Page 93 - How to Drive the Bottom Line with People

Making Winners Fail

service early or opted for different careers. Despite
that, it is important to recognize the planning process

typically ensured talented officers promoted to higher
levels of responsibility had a greater likelihood of
achieving success.

One reason I am passionate about equipping peo-
ple for success is I had superb mentors who helped me
take advantage of my opportunities. My father was
not so fortunate. Throughout his entire life, he took
on the personal responsibility for obtaining new skills.

A Depression-era child, he grew up in a rural com-
munity. Disenchanted by farm life, he graduated early
69
from high school and, at age 16, enrolled at Texas =

Tech in 1946. Four years later, he graduated and
entered the oil business with Pan American, later
Amoco and now British Petroleum.
For the next 35 years, he worked as a staff engineer
in domestic production and international exploration.

Twenty years after he joined the company, he noticed
a trend: the company promoted employees who were
gifted speakers noticeably faster than other employ-

ees. It occurred to him that engineers or geologists
capable of distilling complex information in a manner
easily understood had a distinct advantage when it
came to promotions.