Browntothebone
Well-known member
- Joined
- Feb 16, 2002
- Posts
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Words of Wisdom from the founder of UPS
The origins of UPS's corporate culture come from the practical and philosophical insights of its founder Jim Casey. He had an unusual ability to convey the core values of the company.
Inspired Management
"A company must create a succession of leaders and managers who are inspired by dedication to principle, to people and to service."
Respect for the individual
"I envisage our organization as a means through which each member should be able to achieve a good measure of personal satisfaction and at the same time aid in the advancement of the interests of all the rest of us."
Business ethics
"Once the people you deal with come to recognize that what you do springs from an honest heart, they will be surprisingly strong in their support of you. They will believe what you say. They will give you their loyalty. They will trust and follow you. Yes, right-thinking people have made our business what it is today."
The virtue of taking action
"We are practical people, not merely dreamers. We know that our dreams and plans won't get very far unless we have the right people to make them realities."
Self-reliant management
"A person's worth to an organization can be measured by the amount of supervision that is required. If a person is not a self-driver, if he does require constant supervision, he should not be in a high place in our organization."
Good management
"Good management is not just organization. It is an attitude inspired by the will to do right. Good management is your own worthiness to have and hold the confidence of others. Your associates really want to trust, respect, admire and believe in you. It's your own fault if they don't."
Self-education
"Take an inventory of yourself and see where you stand. Ask yourself a few questions: Is your mental attitude right? Is your education sufficient? Do you really know your job and do you do your job? Do you allow yourself to get licked when the going is difficult? Do you finish what you start? Do you really have a plan for success? Are you able to lead other people? Do you train, encourage and inspire people who work with you to do a better job and thus help you also do a better one?"
Customer focus
"Our real, primary objective is to serve - to render perfect service to our stores and their customers. If we keep that objective constantly in mind, our reward in money can be beyond our fondest dreams. In the early days of UPS, we didn't look at delayed deliveries and other complaints as a mass of statistics to be filed away and forgotten. We looked at them almost with terror. We regarded every complaint, or cause for complaint, as a flaw in our service, and we trained all our people to prevent them."
Corporate image
"Customers judge us by the visual and mental impression they get. If those impressions are to be favorable, we must have the appearance of doing a good job. Not only does this apply to the physical appearance of plants, cars and people, but it also applies to the impressions created by the work we do and how we do it. When a driver does not have the complete uniform or wears an odd sweater or overcoat - what kind of impression does that person create when making pick-ups or deliveries? And whose fault is that? The driver's? No. It's the fault of someone higher up for failing to insist that proper appearance is a requirement of the day's work."
The origins of UPS's corporate culture come from the practical and philosophical insights of its founder Jim Casey. He had an unusual ability to convey the core values of the company.
Inspired Management
"A company must create a succession of leaders and managers who are inspired by dedication to principle, to people and to service."
Respect for the individual
"I envisage our organization as a means through which each member should be able to achieve a good measure of personal satisfaction and at the same time aid in the advancement of the interests of all the rest of us."
Business ethics
"Once the people you deal with come to recognize that what you do springs from an honest heart, they will be surprisingly strong in their support of you. They will believe what you say. They will give you their loyalty. They will trust and follow you. Yes, right-thinking people have made our business what it is today."
The virtue of taking action
"We are practical people, not merely dreamers. We know that our dreams and plans won't get very far unless we have the right people to make them realities."
Self-reliant management
"A person's worth to an organization can be measured by the amount of supervision that is required. If a person is not a self-driver, if he does require constant supervision, he should not be in a high place in our organization."
Good management
"Good management is not just organization. It is an attitude inspired by the will to do right. Good management is your own worthiness to have and hold the confidence of others. Your associates really want to trust, respect, admire and believe in you. It's your own fault if they don't."
Self-education
"Take an inventory of yourself and see where you stand. Ask yourself a few questions: Is your mental attitude right? Is your education sufficient? Do you really know your job and do you do your job? Do you allow yourself to get licked when the going is difficult? Do you finish what you start? Do you really have a plan for success? Are you able to lead other people? Do you train, encourage and inspire people who work with you to do a better job and thus help you also do a better one?"
Customer focus
"Our real, primary objective is to serve - to render perfect service to our stores and their customers. If we keep that objective constantly in mind, our reward in money can be beyond our fondest dreams. In the early days of UPS, we didn't look at delayed deliveries and other complaints as a mass of statistics to be filed away and forgotten. We looked at them almost with terror. We regarded every complaint, or cause for complaint, as a flaw in our service, and we trained all our people to prevent them."
Corporate image
"Customers judge us by the visual and mental impression they get. If those impressions are to be favorable, we must have the appearance of doing a good job. Not only does this apply to the physical appearance of plants, cars and people, but it also applies to the impressions created by the work we do and how we do it. When a driver does not have the complete uniform or wears an odd sweater or overcoat - what kind of impression does that person create when making pick-ups or deliveries? And whose fault is that? The driver's? No. It's the fault of someone higher up for failing to insist that proper appearance is a requirement of the day's work."
