What are Thoughts worth?

Henry Ford is reported to have offered $25,000 to anyone who would show him how to save a single nut and bolt on each automobile he made.

Without Henry Ford, our country would not be the America we know today. His obsession with reducing costs and improving productivity allowed him to build the first automobile that ordinary people could afford and led to the construction of a vast network of roads and highways that gave birth to today’s mobile society. It also set the stage for total quality management and continuous improvement programs that are prevalent in the automotive industry today.

We would all be well advised to take a page from the lessons that the automotive industry has learned in recent years. An obsessive focus on the needs and wants of our customers allows us to become an indispensable part of their lives, but nothing is forever. Continuous improvement is expected in virtually every industry, and quality is the minimum requirement in today’s global economy. Leaders are those who significantly outperform the competition in every aspect of the business.

Sometimes it is wiser to join forces with opponents than to fight them.

What a better world this would be if we worked together in harmony toward the achievement of our shared goals instead of engaging in petty disputes and turf battles. When you allow yourself to be dragged into personality conflicts, game playing, arguments about who gets the credit, and disagreements about trivial issues, they only drain your energy and sour your attitude.

Plus you waste valuable time that could be spent on far more important matters. When you make an effort to understand others’ motivations, you may well discover that your opponents have far more in common with you than you think. When you cage your ego and look at the situation from the other person’s point of view, you can almost always find a way to work together for your mutual advantage.