon and photographed the outer planets, we're mapping the surface of Venus, we're beginning to understand the genetic code, and so on.
Not all the changes have been "good" ones.
- Atomic energy went from offering the promise of limitless cheap power to the threat of seemingly limitless hazards from long lived radioactive byproducts.
- Medical doctors used to be people you trusted: now we question them, and may sue them for malpractice if we think they made a mistake. This questioning approach carries over to many other fields. I sometimes wonder how many true experts are left! [Though I certainly found out a little over a year ago there are still at least a few winners left in the medical profession here in Rochester!]
- We used to believe everything the government told us, now we automatically wonder, what are they trying to hide?".
In the world,
- The United States was entering a period of unparalleled prosperity in 1955, and jobs were easy to find. I interviewed five or six companies before I left grad school (and got offers from all of them) and could probably have interviewed twenty or more if I'd wanted to. Now I understand many good people can't even get one interview.
- The Soviet Union went from being a powerful, worldwide menace in 1955 to a weak, though potentially still dangerous, enigma unable even to feed its own people.
- Germany and Japan went from shattered countries still emerging from the ruins of defeat (and using our money to rebuild their economies) to great world powers who are helping us finance our war in the Middle East to protect their oil supplies.
- Iraq went from a country that exported dates and petroleum to one that exports terrorists and Scud missiles.
In Du Pont,
- Directors and vice presidents in Du Pont went from people who had mostly grown up in the business (and who were committed to the business), to mostly career people who are "passing through" on the way to their ultimate goals.
But,
- Women in R&D went from being just secretaries, clerks and librarians to also being research technicians, administrative assistants, scientists, engineers and supervisors.
- Wage and non exempt employees went from being thought of as "just a pair of hands" to "valued partners".
- Supervisors and managers went from "bosses" to "resources and enablers". As a result, the ways to be a good supervisor or manager have changed immensely. Some people have had a REAL problem adjusting. I guess because of the way I'm constituted, this came a bit easier for me than for some of my colleagues.
I think many of the changes that have taken place in Du Pont have been good ones. Certainly we have opportunities to capitalize on the strengths of our people that we didn't use to. Work may have become more demanding but it can also be more satisfying.
One of the main reasons I joined Du Pont in the first place is that I was favorably impressed by the quality of people I encountered in my interview trips. I felt like I was joining "the first team." My experience since then has shown that was a valid observation. l've been blessed by having worked with (and for) a number of absolutely top notch people throughout my career. I've been able to get along with most everyone I've worked with, and even those who weren't always my favorites have taught me some valuable lessons.
I've been fortunate to have been involved in some very interesting technology over my career, and to have been close to a few products and process developments which have helped pay our salaries. And I've also been involved in some interesting and challenging work on business teams. But as much as I've enjoyed and valued these experiences, I'd rather focus tonight on what I consider the essence of my career, my belief in people - and something about my philosophy of management.
Looking back, I realize that I've always based my leadership style (and my personal future, for that matter) pretty much on my belief in people, and I've rarely been disappointed.
This approach has worked out very well for me overall. I feel I've been repaid many times over for whatever gambles I've taken. The secret of having a winning team is simple: have good players. It's as true of research as it is of team sports like baseball and football. By going for the best people who were available in the first place, nurturing them, being open and honest with them, trusting them to run their own shows - and by giving them input into important decisions that affected them - I feel I've multiplied my own effectiveness and personal influence many-fold.
I hasten to add that it's not always fun being a leader. There have been times when I've had trouble holding back and letting a subordinate do something his or her own way when I thought I knew better. And there were occasional dark days that came along, when it was necessary to have a parting of the ways with someone who just wasn't going to work out. Believe me, that's character building, if you care for people. But to keep a person in an organization who can't - or won't - pull his or her weight is unfair to the others. At least we were usually able to part on friendly terms.
I won't say that I haven't made my share of mistakes along the way, and I certainly can't claim to have been totally consistent, but I guess I was trying to practice "empowerment" and "participative management" a long time before they were in the management textbooks, based on my sincere respect for peoples' integrity and their value as individuals. It's gotten me in trouble with my bosses occasionally - it's not easy being a pioneer! But I've definitely had my rewards. As I've told some of you before, I believe we have the finest group of people in Du Pont today here in Rochester. We've done some great things together. And you haven't let me down. From the bottom of my heart, thanks!!
Over the past few weeks, I've stumbled across a few quotations which illustrate some conclusions I've reached during my career (and my life):
"There are no free lunches (or speeches)."
Some things I've learned too late:
- How fast time goes
- How to be a parent.
"What is the fun of doing something if there's no risk attached to it? The fun is in making your mistakes mean something."
"Only the foolish and the dead never change their minds."
"To have survived this long, I must have done a few things right."
Thanks again - and good luck to you all!
"The End of WORK, the Start of LIFE"
[Talk given by Bob at First Unitarian Church of Rochester's annual "Rite of Passage" service of January 6, 1991]
I'd like to share some reflections about a Rite of Passage in my life. On December 31, I ended 35 years and 4 months of employment with the Du Pont Company. This in itself is not terribly remarkable, since many people have worked longer. But to understand what this means to me, I must share some background about my work experience. In a real sense, I was married to my job. Work was something which occupied most of my waking time - and even some of my dreams. It became an all-consuming passion the past few years. Work had a life of its own, with an over-riding urgency that became the center of my existence. Weekends became a routine of "going in for a while on Saturday morning" - and getting home after 4 o'clock; then sometimes leaving for the airport on Sunday afternoon. Though to be fair about it, work could also have its rewards, such as interactions with interesting people and exposure to stimulating places and situations. Despite many frustrations, I found great satisfaction in certain areas such as working on employee development programs. And of course, I made a decent salary. However, work was at its core terribly self-centered. It ran my life - I didn't run it. In a very real sense work was like a demanding wife and mistress wrapped into one. I had no meaningful personal priorities.
[By the way, I hope you don't typecast me as "sexist" for using this analogy. My family and friends know that I am a born again feminist!]
I passed this milestone only a week ago and so I'm not sure I thoroughly understand everything that's happening as I move into the next phase of my life, yet some major features have begun to emerge.
Recognizing that I was married to work, I've begun to understand that retiring has some similarities to getting a divorce. If a divorce can be preceded by a number of small changes which - over time - erode the substance of a marriage, so it was with me and WORK. Although the old priorities were there, I'd noticed signs of "trouble" the past couple of years which had begun to affect my attitude. Doubts and misgivings crept in. I found myself asking how long I could keep up the pace which was being set by "the young tigers" running my department. My health began to slip. I gained weight (and of course didn't find time for regular exercise). The very day I turned 60, 1 come down with a terrible cold which broke my string of more than five years without an illness-related absence. Then just seven months later - in January of 1990 - I had emergency surgery for a perforated ulcer. (By the way, the surgeon is a member of this church.) I was totally off work for six weeks afterwards, and the enforced idleness gave me a chance to think about my situation. In retrospect, that was the turning point. It sank in that I was truly mortal, with a finite amount of time left. I rethought my priorities and - with the encouragement of my doctors - decided to start putting myself first at least part of the time. (In retrospect, that was when - pursuing the analogy - I actually decided, in my heart of hearts, on a "divorce" - or at least "marriage counselling"!)
So when an opportunity came for early retirement a couple of months ago, I was basically ready, though I didn't realize it at first. Even then the decision didn't come easily. The last few weeks I've struggled with my thoughts and emotions as I've worked through this important "passage" - knowing I was doing the right thing, yet feeling a sense of loss at the same time. You don't end a relationship of 35+ years without at least a few pangs!
But now I feel I'm moving into quieter waters, and I foresee some great possibilities. To complete my analogy, I've recognized that there is "life after divorce" (or retirement). A quotation I recently stumbled across summarizes one thing I've learned from all this:
"Success is the quality of your journey, not a destination."
To sample letters Bob received when he retired, click here.
Some Thoughts From An Old Guy
This memo was written in late 1991 as I was completing a year as part-time consultant in areas of employee relations and human development in the research and development divisions of my department and a sister department of Du Pont. It was published in a newsletter that went to all technical people and managers in the Imaging Systems and Electronics Departments in December, 1991. I subsequently received a number of favorable comments from "working people" - mostly scientists - in several locations, though the memo apparently had little if any influence on subsequent management decisions, which were driven largely by short term cost reductions. The aggressive managers who were brought into these departments in the mid-1980's overexpanded, made unwise acquisitions, and generally fouled things up to the point where drastic surgery was needed to stay in business. More recently, several segments of these once highly profitable businesses have been sold off.
***
Before I shuffle off into oblivion, I'd like to share a few personal thoughts about Du Pont and about managing technical work.
Du Pont, along with many other U.S. companies, seems to be changing its character. Change is inevitable, and I'm sure some changes ARE needed in Du Pont (particularly in Wilmington!) if we are to compete effectively in the world market. However, in the current "revolution" in the name of higher profits, management may be losing sight of some fundamentals. I realize that few people below the very top of the Company can change the directions which are set, but those at lower levels will have a MAJOR effect on the way these changes are implemented and perceived by the workers, and will be vital in whether and how they work in practice.
There is no substitute for solid business knowledge in today's competitive world. This means a lot of things - like knowing your customers and your competitors. In the imaging business, it also means "knowing the technology". I don't mean knowing the details, but I do mean knowing what is technically feasible and what is not - or what is worth trying to do, and what is too "expensive" to do in terms of resources. Leaders who don't understand the technology need to lean heavily on those who do - and take heed. Managing a photographic business is NOT the same as managing most other Du Pont businesses. Shifting products around is not the same, for openers.
There is no substitute for a core of smart, dedicated technical people if you're in a technology-based business, as ours is. Du Pont's record keeping and documentation systems are simply not adequate to ensure retaining the technology base without also having experienced people who thoroughly understand it, and know how to apply it. Our best technical people constitute one of our primary business assets, and have generally been involved when we have competitive advantages in our products and processes. Today, if a high level scientist leaves Du Pont, it seems that some managers are "happy" because of the saved salary that person represents. I feel we desperately need to keep these people, also to cultivate and train their replacements. I do not mean we should tolerate or retain mediocrity - quite the contrary. Keeping almost everyone we hire has been one of Du Pont's failings since long before I started in 1955. We need to become more selective both in hiring and in firing. I believe the biggest single competitive advantage the best Japanese companies have over their U.S. counterparts is the overall superior quality of their people.
When management is perceived to be deserting its people, the people will inevitably start to lose their dedication. When that happens, it's only a matter of time until the business declines, since the "quality" of everything that happens is ultimately based on personal dedication. (Dedication to survival in your job" or to "getting your next promotion" is not the kind of dedication I'm talking about. I've always felt one of Du Pont's big problems is that too many managers are "running for office", i.e., trying to look good, instead of simply doing the best they can where they are.) A driving force of today's restructuring efforts is presumably to become more competitive with Japanese companies. In this country the answer to falling profits always seems to be, "Do the job with fewer people". But can advocates of this approach explain how Japanese companies succeed with a policy of total dedication to their work force? Have we been that overstaffed? I believe the loyalty and pride of their workers is another of Japan's secret weapons. I also believe this reflects the loyalty Japanese MANAGERS have toward their workers. Loyalty breeds loyalty - and vice versa.
Managing through difficult times like these requires tough mindedness. But that should not mean "heartlessness". I believe it is essential to keep the trust of the work force. And it is possible to retain trust only by being honest and above-board with your people at all times.
Good employee relations is not a luxury, it's a necessity. It's the foundation of everything else. Achieving and maintaining good employee relations - achieving strong support for what needs to be done - is management's biggest challenge and should be its highest priority. It's vital when things are tough. Yet I'm afraid it's being given second or third priority today in some quarters. If I'm right, "the bill will come due" in the not too distant future.
It's been a pleasure to work with all of you. I wish you well and I wish the businesses well. I hope you have a great holiday season and good fortune in everything you do next year.
Bob Hendricks - December, 1991
To read some comments Bob received after this memo was distributed within Imaging Systems Department, click here.
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(Last rev. 7/9/97)