Theory and Practice
by Robert—Age 81—Los Angeles, CA
Having recently celebrated my eighty-first birthday, I’ve been semi-retired for 17 years. I did actually retire but after following my wife through Nordstroms and eating lunch at home, marriage worked better being out of the house during the day.
I’ve always been somewhat nostalgic, however, about my very first job.
It was 1951 and I was armed with an MBA in Labor Relations from Columbia; a small paintbrush manufacturer in downtown New York made me personnel manager, since their former one had died. It was a small company with about 50 factory workers, an office manager, purchasing agent, factory manager, and two vice presidents, sons of the president. A union represented the workers. This was heaven to me. Everything I had learned would be put into practice and being a street-smart New Yorker, it would be impossible for my ideas not to succeed. With the Wall Street Journal in hand and confidence exuding from every pore I happily rode the subway to Grand Street, knowing some future corner office with the title vice-president would be mine along with a great salary, stock options, an apartment on Fifth Avenue, and loads of lovely ladies.
The company became my personal playground. Working with the plant manager I brought employment records up to date, developed a safety program which lowered insurance rates and an attendance program which the union jointly approved. Knowing the people became a learning experience. I spent a lot of time in the factory learning the different techniques that went into making paintbrushes.
As time went by, I realized that personnel management was considered overhead. Nothing in the plant was mine, from the pencils on the desk to the desk itself. After my wife and I moved to California, I attended UCLA at night and became an accountant. Years later I went on my own. Not only the pencils were mine but also the rent, yet it was and still is gratifying to know the earnings are mine too.
In 1950, business school philosophy emphasized using skills in corporations. Only one professor advised using skills to open a small newsstand and expanding. I should have listened then.
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