Discussion: View Thread

Sorry to pose such an inane request but I can't recall the name or location
of something I read recently and I'm hoping someone on this list might have
a much better memory.

I read something about strategy; specifically, about keeping your strategy
close to your vest so that competitors don't get wind of what you're up to
until it's too late for them to either counter or copy. The case in point
was the paper industry and I believe a manufacturer shifted from
high-volume, low-margin products to specialty papers with much higher
margins and left the low-margin business to his competitors. The case
involved, also, a new CEO who took a look at the business and discovered
this high-margin business waiting to be tapped.

Ring a bell with anyone?

Regards,

Fred Nickols, CPT
Distance Consulting
"Assistance at a Distance"
nickols@att.net
www.nickols.us

P.S.

I also recall mention being made of misdirection, that is, leading the
competitors to believe the company in question was up to something other
than what it was up to.

Regards,

Fred Nickols, CPT
Distance Consulting
"Assistance at a Distance"
nickols@att.net
www.nickols.us


> -----Original Message-----
> From: Management Education and Development Discussion
> [mailto:MG-ED-DV@MAELSTROM.STJOHNS.EDU]On Behalf Of Fred Nickols
> Sent: Thursday, September 30, 2004 9:48 AM
> To: MG-ED-DV@MAELSTROM.STJOHNS.EDU
> Subject: Help with a failing memory
>
>
> Sorry to pose such an inane request but I can't recall the name
> or location
> of something I read recently and I'm hoping someone on this list
> might have
> a much better memory.
>
> I read something about strategy; specifically, about keeping your strategy
> close to your vest so that competitors don't get wind of what you're up to
> until it's too late for them to either counter or copy. The case in point
> was the paper industry and I believe a manufacturer shifted from
> high-volume, low-margin products to specialty papers with much higher
> margins and left the low-margin business to his competitors. The case
> involved, also, a new CEO who took a look at the business and discovered
> this high-margin business waiting to be tapped.
>
> Ring a bell with anyone?
>
> Regards,
>
> Fred Nickols, CPT
> Distance Consulting
> "Assistance at a Distance"
> nickols@att.net
> www.nickols.us

EXCERPT from: Stalk, Jr., George, Lachenauer, Rob, "Hard Ball," Harvard
Business Review, Apr2004, Vol. 82, Issue 4.

Deceive the competition. Do you have a great strategy but worry that you
lack the time to get it in place before competitors can blunt or otherwise
resist it? Hardball players will mislead rivals to buy time--or to gain any
other kind of competitive advantage.

Think of the "fake" that is a fundamental--and legal-tactic in any number of
sports: the head fake in basketball, the fake handoff in football, a
pitcher's fake pickoff throw in baseball. The aim of all these feints is the
same: getting your rival to set up or move in a way that puts him off
balance and reduces his ability to meet your attack.

Similar moves occur in business, although no one says much about them. The
high-technology industry has employed fakes for years--for example, to
attract potential customers and distract competitors, a software company
will announce "vaporware" that isn't ready for prime time. In the auto
industry, prototypes are sometimes doctored up to throw off the competition.

Pushing this tactic too far--beyond the caution zone--could spell trouble,
especially if it deceives investors as well as competitors. But certain
types of fakes, particularly those that distort rivals' understanding of
what you're up to, represent a key hardball strategy.

Wausau Papers was a poorly performing manufacturer of uncoated paper, with
outdated machines and high production costs. When a new president of the
company learned that Wausau had an unusually large share of business in
Chicago, he began asking questions. It turned out that Wausau's share was
high there because, with a factory nearby, it could service its distributor
daily. This became the foundation for a new strategy: Wausau would offer
next-day service to its distributors in the major mid-western cities and
encourage them to order small quantities, some with custom specifications.

Wausau's customers responded enthusiastically to this offering of better
service and greater choice. Frustration over long and unreliable lead times,
poor service, and limited choice from traditional suppliers was so high that
distributors eagerly switched to Wausau, even if they had to pay a premium
price. Indeed, some ordered Wausau's traditional commodity products along
with its new customized ones because of its speedy service.

Wausau had to move fast to lock up its customers before competitors caught
on and copied the strategy. To buy time, the company decided to try a little
sleight of hand. Wausau was helped by the traditional mind-set of the
industry. Its competitors, used to keeping their prices down by producing
standard products in large quantities on very fast machines, were initially
confused by customers' willingness to pay a premium for significantly better
service and choice.

Wausau needed to prolong this confusion so that rivals would take no
action--or the wrong action--while the company executed its new strategy. So
Wausau executives told the trade press that the company had been able to
speed deliveries by holding large inventories of finished goods and by
working longer hours--both of which were true. But the company didn't signal
that it had also undertaken a major shift in strategy and operations. As
Wausau hoped, competitors for the most part chose to ignore Wausau's moves.

In addition to this active deception, the company employed passive
deception, allowing competitors to think that they were continuing to win
against their historically weak rival. Although Wausau rapidly captured the
business of service-sensitive distributors that needed high-margin specialty
products, many of those distributors continued buying competitively priced
commodity products from less service-oriented suppliers. The suppliers saw
this new segmentation as entirely acceptable; why would they want to
undermine their own performance by introducing costly small production runs?

Furthermore, to meet the demand of customers who wanted to continue buying
its commodity products, Wausau began buying commodity papers in rolls from
its competitors, cutting and repackaging them as part of its overall
offering--which delighted the competitors. Wausau thus reduced its
production of commodity papers and boosted its rivals' reliance on those
low-margin products.

Cybercollegially,
Charlie Wankel

-----Original Message-----
From: Management Education and Development Discussion
[mailto:MG-ED-DV@MAELSTROM.STJOHNS.EDU] On Behalf Of Fred Nickols
Sent: Thursday, September 30, 2004 10:02 AM
To: MG-ED-DV@MAELSTROM.STJOHNS.EDU
Subject: Re: Help with a failing memory

P.S.

I also recall mention being made of misdirection, that is, leading the
competitors to believe the company in question was up to something other
than what it was up to.

Regards,

Fred Nickols, CPT
Distance Consulting
"Assistance at a Distance"
nickols@att.net
www.nickols.us


> -----Original Message-----
> From: Management Education and Development Discussion
> [mailto:MG-ED-DV@MAELSTROM.STJOHNS.EDU]On Behalf Of Fred Nickols
> Sent: Thursday, September 30, 2004 9:48 AM
> To: MG-ED-DV@MAELSTROM.STJOHNS.EDU
> Subject: Help with a failing memory
>
>
> Sorry to pose such an inane request but I can't recall the name
> or location
> of something I read recently and I'm hoping someone on this list
> might have
> a much better memory.
>
> I read something about strategy; specifically, about keeping your strategy
> close to your vest so that competitors don't get wind of what you're up to
> until it's too late for them to either counter or copy. The case in point
> was the paper industry and I believe a manufacturer shifted from
> high-volume, low-margin products to specialty papers with much higher
> margins and left the low-margin business to his competitors. The case
> involved, also, a new CEO who took a look at the business and discovered
> this high-margin business waiting to be tapped.
>
> Ring a bell with anyone?
>
> Regards,
>
> Fred Nickols, CPT
> Distance Consulting
> "Assistance at a Distance"
> nickols@att.net
> www.nickols.us

Many thanks, Charlie. You're a life saver.

Regards,

Fred Nickols, CPT
Distance Consulting
"Assistance at a Distance"
nickols@att.net
www.nickols.us


> -----Original Message-----
> From: Management Education and Development Discussion
> [mailto:MG-ED-DV@MAELSTROM.STJOHNS.EDU]On Behalf Of Charles Wankel
> Sent: Thursday, September 30, 2004 10:41 AM
> To: MG-ED-DV@MAELSTROM.STJOHNS.EDU
> Subject: Re: Help with a failing memory [Deceiving the Competition:
> Wausau Papers' "Hard Ball"]
>
>
> EXCERPT from: Stalk, Jr., George, Lachenauer, Rob, "Hard Ball," Harvard
> Business Review, Apr2004, Vol. 82, Issue 4.
>
> Deceive the competition. Do you have a great strategy but worry that you
> lack the time to get it in place before competitors can blunt or otherwise
> resist it? Hardball players will mislead rivals to buy time--or
> to gain any
> other kind of competitive advantage.
>
> Think of the "fake" that is a fundamental--and legal-tactic in
> any number of
> sports: the head fake in basketball, the fake handoff in football, a
> pitcher's fake pickoff throw in baseball. The aim of all these
> feints is the
> same: getting your rival to set up or move in a way that puts him off
> balance and reduces his ability to meet your attack.
>
> Similar moves occur in business, although no one says much about them. The
> high-technology industry has employed fakes for years--for example, to
> attract potential customers and distract competitors, a software company
> will announce "vaporware" that isn't ready for prime time. In the auto
> industry, prototypes are sometimes doctored up to throw off the
> competition.
>
> Pushing this tactic too far--beyond the caution zone--could spell trouble,
> especially if it deceives investors as well as competitors. But certain
> types of fakes, particularly those that distort rivals' understanding of
> what you're up to, represent a key hardball strategy.
>
> Wausau Papers was a poorly performing manufacturer of uncoated paper, with
> outdated machines and high production costs. When a new president of the
> company learned that Wausau had an unusually large share of business in
> Chicago, he began asking questions. It turned out that Wausau's share was
> high there because, with a factory nearby, it could service its
> distributor
> daily. This became the foundation for a new strategy: Wausau would offer
> next-day service to its distributors in the major mid-western cities and
> encourage them to order small quantities, some with custom specifications.
>
> Wausau's customers responded enthusiastically to this offering of better
> service and greater choice. Frustration over long and unreliable
> lead times,
> poor service, and limited choice from traditional suppliers was
> so high that
> distributors eagerly switched to Wausau, even if they had to pay a premium
> price. Indeed, some ordered Wausau's traditional commodity products along
> with its new customized ones because of its speedy service.
>
> Wausau had to move fast to lock up its customers before competitors caught
> on and copied the strategy. To buy time, the company decided to
> try a little
> sleight of hand. Wausau was helped by the traditional mind-set of the
> industry. Its competitors, used to keeping their prices down by producing
> standard products in large quantities on very fast machines, were
> initially
> confused by customers' willingness to pay a premium for
> significantly better
> service and choice.
>
> Wausau needed to prolong this confusion so that rivals would take no
> action--or the wrong action--while the company executed its new
> strategy. So
> Wausau executives told the trade press that the company had been able to
> speed deliveries by holding large inventories of finished goods and by
> working longer hours--both of which were true. But the company
> didn't signal
> that it had also undertaken a major shift in strategy and operations. As
> Wausau hoped, competitors for the most part chose to ignore
> Wausau's moves.
>
> In addition to this active deception, the company employed passive
> deception, allowing competitors to think that they were continuing to win
> against their historically weak rival. Although Wausau rapidly
> captured the
> business of service-sensitive distributors that needed
> high-margin specialty
> products, many of those distributors continued buying competitively priced
> commodity products from less service-oriented suppliers. The suppliers saw
> this new segmentation as entirely acceptable; why would they want to
> undermine their own performance by introducing costly small
> production runs?
>
> Furthermore, to meet the demand of customers who wanted to continue buying
> its commodity products, Wausau began buying commodity papers in rolls from
> its competitors, cutting and repackaging them as part of its overall
> offering--which delighted the competitors. Wausau thus reduced its
> production of commodity papers and boosted its rivals' reliance on those
> low-margin products.
>
> Cybercollegially,
> Charlie Wankel
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Management Education and Development Discussion
> [mailto:MG-ED-DV@MAELSTROM.STJOHNS.EDU] On Behalf Of Fred Nickols
> Sent: Thursday, September 30, 2004 10:02 AM
> To: MG-ED-DV@MAELSTROM.STJOHNS.EDU
> Subject: Re: Help with a failing memory
>
> P.S.
>
> I also recall mention being made of misdirection, that is, leading the
> competitors to believe the company in question was up to something other
> than what it was up to.
>
> Regards,
>
> Fred Nickols, CPT
> Distance Consulting
> "Assistance at a Distance"
> nickols@att.net
> www.nickols.us
>
>
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: Management Education and Development Discussion
> > [mailto:MG-ED-DV@MAELSTROM.STJOHNS.EDU]On Behalf Of Fred Nickols
> > Sent: Thursday, September 30, 2004 9:48 AM
> > To: MG-ED-DV@MAELSTROM.STJOHNS.EDU
> > Subject: Help with a failing memory
> >
> >
> > Sorry to pose such an inane request but I can't recall the name
> > or location
> > of something I read recently and I'm hoping someone on this list
> > might have
> > a much better memory.
> >
> > I read something about strategy; specifically, about keeping
> your strategy
> > close to your vest so that competitors don't get wind of what
> you're up to
> > until it's too late for them to either counter or copy. The
> case in point
> > was the paper industry and I believe a manufacturer shifted from
> > high-volume, low-margin products to specialty papers with much higher
> > margins and left the low-margin business to his competitors. The case
> > involved, also, a new CEO who took a look at the business and discovered
> > this high-margin business waiting to be tapped.
> >
> > Ring a bell with anyone?
> >
> > Regards,
> >
> > Fred Nickols, CPT
> > Distance Consulting
> > "Assistance at a Distance"
> > nickols@att.net
> > www.nickols.us

Dear Friends and Colleagues,

It is with great sadness that I write to tell you that Mike Driver died this
past Sunday, apparently from a brain tumor. Mike was highly respected for
his work in decision-making, particularly his decision style model with Ken
Brousseau. He was also a very fine human being and a close friend. The
funeral service is this Saturday afternoon at the Forest Lawn Cemetery in
the Hollywood Hills. I'll attach a copy of my correspondence with Ken that
provides more information.

Mike's bio at USC (http://www.marshall.usc.edu/web/MOR.cfm?doc_id=3034)
reads: Michael J. Driver, Professor, received his B.A. degree from Fordham
University, and his M.A. and Ph.D. in industrial-social psychology from
Princeton University in 1962. Prior to teaching, he was an NIMH post
doctoral fellow at Educational Testing Service and director of Test
Development for the U.S. Army Adjutant General Corps. He taught in
psychology and administrative science at Purdue University from 1965-1967.
After serving as research consultant at SDC, he joined USC in 1968. His
major research areas are decision making styles, creative problem solving,
career development, and team selection and development. He was the founding
chairman of the steering committee of the Career Interest Group at the
Academy of Management. His publications include books "Human Information
Processing" and "The Dynamic Decision Maker", and many articles ranging from
"Human Information Systems" in the Accounting Review to "Integrative
Complexity: An Approach to Individual and Groups as Information Processing
Systems" in the Administrative Science Quarterly, and the Journal of
Personality and Social Psychology. He has served as consultant to both
government and private industry, and is currently consulting with ARCO,
Transpacific Development Corp., NASA, Tetra Pak, and the Skirball Cultural
Center.

He will be greatly missed.

With great sadness,

Larry Pate


-----Original Message-----
From: Ken Brousseau [mailto:kenb@decdynamics.com]
Sent: Thursday, September 30, 2004 12:09 PM
To: 'Larry Pate'
Subject: RE: Michael J. Driver 1936-2004

Thanks, Larry, for help in getting the word out. Mike's untimely death is a
big loss personally for me. However, Mike did achieve a great deal in his
life. In a subtle, yet important, way he probably changed the world. That,
of course, is exactly what he set out to do.

Warm regards,

KEN


Kenneth R. Brousseau, Ph.D.

Decision Dynamics LLC
1.805.496.9591 office
1.805.660.3950 mobile
1.805.496.9186 fax
email: kenb@decdynamics.com


----------------------------------------------------------------------------
----

From: Larry Pate [mailto:lpate@adelphia.net]
Sent: Wednesday, September 29, 2004 8:09 PM
To: Friends and Colleagues
Cc: kenb@decdynamics.com
Subject: Michael J. Driver 1936-2004

Dear Friends and Colleagues,

It is with great sadness that I write to let you all know that Mike Driver
died this past Sunday. I am forwarding the note I received earlier tonight
from Mike's close friend and colleague, Ken Brousseau. Mike and I were also
good friends and he will be greatly missed. Please keep Mike's good family
in your thoughts and prayers.

With deep sadness,


Larry


-----Original Message-----
From: Valcomp@aol.com [mailto:Valcomp@aol.com]
Sent: Wednesday, September 29, 2004 5:33 PM
To: ejanastasio@earthlink.net; dduarte2@IX.netcom.com; godges@msn.com;
joeho@hotmail.com; DAVIDLEEP@aol.com; jgirard@rgi-inc.com;
Sarositano@aol.com; Lpate@adelphia.net; meshkati@usc.edu
Cc: Valcomp@aol.com
Subject: Michael Driver

Friends and Colleagues,

With great sadness, I bring you all news that Mike Driver died this past
Sunday. He fought a losing battle with a malignant brain tumor. Mike was 68.
He is survived by his wife, Diane; his daughter, Maia; his son, Steve; and
his daughter, Jennifer.

Mike was my partner and friend of 29 years. That statement pretty much
speaks for itself. But, in addition to my personal loss and that of his
family, our larger community and the industrial/organizational psychology
field has lost a major thought-leader. Mike was easily the brightest man I
have ever met. His creativity was immense. People like Mike just don't come
walking down the street every day. Moreover, those who knew him well will
recognize the loss also of a great humanist.

So, with a very heavy heart, I bid you goodbye, Mike, old friend!

In lieu of flowers, the Driver family requests that donations be made to the
American Cancer Society (800-204-3131) in the name of Michael J. Driver.
The memorial service for will be on Saturday, October 2 at 2:30 pm at the
Old North Church, Forest Lawn Cemetery in the Hollywood Hills (see map
directions below).

http://www.mapquest.com/maps/map.adp?country=US&address=6300+Forest+Lawn+Dri
ve+&city=Los+Angeles&state=CA&zipcode=90068&homesubmit.x=21&homesubmit.y=7

With warm regards to you all,

KEN

Kenneth R. Brousseau, Ph.D.
Decision Dynamics LLC
1.805.496.9591 office
1.805.379-0744 fax
email: kenb@decdynamics.com

Thank you Larry for passing along this sad news. As a not so young
doctoral student I remember being welcomed into the careers group
that was forming at The Academy as well as into the OBTC
pre-conference workshop that he and Ray Hill hosted at USC.

The last time I saw him was at the opera at The South Coast
Performing Arts Center and we agreed that we needed to get together.
I am sad that we never did.

Chris Poulson





>Dear Friends and Colleagues,
>
>It is with great sadness that I write to tell you that Mike Driver died this
>past Sunday, apparently from a brain tumor. Mike was highly respected for
>his work in decision-making, particularly his decision style model with Ken
>Brousseau. He was also a very fine human being and a close friend. The
>funeral service is this Saturday afternoon at the Forest Lawn Cemetery in
>the Hollywood Hills. I'll attach a copy of my correspondence with Ken that
>provides more information.
>
>Mike's bio at USC (http://www.marshall.usc.edu/web/MOR.cfm?doc_id=3034)
>reads: Michael J. Driver, Professor, received his B.A. degree from Fordham
>University, and his M.A. and Ph.D. in industrial-social psychology from
>Princeton University in 1962. Prior to teaching, he was an NIMH post
>doctoral fellow at Educational Testing Service and director of Test
>Development for the U.S. Army Adjutant General Corps. He taught in
>psychology and administrative science at Purdue University from 1965-1967.
>After serving as research consultant at SDC, he joined USC in 1968. His
>major research areas are decision making styles, creative problem solving,
>career development, and team selection and development. He was the founding
>chairman of the steering committee of the Career Interest Group at the
>Academy of Management. His publications include books "Human Information
>Processing" and "The Dynamic Decision Maker", and many articles ranging from
>"Human Information Systems" in the Accounting Review to "Integrative
>Complexity: An Approach to Individual and Groups as Information Processing
>Systems" in the Administrative Science Quarterly, and the Journal of
>Personality and Social Psychology. He has served as consultant to both
>government and private industry, and is currently consulting with ARCO,
>Transpacific Development Corp., NASA, Tetra Pak, and the Skirball Cultural
>Center.
>
>He will be greatly missed.
>
>With great sadness,
>
>Larry Pate
>
>
>-----Original Message-----
>From: Ken Brousseau [mailto:kenb@decdynamics.com]
>Sent: Thursday, September 30, 2004 12:09 PM
>To: 'Larry Pate'
>Subject: RE: Michael J. Driver 1936-2004
>
>Thanks, Larry, for help in getting the word out. Mike's untimely death is a
>big loss personally for me. However, Mike did achieve a great deal in his
>life. In a subtle, yet important, way he probably changed the world. That,
>of course, is exactly what he set out to do.
>
>Warm regards,
>
>KEN
>
>
>Kenneth R. Brousseau, Ph.D.
>
>Decision Dynamics LLC
>1.805.496.9591 office
>1.805.660.3950 mobile
>1.805.496.9186 fax
>email: kenb@decdynamics.com
>
>
>----------------------------------------------------------------------------
>----
>
>From: Larry Pate [mailto:lpate@adelphia.net]
>Sent: Wednesday, September 29, 2004 8:09 PM
>To: Friends and Colleagues
>Cc: kenb@decdynamics.com
>Subject: Michael J. Driver 1936-2004
>
>Dear Friends and Colleagues,
>
>It is with great sadness that I write to let you all know that Mike Driver
>died this past Sunday. I am forwarding the note I received earlier tonight
>from Mike's close friend and colleague, Ken Brousseau. Mike and I were also
>good friends and he will be greatly missed. Please keep Mike's good family
>in your thoughts and prayers.
>
>With deep sadness,
>
>
>Larry
>
>
>-----Original Message-----
>From: Valcomp@aol.com [mailto:Valcomp@aol.com]
>Sent: Wednesday, September 29, 2004 5:33 PM
>To: ejanastasio@earthlink.net; dduarte2@IX.netcom.com; godges@msn.com;
>joeho@hotmail.com; DAVIDLEEP@aol.com; jgirard@rgi-inc.com;
>Sarositano@aol.com; Lpate@adelphia.net; meshkati@usc.edu
>Cc: Valcomp@aol.com
>Subject: Michael Driver
>
>Friends and Colleagues,
>
>With great sadness, I bring you all news that Mike Driver died this past
>Sunday. He fought a losing battle with a malignant brain tumor. Mike was 68.
>He is survived by his wife, Diane; his daughter, Maia; his son, Steve; and
>his daughter, Jennifer.
>
>Mike was my partner and friend of 29 years. That statement pretty much
>speaks for itself. But, in addition to my personal loss and that of his
>family, our larger community and the industrial/organizational psychology
>field has lost a major thought-leader. Mike was easily the brightest man I
>have ever met. His creativity was immense. People like Mike just don't come
>walking down the street every day. Moreover, those who knew him well will
>recognize the loss also of a great humanist.
>
>So, with a very heavy heart, I bid you goodbye, Mike, old friend!
>
>In lieu of flowers, the Driver family requests that donations be made to the
>American Cancer Society (800-204-3131) in the name of Michael J. Driver.
>The memorial service for will be on Saturday, October 2 at 2:30 pm at the
>Old North Church, Forest Lawn Cemetery in the Hollywood Hills (see map
>directions below).
>
>http://www.mapquest.com/maps/map.adp?country=US&address=6300+Forest+Lawn+Dri
>ve+&city=Los+Angeles&state=CA&zipcode=90068&homesubmit.x=21&homesubmit.y=7
>
>With warm regards to you all,
>
>KEN
>
>Kenneth R. Brousseau, Ph.D.
>Decision Dynamics LLC
>1.805.496.9591 office
>1.805.379-0744 fax
>email: kenb@decdynamics.com

Thanks, Chris. I'll pass on your kind words, along with those of the many
others who have also written, to Mike's wife Diane. Maybe this is a good
time for all of us to pick up the phone or go see people we haven't talked
with in awhile and tell them just how much we care about them and value
their friendship.

Larry


-----Original Message-----
From: Management Education and Development Discussion
[mailto:MG-ED-DV@MAELSTROM.STJOHNS.EDU] On Behalf Of Chris Poulson
Sent: Thursday, September 30, 2004 5:07 PM
To: MG-ED-DV@MAELSTROM.STJOHNS.EDU
Subject: Re: Michael J. Driver, 1936-2004


Thank you Larry for passing along this sad news. As a not so young doctoral
student I remember being welcomed into the careers group that was forming at
The Academy as well as into the OBTC pre-conference workshop that he and Ray
Hill hosted at USC.

The last time I saw him was at the opera at The South Coast Performing Arts
Center and we agreed that we needed to get together. I am sad that we never
did.

Chris Poulson


>Dear Friends and Colleagues,
>
>It is with great sadness that I write to tell you that Mike Driver died
>this past Sunday, apparently from a brain tumor. Mike was highly
>respected for his work in decision-making, particularly his decision
>style model with Ken Brousseau. He was also a very fine human being
>and a close friend. The funeral service is this Saturday afternoon at
>the Forest Lawn Cemetery in the Hollywood Hills. I'll attach a copy of
>my correspondence with Ken that provides more information.
>
>Mike's bio at USC (http://www.marshall.usc.edu/web/MOR.cfm?doc_id=3034)
>reads: Michael J. Driver, Professor, received his B.A. degree from
>Fordham University, and his M.A. and Ph.D. in industrial-social
>psychology from Princeton University in 1962. Prior to teaching, he was
>an NIMH post doctoral fellow at Educational Testing Service and
>director of Test Development for the U.S. Army Adjutant General Corps.
>He taught in psychology and administrative science at Purdue University
>from 1965-1967. After serving as research consultant at SDC, he joined
>USC in 1968. His major research areas are decision making styles,
>creative problem solving, career development, and team selection and
>development. He was the founding chairman of the steering committee of
>the Career Interest Group at the Academy of Management. His
>publications include books "Human Information Processing" and "The
>Dynamic Decision Maker", and many articles ranging from "Human
>Information Systems" in the Accounting Review to "Integrative
>Complexity: An Approach to Individual and Groups as Information Processing
>Systems" in the Administrative Science Quarterly, and the Journal of
>Personality and Social Psychology. He has served as consultant to both
>government and private industry, and is currently consulting with ARCO,
>Transpacific Development Corp., NASA, Tetra Pak, and the Skirball Cultural
>Center.
>
>He will be greatly missed.
>
>With great sadness,
>
>Larry Pate
>
>
>-----Original Message-----
>From: Ken Brousseau [mailto:kenb@decdynamics.com]
>Sent: Thursday, September 30, 2004 12:09 PM
>To: 'Larry Pate'
>Subject: RE: Michael J. Driver 1936-2004
>
>Thanks, Larry, for help in getting the word out. Mike's untimely death
>is a big loss personally for me. However, Mike did achieve a great deal
>in his life. In a subtle, yet important, way he probably changed the
>world. That, of course, is exactly what he set out to do.
>
>Warm regards,
>
>KEN
>
>
>Kenneth R. Brousseau, Ph.D.
>
>Decision Dynamics LLC
>1.805.496.9591 office
>1.805.660.3950 mobile
>1.805.496.9186 fax
>email: kenb@decdynamics.com
>
>-----------------------------------------------------------------------
>
>From: Larry Pate [mailto:lpate@adelphia.net]
>Sent: Wednesday, September 29, 2004 8:09 PM
>To: Friends and Colleagues
>Cc: kenb@decdynamics.com
>Subject: Michael J. Driver 1936-2004
>
>Dear Friends and Colleagues,
>
>It is with great sadness that I write to let you all know that Mike
>Driver died this past Sunday. I am forwarding the note I received
>earlier tonight from Mike's close friend and colleague, Ken Brousseau.
>Mike and I were also good friends and he will be greatly missed.
>Please keep Mike's good family in your thoughts and prayers.
>
>With deep sadness,
>
>
>Larry
>
>
>-----Original Message-----
>From: Valcomp@aol.com [mailto:Valcomp@aol.com]
>Sent: Wednesday, September 29, 2004 5:33 PM
>To: ejanastasio@earthlink.net; dduarte2@IX.netcom.com; godges@msn.com;
>joeho@hotmail.com; DAVIDLEEP@aol.com; jgirard@rgi-inc.com;
>Sarositano@aol.com; Lpate@adelphia.net; meshkati@usc.edu
>Cc: Valcomp@aol.com
>Subject: Michael Driver
>
>Friends and Colleagues,
>
>With great sadness, I bring you all news that Mike Driver died this
>past Sunday. He fought a losing battle with a malignant brain tumor.
>Mike was 68. He is survived by his wife, Diane; his daughter, Maia; his
>son, Steve; and his daughter, Jennifer.
>
>Mike was my partner and friend of 29 years. That statement pretty much
>speaks for itself. But, in addition to my personal loss and that of his
>family, our larger community and the industrial/organizational
>psychology field has lost a major thought-leader. Mike was easily the
>brightest man I have ever met. His creativity was immense. People like
>Mike just don't come walking down the street every day. Moreover, those
>who knew him well will recognize the loss also of a great humanist.
>
>So, with a very heavy heart, I bid you goodbye, Mike, old friend!
>
>In lieu of flowers, the Driver family requests that donations be made
>to the American Cancer Society (800-204-3131) in the name of Michael J.
>Driver. The memorial service for will be on Saturday, October 2 at 2:30
>pm at the Old North Church, Forest Lawn Cemetery in the Hollywood Hills
>(see map directions below).
>
>http://www.mapquest.com/maps/map.adp?country=US&address=6300+Forest+Law
>n+Dri
>ve+&city=Los+Angeles&state=CA&zipcode=90068&homesubmit.x=21&homesubmit.
>ve+y=7
>
>With warm regards to you all,
>
>KEN
>
>Kenneth R. Brousseau, Ph.D.
>Decision Dynamics LLC
>1.805.496.9591 office
>1.805.379-0744 fax
>email: kenb@decdynamics.com

Hi Fred, you're thinking of Darwin Smith, a chief
executive of Kimberly-Clark, described in Jim Collin's
book GOOD TO GREAT.
Regards,
Romie
--- Fred Nickols <nickols@worldnet.att.net> wrote:
> Sorry to pose such an inane request but I can't
> recall the name or location
> of something I read recently and I'm hoping someone
> on this list might have
> a much better memory.
>
> I read something about strategy; specifically, about
> keeping your strategy
> close to your vest so that competitors don't get
> wind of what you're up to
> until it's too late for them to either counter or
> copy. The case in point
> was the paper industry and I believe a manufacturer
> shifted from
> high-volume, low-margin products to specialty papers
> with much higher
> margins and left the low-margin business to his
> competitors. The case
> involved, also, a new CEO who took a look at the
> business and discovered
> this high-margin business waiting to be tapped.
>
> Ring a bell with anyone?
>
> Regards,
>
> Fred Nickols, CPT
> Distance Consulting
> "Assistance at a Distance"
> nickols@att.net
> www.nickols.us
>

=====
"Who dare to teach must never cease to learn."-John Cotton Dana
Romie F. Littrell, PhD, An f�na� fi�in
Faculty of Business, Auckland University of Technology
Auckland 1020, New Zealand
http://www.romielittrellpubs.homestead.com/
http://www.crossculturalcentre.homestead.com/





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