It's Up To You
In remarks titled "The Brewing Industry: Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow," Thomas Koehler, vice president--sales, Miller Brewing Company, has discussed issues facing the industry and has urged members of his audience at the convention of the Malt Beverage Distributors Association of Pennsylvania to take an active role in waging a battle for their industry. His closing relies on an inspirational fable that reinforces his theme of involvement:
"I would conclude with a story that applies to all of us in this industry.
"In ancient times there was a philosopher who had many disciples. One day a cynical young man decided to humiliate him by asking him a question he couldn't possibly answer correctly.
"The cynic put a recently hatched chick in the palm of his hand and asked the philosopher, in front of a large audience, whether what he had in his hand was dead or alive. His intention, if the philosopher said `alive,' was to crush the chick to death and show the master to be wrong. If the philosopher said `dead,' then he planned to let the chick live--to prove the great man wrong.
"In response to the question, the philosopher looked the cynic in the eye, smiled, and calmly replied: `The answer, my son, lies in your hands.'
"Well, like that young man, the future of our industry lies in our hands. Our actions over the next few years will determine whether the brewing industry--as we know it today--will be alive. . . and will thrive. . . or only a memory."
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Prospects & Customers
In remarks before a GM Women's Club Annual Meeting, then-GM vice president and group executive Edward P. Czapor discusses the importance of customer focus in the quality equation. An anecdote on the treatment of customers closes his remarks:
"I'd like to close with a story that talks about customers and how they're treated.
"A woman shows up at the gates of heaven and St. Peter informs her that, according to schedule, she was ten years too early and would have to return to earth until her appointed time. She greeted that news with mixed emotions, but since she was already at the Pearly Gates, she asked St. Peter if she might just have a quick peek at heaven.
"St. Peter said, `O.K.' and let her in. She looked around and saw people sitting on clouds playing golden harps. This wasn't exactly her vision of heaven, but it was rather peaceful.
"Reflecting on what she'd seen, she then asked if she might also take a look at hell before going back to earth. St. Peter was somewhat taken aback, but nevertheless buzzed the devil on the intercom. Receiving an affirmative answer, our friend quickly descended to the nether region and was met by the devil, who took her over to a door which he opened.
"The scene was magnificent. There before her was a tropical island; warm breezes; beautiful sunset; people surfing, dancing on the beaches, and generally having a grand time.
"With that, our friend was sent back to earth. Sure enough, ten years later to the day, she died and was back at the Pearly Gates where St. Peter welcomed her, gave her a golden harp and assigned her to Cloud Number 1368, `just down the third row there on the left.'
"At this point, the deceased inquired if she might elect to go to hell instead of heaven. While St. Peter was surprised and disappointed by this request he nevertheless granted it. Upon her arrival in hell, the devil quickly escorted her over to the door and again opened it. This time, however, the scene was different. There, in full view, was the inferno--people tied to trees, cries of anguish, animals biting at their legs, snakes slithering everywhere.
"Our friend turned to the devil and said, `Wait a minute. Ten years ago, when I was here, this was an absolute paradise. This is awful now--not at all what I expected. What happened?'
"The devil replied, `Ah, my friend, ten years ago you were a prospect. Today, you're a customer.'
"I hope at General Motors once people are customers, we still treat them like prospects.
"Thank you and good evening."
Inspiration & Refreshment
"If I've gotten my message across, it's my hope that some of you will leave here inspired. . . and the rest of you will at least wake up refreshed."
The Politician's Prayer
"Finally, as a former government official, let me leave you with the politician's prayer: `Dear Lord, please make my words sweet and gentle because tomorrow I may have to eat them.'"
Career Planning
In remarks titled "Career Strategies for Corporate Communicators," John R. Luecke, independent public relations counselor, has discussed the need for career planning, especially in light of the external threats that have taken their toll on public relations staffs.
In his closing, Luecke uses two short, apt quotations--one serious from a famous literary figure, the other humorous, drawing from the comic strip character, Pogo. A short toast concludes the speech by driving home the point that corporate communication and public relations professionals must take responsibility for their own career planning:
"Let me close now with three quotes which I think capture something of this whole subject of career planning. The first is from T.S. Eliot. I doubt that he engaged in much formal career planning, but he did leave us with this warning: `If you haven't the strength to impose your own terms on life, then you must accept the terms it offers you.' Not bad, T.S. Here's something from another literary figure, Pogo. Now Pogo is a comic strip character who's no longer in print. He's best known for reminding us that we are our own worst enemies. In another particularly lucid moment Pogo realized that `we are confronted with insurmountable opportunities'. I like to think of career planning that way. And finally, here's a traditional toast which seems only too appropriate. It goes: `Drink not to my past, which is weak and indefensible. Nor to my present which is not above reproach. But let us drink to our futures which, thank God, are immaculate.'"
Regulatory Decisiveness
A baseball analogy and an anecdote were used by Wayne Brunetti of the Florida Power & Light Company to make a memorable point about his company's expectations from regulatory decision-makers:
"I've made a number of references to the game of baseball today. It is, after all, that time of year when the boys of summer reappear on the playing fields of
"In closing, let me return to the suggestion that regulators are very much like umpires--that, in general, after everything is said and done, the final decision is theirs to make.
"The importance of that role is perhaps best illustrated by the story of the three umpires who found themselves comparing notes on their profession.
"The first umpire said, `There are balls and there are strikes, and we call them as they are.'
"The second one disagreed slightly. He said, `There are balls and there are strikes, but we call them as we see them.' "The third umpire said they were both wrong. `There are balls and there are strikes,' he agreed, `But they ain't nothing until we call them!'
"In addressing the regulatory decision-makers of tomorrow, the electric utility industry would ask only that their calls be made with the greatest of deliberation and the greatest of care... for in many respects, our nation's energy future will depend on the outcome of those calls."
A Conspiracy of Silence
An Oscar Wilde anecdote succeeds as a closing both for its humor and the sense of finality in its last 10 single syllable words (from remarks at the 104th Annual Commencement at the Catholic University of America by Monsignor Robert Paul Mohan, a CUA professor emeritus of philosophy):
"And finally: Oscar Wilde was once approached by the most boring man in
Quality with a Passion
Florida Power & Light president Marshall McDonald says there is a revival of quality in
Mr. McDonald discusses his company's Quality Improvement Program (QIP), which concentrates on the customer; utilizes the PDCA cycle (planning, doing, checking, acting); and teaches employees how to manage by fact. He says that Florida Power & Light's QIP is viewed as a triangle of three separate parts that include quality improvement teams, policy development, and quality in daily life which focuses on the customer and customer satisfaction. Mr. McDonald, whose remarks were delivered before the Philadelphia Area Council for Excellence, closes on anemphatic, passionate note with three inspirational quotations that epitomize his dedication to total quality:
"I've spoken at great length today about quality in the workplace, but what about quality in a broader sense? Does our commitment to excellence end when we walk out the office door? "I believe that question was answered many years ago by the legendary football coach Vince Lombardi. He put the pursuit of quality in perspective when he said: `The quality of a person's life is in direct proportion to their commitment to excellence.' "Some of today's generation might not be familiar with Vince Lombardi. They'd be more likely to listen to someone like Mike Ditka, the coach of the Chicago Bears. A few months ago, Ditka was inducted into the national Football League Hall of Fame. In his acceptance speech were these words: `Excellence in football and excellence in life. . . is bred when men recognize opportunity and pursue it with passion.'
"We all face magnificent opportunities every day of our lives. Sometimes these opportunities can be brilliantly disguised as impossible situations, but the opportunities are always there. .. and it's up to each of us to pursue them.
"I believe our quality improvement program helps enable our employees to recognize opportunities--opportunities that they have pursued with great passion.
"A famous author once wrote that `It's a funny thing about life. If you refuse to accept anything but the best, you very often get it.'
"In closing, let me wish nothing but the best for each of you. .. and thank you for your patient attention this morning."
The Impossible
The ever-paradoxical Casey Stengel is called on for a touch of closing humor which lightens a call for social, economic, and educational transformation by Joseph T. Gorman, chairman and chief executive officer of TRW Inc., in remarks titled "The American Dream: From Rhetoric to Reality," before the Economic Club of Detroit:
"In concluding, and looking at all that must be done, it is easy to understand why so many have avoided for so long the confrontations and efforts necessary to pull it off. The time is long past due, however, and we must take it out of the `too hard' box and get going.
"Indeed, it reminds me of that great aphorism from Casey Stengel: `They say it can't be done, but sometimes that doesn't always work.'
"Thank you."
The Tyranny of the Or
Intriguing phrases from a recent management book serve as the basis for a memorable contrast in an inspirational closing by Northwestern Mutual Life president James D. Ericson. Mr. Ericson's remarks, titled "Going for Growth," were presented at the company's western regional meeting:
"There's a recent book called Built to Last published by the
"The authors focus on one clear difference. `Visionary companies,' they say, `do not oppress themselves with the Tyranny of the Or.' The Tyranny of the Or. Let me explain how a little word like or can be a tyrant.
"The tyranny of the or moves people to believe that things must be one way or another... but never both. I'm sure you've heard people talk like this. They say--we can either be conservative or bold. We can work for purpose or profit. We can be a low-cost producer or offer a high-quality product.
"But then there are visionary companies. They don't believe in such restrictions. Visionary companies embrace The Genius of the
"As the authors write, `A visionary company works to preserve its core ideology and encourage vigorous change. It does both... at the same time... all the time.
"So how does this apply to us? My friends, Northwestern Mutual is a visionary company. Our tradition, our record, and our current position qualify us to make this claim.
"You and I are in the very position that many business pundits claim is unattainable. Look at what they say! They say that no company--no company--can be a low-cost leader and still have the following--the highest-quality product, the finest distribution system and the best service. Yet we offer all four, at the same time, all the time.
"Low-cost leader... highest-quality product... finest sales force... and superior service. This is our genius of the and.
"I believe this. I know you do, too. Our magic is believing... believing that we will enjoy lasting quality... and strong, healthy and sustained growth. My friends, I can assure you-- quality and growth are in our future. Quality and growth begin with you."
Hard Work & Greatness
Inspirational verse from Longfellow made for a memorable closing in remarks from former British Petroleum chairman Robert B. Horton to a graduating class:
"I congratulate you all on your achievement and I also congratulate your parents and your families and all who have supported you during these years of hard work.
"And I also welcome you to the world of a different sort of work- -for that is the destination of many of you.
"Don't be downhearted if, in the coming years, your reach occasionally exceeds your grasp. Martin Luther King used to quote from Longfellow--I like it and you may too:
`The heights by great men reached and kept
Were not attained by sudden flight
But they, while their companions slept,
Were toiling upward in the night.'
"May I wish all of you graduating today great good fortune in the journey ahead."
Presidential Persuasion
The Brigance Forum is an annual public lecture in memory of
In his remarks, Professor Stewart looks at Kennedy's speech on "The Cuban Missile Crisis," Johnson's "
Among the passages Dr. Stewart quotes is one from what is arguably the best speech from the Bush presidency and which relies on repetition and good guy/bad guy contrasts for its power:
"While the world waited, Saddam sought to add to the chemical weapons arsenal he now possessed, an infinitely more dangerous weapon of mass destruction--a nuclear weapon. And while the world waited, while the world talked peace and withdrawal, Saddam Hussein dug in and moved massive forces into
"While the world waited, while Saddam stalled, more damage was being done to the fragile economies of the Third World, emerging democracies of
"While the world waited, Saddam Hussein met every overture of peace with open contempt. While the world prayed for peace, Saddam prepared for war."
Also included is the closing from Kennedy's missile crisis speech which is a study in the power of antithesis, in the forms of [this] but [that] and not [this] but [that]:
"The path we have chosen for the present is full of hazards, as all paths are; but it is one of the most consistent with our character and our courage as a nation and our commitments around the world. The cost of freedom is always high--but Americans have always paid it. And one path we shall never choose, and this is the path of surrender or submission.
"Our goal is not victory of might but the vindication of right--not peace at the expense of freedom, but both peace and freedom, here in this hemisphere and, we hope, around the world. God willing, that goal will be achieved. Thank you, and good night."
Sit Down & Be Quiet
In remarks at the Blandin Foundation Leadership Conference in Brainerd, Minnesota, Win Borden, president of the Minnesota Chamber of Commerce, has discussed the public's frustration with education and business over quality; what the business community expects from education; what education should expect from business in return; and several other issues like educational spending, merit pay for teachers, a longer school year, and discipline that education and business must face together.
In concluding what has been a wide-ranging discussion of a serious topic, Borden chooses to close on a lighter note. He uses two humorous references to public speaking, one of which is self-directed:
"I'm looking at my watch and remembering what Muriel Humphrey told her late husband, Senator Hubert Humphrey, after a particularly windy speech. She said: `Hubert, you don't have to be eternal to be immortal.' "My son's the world's happiest little first grader. He loves to talk talk talk. One day he came home with a note from his teacher. She's wonderful and she's had all our kids in her class. The note was addressed to my wife. It said: DEAR BETTY, YOUR SON AND YOUR HUSBAND HAVE THE SAME PROBLEM. NEITHER ONE OF THEM KNOWS WHEN TO SIT DOWN AND BE QUIET. "Now I'm going to take her advice. Thank you very much."
Waste & Consequences
Stephen M. Wolf, chairman and president of UAL Corporation and United Airlines, discusses a number of serious wastes in our society that are "sapping our national strength and lessening our ability to face the challenge of the next decade and the next century." He cites our education system, crime, lessening work ethic, a legal system that encourages costly litigation, and a financial system whose integrity is being questioned as primary examples of how we are wasting our human and other resources.
In his closing, Wolf uses a quotation from a famous author that epitomizes his theme:
"I don't have any magic solutions. But I do have at least a cautious optimism that good sense will prevail--that people who genuinely care about the future of this country increasingly will see that we are not a collection of feuding tribes, each concerned only with its own narrow agenda. We want the same things: economic opportunity and a continuing improvement in our quality of life.
"We cannot get them if we continue wasting much of our potential strength. Losing a young person to drugs or illiteracy is far more costly than losing a business deal. Wasting talent on a labor/management war is far more expensive to both sides than can be measured in dollars alone.
"The author Robert Louis Stevenson once said that `everybody, sooner or later, sits down to a banquet of consequences.' In my view, the most serious consequences in the 1990s and beyond will result less from the obvious dangers than from the more subtle one of wasted opportunities.
"Waste is a luxury we cannot afford. With the help of
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