Best Alfred P. Sloan 12 Brilliant Audio Quotes: Principles, Decision Making, Diagnosis, Meeting

“ Get the facts. Recognize the equities of all concerned. Realize the necessity of doing a better job every day. Keep an open mind and work hard. The last is most important at all. There is no short cut. ” – Alfred P. Sloan

“ First let us ask whether our wealth-creating agencies, particular that of industry, are to be based upon private enterprise of policy management. I can not see how any intelligent observer can have any possible faith in the capacity of political management to provide either stability or progress if it should set out to operate the agencies of wealth creation, particularly industry. ” – Alfred P. Sloan

“ It is my firm conviction that any form of ‘Government Regulation of Business’ is bound to result in an ever-increasing interference with the broad exercise of initiative – the very foundation of the American system. That is the natural evolution of bureaucracy. If that be so, might not the ultimate logical result be the necessity for the socialization of industry through the break down of the profit system induced by the accumulative effect of the ever-increasing political management. We do not need to go far afield to see definite evidences of that possibility. ” – Alfred P. Sloan

“ Never inject a man into the top, if it can be avoided. In a big organization, to have to do that, I think, is a reflection on management. Of course there are always exceptional cases. ” – Alfred P. Sloan

“ A recovery after a depression is as inevitable as that day follows night. It can not be permanently suppressed. Its vitality is so powerful that it will break down the barriers set up by the most arbitrary dictator. ” – Alfred P. Sloan

“ Many associate the word scientific with physics. But it means much more than that. Scientific management means a constant search for the facts, the true actualities, and their intelligent, unprejudiced analysis. Thus, and in no other way, policies and their administration are determined. Only by increased knowledge can we progress, perhaps I had better say survive. That is really research, but few realize research can and should be just as effectively used in all functional branches of industry as in physics. ” – Alfred P. Sloan

“ Technological progress — and it is a pity more do not appreciate it — is the one sound approach to increased employment and higher wages. There is no other way. Irrespective of what is being said to the contrary, new industries can be created, present industries can be expanded, unemployment can be eliminated in a practical way. ” – Alfred P. Sloan

“ There are still lacking the assurances of a broad and definitely defined opportunity and the elimination of certain unsound economic policies, thus limiting the application of these vital principles we have always known and retarding their ability to accelerate our economic recovery. ” – Alfred P. Sloan

“ Some see danger in bigness. They fear the concentration of economic power that it brings with it. That is in a degree true. Industrial management must consider the impact of its operation on the economy as a whole in relation to the social and economic welfare of the entire community. ” – Alfred P. Sloan

“ I have already remarked that the ‘theory of scarcity has been a dominating influence in many of our economic policies. In the case of taxation, however, there is involved the ‘theory of plenty’ and there must now be involved the ‘theory of plenty more.’ Every dollar of the billions that are being indiscriminately spent without accountability is a mortgage on the income, the savings, as well as the security of the people. There must be brought home to the consciousness of all that the more the government takes, the less each one has no one can possibly escape. ” – Alfred P. Sloan

“ Articulate each meeting’s purpose: Is it to make an announcement? Delivering a report? or something else? Terminate the meeting once the purpose is accomplished. Follow up with short communications summarizing the discussion, spelling out new work assignments and deadlines for completing them. ” – Alfred P. Sloan

“ Some have an idea that the reason we in this country discard things so readily is because we have so much. The facts are exactly opposite-the reason we have so much is simply because we discard things so readily. We replace the old in return for something that will serve us better. ” – Alfred P. Sloan