"this book is in a word OUTSTANDING! It struck me that you had taken on 'Mission Impossible' and what a roaring success of conveying very complex organizational and strategic issues. I simply cannot imagine all the work that went into this gathering and recording of information and the horrendous book organizational issues involved in bringing the huge data base of facts/opinions into an interesting/readable book... The overall picture conveyed of what 'really' took place at HP over the years is a "REALITY SHOW" deserving of an Oscar....
"I think that this book is fair and equals reality as close as it can be approximated vs. the eulogy it could have been if done by the Packard/Hewlett families. Yes, and it's certainly obvious why HP or the families do not endorse it.
Thursday, January 7, 2010
four VPs weigh in
#1 -- "I was there last night (CHM). Good job, very nice opening. You handled yourself skillfully during Q & A -- and with good humor. Sometime maybe we can have another breakfast and a friendly personal discussion over a couple of points..."
#2 -- "Many thanks for such an exhaustive history of HP and thanks also for the balanced view of my small role in the evolution of the company. You have made a valuable contribution.... I became fully aware (circa 1991) that Packard was suffering from four years without Lucile and what a marvelous and moderating influence she had been..."
#3 -- "My memory of some events involving me is slightly different than what you heard from others involved..., but I can give you an overall grade of A+. The writing and the prose was excellent, surprisingly so for this type of book. Easy reading and fascinating. The story was comprehensive and devolved into several stories. There was something for everyone."
#4 -- "Chuck doesn't just tell what worked, but also describes in details what didn't work and how challenges were solved. As with any highly successful organization there wre struggles, conflicts, and disagreements coming from a team of passionate visionaries.... Chuck, in his own unvarnished way, shares it all.... Not just a history lesson, but (it) is about what it takes to create/enable an organization to innovate and transform.... a fundamental belief in 'bottoms-up innovation' -- a trait sorely missing from many organizations today where corporate anti-bodies seem to be the norm."
#2 -- "Many thanks for such an exhaustive history of HP and thanks also for the balanced view of my small role in the evolution of the company. You have made a valuable contribution.... I became fully aware (circa 1991) that Packard was suffering from four years without Lucile and what a marvelous and moderating influence she had been..."
#3 -- "My memory of some events involving me is slightly different than what you heard from others involved..., but I can give you an overall grade of A+. The writing and the prose was excellent, surprisingly so for this type of book. Easy reading and fascinating. The story was comprehensive and devolved into several stories. There was something for everyone."
#4 -- "Chuck doesn't just tell what worked, but also describes in details what didn't work and how challenges were solved. As with any highly successful organization there wre struggles, conflicts, and disagreements coming from a team of passionate visionaries.... Chuck, in his own unvarnished way, shares it all.... Not just a history lesson, but (it) is about what it takes to create/enable an organization to innovate and transform.... a fundamental belief in 'bottoms-up innovation' -- a trait sorely missing from many organizations today where corporate anti-bodies seem to be the norm."
a reader
From a reader: "I just finished reading The HP Phenomenon book. I am speechless. Anything I write here will fall short of the merited justice and compliments it deserves, but I'll try. I've been looking forward to the publication of the book for several years. 'What's taking them so long?' I wondered... This book about HP is not like any that I had imagined. It is awesome.
"In it there are far more details, references, interviews, individual history, product history, project history, division history, corporate history and HP history than seems possible.... I noticed, while reading each page, every line and sentence has detailed meaningful information. It surprised me how much detail is included about our competition, their history, products, and successes (or failures).
"A fine reference book. I was thankful that you covered many events, meetings, and quotes of many of our managers at HP. When I read the last page I found I had tears in my eyes because your book was a good read, sincerely appreciated, and precious. Thanks for writing it."
"In it there are far more details, references, interviews, individual history, product history, project history, division history, corporate history and HP history than seems possible.... I noticed, while reading each page, every line and sentence has detailed meaningful information. It surprised me how much detail is included about our competition, their history, products, and successes (or failures).
"A fine reference book. I was thankful that you covered many events, meetings, and quotes of many of our managers at HP. When I read the last page I found I had tears in my eyes because your book was a good read, sincerely appreciated, and precious. Thanks for writing it."
new month new year
And book sales are 'holding up' which is well nigh amazing. The Amazon count yesterday morning, pretty much equaled this morning, was #22,214. In "Hot New Releases" it ranks 3rd in High-Tech, 8th in Company Profiles, and 7th in Manager's Guides to Computing. 94 libraries are listed as having one, per the Google tracking site, and it managed to be on the Stanford Bookstore Best Seller list for both December and January.
More pleasing is the fact that we are getting some great testimonial letters, things that warm the cockles of your heart (or cause a tear to well in the eye). Readers, especially 'old HP' readers, seem to like it a lot. Thank goodness. If they didn't, it'd be worrisome.
And even seasoned exec's, the likes of Ely, Morton and Doyle, have read it and pronounced it sound, even as each has said something to the effect of 'here's a significant correction'
Satisfying!
More pleasing is the fact that we are getting some great testimonial letters, things that warm the cockles of your heart (or cause a tear to well in the eye). Readers, especially 'old HP' readers, seem to like it a lot. Thank goodness. If they didn't, it'd be worrisome.
And even seasoned exec's, the likes of Ely, Morton and Doyle, have read it and pronounced it sound, even as each has said something to the effect of 'here's a significant correction'
Satisfying!
Sunday, December 13, 2009
two BIG events
All on the same day. First, the HP/Agilent Bay Area retirees met, on Pearl Harbor Day (Dec 7th) for their annual luncheon. Some 450 folk listened to a brief half-hour outline of the book, and 82 bought books on-site for signing. Then I was featured at the Computer History Museum that night (the anniversary of many things besides Pearl Harbor's day of infamy -- I pointed out the irony of HP launching its EPOC printer that day, and didn't mention the HP-IB original meeting on 12/7/71 (courtesy of both Dave Ricci and Don Loughrey), or Jenny's first day at HP.
Another 35 books sold at CHM, managed by Kepler's.
Dave Iverson moderated the CHM event, very ably, and the questions were good ones. One in particular had to do with the current 'regime' and pay practices. Tough one to answer, and my answer "unconscionable if true" for the reported $113M for the top four people caused a murmur. I did say "Dave and Bill, for their egalitarian company, would find that an unusual pay practice". Dean Morton wants to have breakfast again this week, for some public speaking counseling.
It was a day that Ray Price hated to miss -- he was caught up in semester finals; he'd have enjoyed it as much as I did.
Another 35 books sold at CHM, managed by Kepler's.
Dave Iverson moderated the CHM event, very ably, and the questions were good ones. One in particular had to do with the current 'regime' and pay practices. Tough one to answer, and my answer "unconscionable if true" for the reported $113M for the top four people caused a murmur. I did say "Dave and Bill, for their egalitarian company, would find that an unusual pay practice". Dean Morton wants to have breakfast again this week, for some public speaking counseling.
It was a day that Ray Price hated to miss -- he was caught up in semester finals; he'd have enjoyed it as much as I did.
Friday, December 4, 2009
Yes it was fun
Yes indeed. First time I ever was featured on a one hour radio show. Up in San Francisco, at KQED, with Dave Iverson as the interviewer. He was magnificent. See his documentary re Father and Sons (about all three with Parkinson's -- very touching story).
We covered a lot of ground, and Q&A took us into a lot more places. Predictably, a number of folk called to say I am reporting nostalgia since the company has done a hopeless bastardization of the HP Way under the last two CEOs. And while I too go down that path on many occasions, I felt compelled to point out that (a) Carly Fiorina DID save the marquee name/company, doing no more acquisition than Dave Packard did in his second "term" (from going public to leaving for Washington DC), and (b) many current employees reported in interviews and in book signings this past month that THEIR unit, THEIR division, or THEIR arena is doing great, thank you, with the HP Way largely intact. Not to say it wasn't LOTS better in those great old days, but somehow it is asking a lot to expect a company of $120 BILLION to act as personal and intimate as a company of $120 MILLION, which is a fair amount LARGER than it was when I joined.
We had calls from Portland, and Phoenix, and San Diego, and Wisconsin, and lots of other places -- and I got emails all day long from friends who heard it and liked it, including our god-daughter who heard it twelve hours later in Las Vegas of all places. VERY NICE
And maybe that accounts for the surge in Amazon ratings, as it "zoomed" back to #6,751 at 8:00 pm tonight, with our book being #4 overall in Mgmt Guide to Computing (and #1, for the first (and probably only) time on the HOT NEW RELEASES list). It was #5 and #4 HNR on High Tech, and # 26 and #8 HNR on Company Profiles. Barnes and Noble didn't do as well, having it still at #45,301. (No, he's not a numbers guy, and he really isn't very competitive... )
SUNY Stonybrook
Wednesday (12-2-09), Karen Sobel-Lojeski arranged a wonderful group at State University of New York, Stony Brook campus, for me to present re the HP book. Deans from the Biz School, the D'school, the Tech in Society group, CS, Eng'g were among the audience. Very privileged.
Plus a full room (>75) and turning away an estimated 30 more (fire marshal rules). Great questions, including (a) what has been HP's response to the book, (b) how do you compare IBM and HP on services creativity these days, and (c) discuss the new leadership at HP Labs, this one from an ex-colleague of Prith Banerjee at UIUC.
I am increasingly using the "relevance" theme -- what can we learn from this history that applies to our world today -- and the notion that "bottoms up" leadership with marketplace deciding on success rather than "tops down" dictates wins the popular vote, no question. Students groove on that one, for sure. For experienced folk, the engineering-led vs. business-led notion garners lots of enthusiasm, particularly from engineers (duh)
I'm on KQED NPR radio this morning (FM 88.5 in San Francisco, 89.3 in Sacramento) with Dave Iverson. Should be fun.
Plus a full room (>75) and turning away an estimated 30 more (fire marshal rules). Great questions, including (a) what has been HP's response to the book, (b) how do you compare IBM and HP on services creativity these days, and (c) discuss the new leadership at HP Labs, this one from an ex-colleague of Prith Banerjee at UIUC.
I am increasingly using the "relevance" theme -- what can we learn from this history that applies to our world today -- and the notion that "bottoms up" leadership with marketplace deciding on success rather than "tops down" dictates wins the popular vote, no question. Students groove on that one, for sure. For experienced folk, the engineering-led vs. business-led notion garners lots of enthusiasm, particularly from engineers (duh)
I'm on KQED NPR radio this morning (FM 88.5 in San Francisco, 89.3 in Sacramento) with Dave Iverson. Should be fun.
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