2nd Best Company to Work For

Posted by on March 20, 2017 · Leave a Comment 

Fortune Magazine’s 2017 “100 Best Companies to Work For” rated Wegmans Food Markets as the second best company to work for. As Inc. Magazine’s article reports, Wegmans does not pay the highest wages compared to many of the other companies on Fortune’s list. However, it does have some attractive perks for tuition reimbursement and health […]

Category Best Companies to Work For, Management · Tags , , , , , , , , , , ,

My Leadership Excellence magazine article “Seven lessons from a turnaround CEO”

Posted by on May 6, 2015 · Leave a Comment 

Leadership Excellence magazine published my article: “Mastering Leadership – Seven lessons from a turnaround CEO” By Robert F. Amter There are many theories about what it takes to be an effective Chief Executive Officer.  Most are based on observation and research.  They lack the hands-on, in the trenches experience of what it really takes to […]

Category Acquisitions, Bankruptcies, Bankruptcy, Best Companies to Work For, Business failure, CEOs, Chief Executive Officer, Emerson Electric Co., Leadership, Leadership Excellence magazine, Management, Manufacturing, Peter Drucker, The Art of War, Turnarounds, USA · Tags , , , , , , ,

An Avoidable Manufacturing Failure?

Posted by on June 16, 2014 · Leave a Comment 

Google announced in May that it has decided to close its Motorola Moto X smartphone plant. The Texas plant has been in operation for one year. Its smartphones will be manufactured in China and Brazil. One goal for this plant was to “…challenge conventional wisdom that manufacturing in the U.S. is too expensive.” But unit […]

Category An Avoidable Manufacturing Failure?, Apple Computer, Avoiding a Common Manufacturing Problem, Best Companies to Work For, Business failure, China, Leadership, Management, Manufacturing, Turnarounds, USA · Tags , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Steve Jobs compared to Peter Drucker

Posted by on October 7, 2013 · Leave a Comment 

Steve Jobs built Apple Computer into one of the most successful and valuable companies in history. He had a distinctive management style. How would his management compare to the advice Peter Drucker would give a CEO? Steve Jobs’ practice of management: Heavy stress on innovation. He did not have all the innovative thoughts that proved […]

Category Apple Computer, Best Companies to Work For, CEOs, Chief Executive Officer, Inside Drucker's Brain, Leadership, Management, Peter Drucker, Steve Jobs, Steve Jobs compared to Peter Drucker · Tags , , , , , , ,

My AMA article: “Hard-Won Lessons from a Turnaround CEO”

Posted by on April 18, 2013 · Leave a Comment 

    The American Management Association published my article  “Anticipate, Focus, Execute – Hard-Won Lessons from a Turnaround CEO”. An excerpt from the article is as follows: “After 15 years at Emerson Electric Co, I have spent more than 20 years as a turnaround CEO.  During this time, I have discovered that companies get themselves […]

Category American Management Association, Best Companies to Work For, Business failure, CEOs, Chief Executive Officer, Emerson Electric Co., Leadership, Management, Peter Drucker, Turnarounds · Tags , , ,

The Netflix Culture & Mistake

Posted by on October 25, 2011 · Leave a Comment 

Netflix’s culture was described in a recent edition of the Business Insider. It makes an interesting read. At more than one hundred pages, it is quite long and detailed – but worthwhile. While it is described as a statement of its company culture, it is more of a guide and blueprint for its employees on […]

Category Best Companies to Work For, Books, CEOs, Peter Drucker, USA · Tags , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Kinko’s. Was it Damaged?

Posted by on April 10, 2008 · Leave a Comment 

Claudia H. Deutsch of the NY Times reported on Clayton, Dubilier & Rice’s management of Kinko’s on May 5th 2007 with an article titled “Paper Jam At FedEx Kinko’s”. One quote referring to the culture change: “Some say Clayton, Dubilier massacred Kinko’s, and that FedEx can never repair the damage.” On March 8, 2008 the New York […]

Category Best Companies to Work For, Blog, CEOs, Kinkos · Tags , , , , , ,

Managing & The Firestone Debacle vs. “Best Companies to Work For” Analysis

Posted by on February 6, 2002 · Leave a Comment 

The Wall Street Journal’s January 10, 2002 article “Hidden Cost of Labor Strife” describes how incorrectly reducing labor costs results in higher operating costs. A Fortune magazine article cites examples of correctly reducing costs in difficult times and have employees support your decisions, be sympathetic and helpful. At Emerson Electric Co., we never had employees be […]

Category Best Companies to Work For, Blog, Books, Business failure, CEOs, Manufacturing · Tags , , ,

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Chief Executive Officer

Executive Chairman

Turnarounds & Operational Restructurings

Adviser to creditors, board of directors or owners

Pre-acquisition & troubled company due diligence evaluations

Develop strategic and operating plans - including Court required plans of reorganization

Acquisition advice and negotiations

Serve as Member Board of Directors

Testify in Federal and State Court

Reason I wrote my book “Learn to Whisper”

Click on this link for a more complete description of “Learn to Whisper”

The reason I wrote “Learn to Whisper”:

My conclusion after operating as a Turnaround Chief Executive Officer for more than twenty-five years is that the majority of this country’s top management is far from first-rate. In fact top management, particularly at the chief executive officer level, is at best average with a large number that can be rated mediocre. This lack of management competence has seen this country’s market leaders lose sizeable market share to foreign manufacturers able to export better quality and lower cost products to the USA. It has seen manufacturing and service operations unnecessarily moved to foreign countries. All of which has negatively affected the economy, severely damaged former blue-chip corporations and seen quality jobs lost.

It is quite common to discover that companies struggling with this inability to compete with foreign companies have been simply mismanaged. The once successful business deteriorated because of an incompetent chief executive officer and weak senior management

Why doesn’t this nation have first-rate management? Inadequate training. Chief executive officers and vice presidents learn “on the job”. A number get promoted based on personality, political connections and drive – not merit. They are not carefully screened for the potential to become successful at managing. For some all that is needed is a well-written resume, the right interviewing style and the inability of a new employer to accurately assess skills, performance and potential.

Compare this to the process doctors go through. From medical school to internship to residency to a senior role after years of education, experience and continuous training their progress and capabilities are constantly monitored even after they become senior in the profession. Generals and Admirals go through a similar protocol. They must prove themselves in low-level assignments before they are judged qualified for senior positions. Unqualified applicants in both professions are culled out. What can be done to improve management competence? Education, on-the-job training and job performance monitoring. My book will educate people on the subject of managing. Its 101 management lessons are separated into the 17 subjects managers need to know.