Alexandra K. Mejia Pepen. 12-0472 Robert Townsend’s “Up the organization” Book Review

In this book we may notice that the author, Robert Townsend is a rare being—a man who succeeded in corporate life, becoming a director of American Express and then president of Avis, a car rental company, this book that has become a classic, the extremely interesting (and still relevant today, though now out of print) “Up the Organization”. In it the author make us clear about many of the holy commandments of corporate life. The book’s subtitle is kind of an exact short resume of its contents: “How to Stop the Corporation from Stifling People and Strangling Profits”. Townsend’s book had the benefit not only of being free of fancy words, but also of being easily digestible—it ran to around 180 pages and was divided into very small sections, none of which was longer than three pages. It was particularly tough on the vanity and stupidity of executive leaders, and it argued that a wide range of the perks of the leader’s job should be abolished—from the reserved space in the corporate car park, for instance, to the corporate jet and the company shrink.

It also show to us how to really use the spots on a company. A big example of a fancy “spot” on a company that he give us is the “Chairman of the executive committee” and how we can use this title, that nobody nows what it really means, to manipulate our clients mind. As the example he gave in his book; when someone call to a company for feedback about some problem they have, and they get transferred by the operator to a human resources attendant, they feel angry because they feel that this person will not help that much because is too far from a head of the company, but, if they get transferred to a “Chairman of the executive committee” they feel like they're talking to someone nearby to the boss.

Townsend’s argued that tight control from above had left people in the lower ranks of organizations trapped in mindless slavery. Employees from executive vice-presidents down to secretaries in the typing pool had, he said, three things in common: they were docile; they were bored; and they were dull. He suggested that chief executives should try calling themselves by phone to find out how impossible it is to communicate with them (and for them therefore to receive information from the outside world).

The best motivation is when employees motivate themselves. Fear of punishment is not an effective motivator. The best objectives are short enough to be memorable and don't have to be written down. The best organizations put people in a position to grow. Tight budgets may constrain, but they produce creative ways to achieve results. People don't hate work. It's as natural as rest or play. They don't have to be forced or threatened. If they commit themselves to mutual objectives, they'll drive themselves more effectively than you can drive them. But they'll commit themselves only to the extent they can see ways of satisfying their egos and development needs. Two types of meetings: information and problem-solving. End on time or earlier. One-page minutes on the same day of the meeting. Don't announce what you're going to do. Gives people time to build up their resistance. Just do it. "Liquidate all permanent committees." "A good manager doesn't try to eliminate conflict; he tries to keep it from wasting the energies of his people."

The author concludes that the best leader is the one who, when people are successful, the people say, "We did it" and do not know they have been led. Decisions are made by one person who is in charge, but the leadership can be transferred from one person to another depending on the situation, the types of problems and the decisions that have to be made.

In resume; “he shows us a way to humanize business and a way to have fun while making it all work better than it ever worked before” (From Wiley, knowledge for generations page, on the description they have of the book, its an ebook store, bough mine there.)

Bibliography:
-Robert Townsend’s “Up the Organization”.
-Some articles ideas from “The Economist” by some Gurus of the Business & Finance about Townsend’s corporate life
-My grand-parent view of the book, Fidias Mejia, MBA.
-Wiley, knowledge for generations, page.