| These pages are dedicated to my Career in Human Resources. Since 1979 I have made my living as an HR professional. What follows is a 3 page narrative of the companies I've worked for, the positions I've held and some remembrances and learnings from those times. |
Shortly after graduating from the University of Massachusetts at
Amherst in 1977, and until August, 2004; I pursued a career as a
Human Resources professional. I was fortunate to work at some
excellent companies, work for some very good managers, meet some
great colleagues and do some creative and impactful work. I also had
the opportunity, from early in my career, to manage people. While
there is a certain degree of tedium in getting people to ‘play nicely’ at
times… managing people is also a way to help people grow; and to
expand your own ability to accomplish things in an organization. As
such, I saw some junior colleagues develop into very capable
professionals in their own right.
country; and certainly had not seen it in the context of the life of a
traveling sales person (my clients, in this role). This afforded me the
opportunity to visit many of our country’s major cities. The differences
in regional cultures, language and business/social practices were quite
an education! I met my first (and only, I think) Klu Klux Klan members
in Atlanta, who had to leave the reception that followed the seminar
early … to go to a ‘meeting’.
I was in a hotel room in Montreal, when news of John Lennon’s murder
came across the TV.
As I look back, though, it was a very maturing and rewarding
experience. I came out of UMASS with a decent education, but little
‘polish’ or professionalism. My manager at Dennison did much for my
professional ‘foundation’.
After several years of 50% travel, I had to get off the road. I admire
those who can live/work on the road for years at a time... don’t know
how they do it. To this day, when I hear Robbie Robertson of The
Band say (on the Last Waltz DVD) that the Road will kill you… I have a
sense of what he means.
My next job was with RCA Corp in Bedford, Massachusetts. This would
be a totally different experience from the Dennison job. There was no
travel and instead of Office Products sold to Stationary dealers, I was
considering joining an organization that was selling Command &
Control Systems to the US Army. I remember asking the hiring
manager (one of the best people I would work for, as it turned out) if
the company/division did any weapons systems work. Hearing that they
didn’t do direct missile/ballistic production made the difference and I
accepted their offer. It was quite an experience to see Generals, in
fully decorated regalia, come to the plant to inspect the Command &
Control shelters and watch M1 Abrams Tanks maneuver in the lot out
back. In earlier days, that same plant had done work for NASA on the
Apollo flights (we had some 600 manufacturing employees in addition
to the engineering and Program Management staff). The focus on
quality that became ‘all the rage’ in later years was already deeply
instilled in those employees. They knew they were building systems
that would keep astronauts alive (or not) tens-of-thousands of miles
away in space. The commitment to quality and attention to detail
stemming from each employee’s personal sense of responsibility for
the well being of those astronauts permeated the plant community.
One of the most significant memories from those years came when I
got a call one night at home, from my boss, the Plant HR Director. He
said we needed to be at the office particularly early the next morning,
to get a fax off the wire (these were days well before the advent of e-
mail). What I witnessed the next day was amazing… I met with my boss
and a collection of the senior management team of the Division...
These were all 25+ year executives with RCA…career managers.
Apparently GE Corp was buying RCA. Thornton Bradshaw and Jack
Welch had struck a deal in NYC and this fax was the announcement to
management. I watched a half-dozen career executives sit around a
conference table and see their careers end. It took 12-18 months but
as GE came through the organization doing ‘integration and
assimilation’ each RCA exec was swapped out for a GE counterpart.
Another memorable experience from this chapter was seeing my boss
work very skillfully with GE management to negotiate severance deals
and ensure retirement benefits for the plant as a whole and for some
long term senior managers and execs in particular. He was often seen
as a gruff, loud individual by plant employees up to that time. But in the
final analysis, his tough exterior was complemented by a deep
commitment to those people and both were needed to do right by
them. He retired having done his best Human Resources work in the
final months of his career. … Something few people can claim.
I found the GE people to be pretty good. They were fundamentally
sound in HR practices (even if they did swap out all the operating
management staff) and generally very nice to me. They made it clear I
could stay on … and I did for a while. Soon, however, the military
climate/culture of the organization, the entire customer base being
Colonels and Generals etc … made me anxious for another
opportunity.
Amherst in 1977, and until August, 2004; I pursued a career as a
Human Resources professional. I was fortunate to work at some
excellent companies, work for some very good managers, meet some
great colleagues and do some creative and impactful work. I also had
the opportunity, from early in my career, to manage people. While
there is a certain degree of tedium in getting people to ‘play nicely’ at
times… managing people is also a way to help people grow; and to
expand your own ability to accomplish things in an organization. As
such, I saw some junior colleagues develop into very capable
professionals in their own right.
- My life up to and including college did not afford me
an opportunity to travel to any great degree. I had
gone to Canada on family vacations, but that was
the extent of my US or International travels. After
college I took a position with a division of Dennison
Manufacturing Corporation as a SalesTrainer. In
this role I was a ‘stand-up trainer / presenter’ doing
a 2-day Selling Skills seminar for our in-house sales
people. I also was responsible for marketing and
delivering that program to our customers. This job
would bring me to cities all across the country.
country; and certainly had not seen it in the context of the life of a
traveling sales person (my clients, in this role). This afforded me the
opportunity to visit many of our country’s major cities. The differences
in regional cultures, language and business/social practices were quite
an education! I met my first (and only, I think) Klu Klux Klan members
in Atlanta, who had to leave the reception that followed the seminar
early … to go to a ‘meeting’.
I was in a hotel room in Montreal, when news of John Lennon’s murder
came across the TV.
As I look back, though, it was a very maturing and rewarding
experience. I came out of UMASS with a decent education, but little
‘polish’ or professionalism. My manager at Dennison did much for my
professional ‘foundation’.
After several years of 50% travel, I had to get off the road. I admire
those who can live/work on the road for years at a time... don’t know
how they do it. To this day, when I hear Robbie Robertson of The
Band say (on the Last Waltz DVD) that the Road will kill you… I have a
sense of what he means.
My next job was with RCA Corp in Bedford, Massachusetts. This would
be a totally different experience from the Dennison job. There was no
travel and instead of Office Products sold to Stationary dealers, I was
considering joining an organization that was selling Command &
Control Systems to the US Army. I remember asking the hiring
manager (one of the best people I would work for, as it turned out) if
the company/division did any weapons systems work. Hearing that they
didn’t do direct missile/ballistic production made the difference and I
accepted their offer. It was quite an experience to see Generals, in
fully decorated regalia, come to the plant to inspect the Command &
Control shelters and watch M1 Abrams Tanks maneuver in the lot out
back. In earlier days, that same plant had done work for NASA on the
Apollo flights (we had some 600 manufacturing employees in addition
to the engineering and Program Management staff). The focus on
quality that became ‘all the rage’ in later years was already deeply
instilled in those employees. They knew they were building systems
that would keep astronauts alive (or not) tens-of-thousands of miles
away in space. The commitment to quality and attention to detail
stemming from each employee’s personal sense of responsibility for
the well being of those astronauts permeated the plant community.
One of the most significant memories from those years came when I
got a call one night at home, from my boss, the Plant HR Director. He
said we needed to be at the office particularly early the next morning,
to get a fax off the wire (these were days well before the advent of e-
mail). What I witnessed the next day was amazing… I met with my boss
and a collection of the senior management team of the Division...
These were all 25+ year executives with RCA…career managers.
Apparently GE Corp was buying RCA. Thornton Bradshaw and Jack
Welch had struck a deal in NYC and this fax was the announcement to
management. I watched a half-dozen career executives sit around a
conference table and see their careers end. It took 12-18 months but
as GE came through the organization doing ‘integration and
assimilation’ each RCA exec was swapped out for a GE counterpart.
Another memorable experience from this chapter was seeing my boss
work very skillfully with GE management to negotiate severance deals
and ensure retirement benefits for the plant as a whole and for some
long term senior managers and execs in particular. He was often seen
as a gruff, loud individual by plant employees up to that time. But in the
final analysis, his tough exterior was complemented by a deep
commitment to those people and both were needed to do right by
them. He retired having done his best Human Resources work in the
final months of his career. … Something few people can claim.
I found the GE people to be pretty good. They were fundamentally
sound in HR practices (even if they did swap out all the operating
management staff) and generally very nice to me. They made it clear I
could stay on … and I did for a while. Soon, however, the military
climate/culture of the organization, the entire customer base being
Colonels and Generals etc … made me anxious for another
opportunity.
