Lynch, Charles A.

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Golden Gate University School of Law: Digital Commons

Golden Gate University School of LawGGU Law Digital CommonsCommencement About GGU School of Law6-2-1984Commencement Address - Charles A. LynchCharles A. LynchFollow this and additional works at: http://digitalcommons.law.ggu.edu/commencementPart of the Legal Education CommonsThis Presentation is brought to you for free and open access by the About GGU School of Law at GGU Law Digital Commons. It has been accepted forinclusion in Commencement by an authorized administrator of GGU Law Digital Commons. For more information, please contact jfischer@ggu.edu.Recommended CitationLynch, Charles A., "Commencement Address - Charles A. Lynch" (1984). Commencement. Paper 56.http://digitalcommons.law.ggu.edu/commencement/56"BACK TO BASICS" Golden Gate Univeristy Commencement San Francisco June 2, 1984 -Charles A. Lynch GATE UNIVERSITY I many of you have had the unity to read Nagel Miner's book, The Golden Gate Universi Perhaps it's for students at GGU. In any case, I was personally very interested in Mr. Miner's account of the University's roots, history and development ... particularly his description of how the school emerged from origins as a YMCA in the mid-nineteenth century. I realize this is one audience that doesn't need to be told that Golden Gate is recognized and as a iona1 ion. In fact, I trust that each of you has benefi first-hand from the school's excellence. You are 1 I know, aware of the many contributions Dr. Butz has toward building the school's image and credibility during his 15 years as President. Today Golden Gate boasts an enrollment over 11,500, and a reputation as one of the nation's major learning centers of its kind. Pride in this achievement was evident at your recent University-wide reu~ion. I'm sure you would agree that the University's success stems in part from its ability to meet the educational needs of the community and in part from your participation and contributions. -2-MESSAGE I would 1 to my remarks on how Golden Gate University has met ~ur ificantly than you know. I'd like to with you some ideas and a few experiences from my sonal career. riences that have led me to this conclusion: the to success in the same bas s you have here at Go Gate University. During my thirty-odd-year career, I've spent a good deal of time in the "front 1 s," so to speak, working with people to help solve lems. I've my share of moving, motivating and developing businesses which have been in diff ulty. I was fortunate to learn very early that if you listen to the people, and go back to the basics, success comes naturally. So, if you take nothing else with you today-- I'd like you to remember and believe this: Business around the bas ---- as does ~ successful life, in my opinion. There is no magical, mystical miracle about it. Success doesn't depend on a unique or special "genius." Success comes from adherence to the basics ... from understanding what the bas s are and executing them every day. We hear over and over again that "You can't take it with you!" Well, let me go on record as saying, "In this case, you can and should take it with you." The concepts, ideas, theories and methods you have learned over the past few years will be among the most important you'll ever learn. I'm here to encourage you to use them. -3-OF THE 80s Let's focus for a minute on the of the 80s ... the world ch we are striving to s in the 80s, in a very real sense, is life on a fast track. It is iron that on this date -- June 2 -- in the year 1896, a man Marconi received the f st radio patent for the wireless. 'I'oday communication is instant ... around the globe good or bad. Today's technology has created a very small, highly competitive world. day business decisions must be made on the spot. The ability to make the right decision quickly and effectively is critical. Correct execution of the business basics under these conditions is the difference between success and failure. In this competitive era -- with its high tech, high pressure and high risk -- businesses face the danger of being caught up the current of the latest fad. I have seen this happen all too often. Computer mania is an excellent example. Computer technology ... particularly highly specialized industries .. 1 is very important. But th~ is not to say that every executive, clerk and counsel needs a PC as an office mate. as a support to business, not as a substitute for it. Technological advances substance of business. -4-Our small world with its explos technology, intense competition, and well-educated populace, is above all, cons ______ ......_ changing. can't afford to rest on our la s assume that cr cautions of today will remain tomorrow. We must constantly refine our application the basics. So, we face several dangers in our path to success in e 80s: the danger of ieving " the danger being derailed by fast track ... trying to "keep up with the Joneses," so to speak; and the danger of being lulled into complacency. Getting Back to Basics is the best way to combat these dangers. Let me toss out a hypothetical scenario just for fun. Imagine a world in which every business is run successfully. I mean EVERY business •.. including the business of government. You're right. It's unrealistic ... simple •.. but intriguing. Think of what would happen to the major problems plaguing society ... hunger, unemployment, the national debt, erest rates, the list goes on and on. They'd virtually take care of themselves. Businesses would generate revenues; they'd employ more and more people; they'd pay taxesi the government wouldn't have to borrow excessively; interest rates would drop. don't you think? -5-An interesting concept, This view is simple, but it's not ne~. It's l motherhood apple it's been around and it has validity. What's more tant as you move out the bus ss world is that you can do something about it - contribute! I'd like to focus for the next few minutes on what I lieve it takes to run a business successfully I have followed for business success. the basic building blocks o Strategic Planning o Financial Budgeting and Controls o Human Resource Development o , and o Community Involvement. For our purposes I will limit my comments to the consumer service business-- since that's the side of business I'm involved in and with which I'm most familiar. I would think non-business-oriented efforts would benefit from these concepts as well. STRATEGIC PLANNING The first building block is strategic planning. William Christopher, author of Management for the 1980s, is fond of saying, "Strategy wins wars, wives (and husbands, I'd add), elections, ball games and bus success". He suggests that strategy is not a what, where, who or when. Strategy is a how. It is the larger picture, beyond the day-to-day "tactics" of business. -6-Peter Drucker ... "Mr. Management" to some ... also emphasizes the importance of strategy. "Whatever your company's business." laims Drucker, "you must i what tunities to pursue, what your scope and structure will be, where you will spend your time and money and how you will organize." The foundation of strategic planning lies in the careful analysis of what I've been taught as the three "Cs": Customers, Competitors and Costs. You ensure your company's long range success through: o understanding your markets -- who your customers are and what motivates them; 0 being familiar with your comeetitors -- who else is operating a similar business, how well they are doing, and what they can do to you; and o evaluating the cost structure of your business to manage it for optimum profitability. At Saga, we divide the strategic planning process into everal elements. We beg with a broad cc:nceptual direction based on a thorough examination of economic, environmental and social trends icted over a ten-year period. Then we det~rmine more specific each division develops an annual budget. And finally, we arrange financing and plan for human resource requirements. Throughout the strategic planning process evaluatio~ is a key, and all elements of the process are monitored and modified as necessary. -7-This stra c anning ss at has resulted in a ific Action Plan. To date we have ted three the plan's four s -- financial control, and development -- and we're now has the successful se, the se. our financial res ts I must say our plan for if es, if desired.) FINANCIAL AND BUDGETING Financial controls and budgeting are the second building block of business success. I al all to the importance of financ 1 controls I think the critical nature of s subject is generally understood. f it to say that without financial controls in and operating iciently -- long term success is not feasible. s. The to f i control is actually two-fo , you set a 1 of achievement ... visible, quantifiable and meas necessary ion to "down 1 , you provide " who are ul ly responsible for achi the goal. You ensure that people who implement your budget understand it and the st tools (e.g. technology) available to -8-ly, tough a set and cost controls are necessary to cut the fat from corporate budgets. When I came to in 1978, one of st moves we We are points out clearly sites for was to init lean and mean! a controlled et As Peter Drucker his book for Results, the essent~a tive financ 1 control are ification, measurement, classification and control of costs. Of course, he also says, "The annual cost reduction dr is as predictable in most businesses as a head cold in spring ... and about as enjoyable!" HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT Human resource development -- the third bui block of uccess -- is the central llar of the structure. I think it was Drucker who said, "Bus ss is a human organization, or broken by its people." I 1 all bus ss success is on competence, skill and ingenuity of people. Therefore, one critical objective for every company must be to attract, develop and retain management talent. Comprehensive and effective management development and training enables a business to: -9-0 Maximize potential of every o Provide maximum satisfaction to its customers, 0 Heet st c ls and s future growth I'll tell you, in our company -- a s e organization 50,000-re indus s ibili motivating and training our people is a heavy It's perhaps our 1 , and I believe we the st Management Development and Training Program in our Human resource development is, of course, an evolutionary process. The of the 80s is dramatical 90s. Consequently, to ifferent from that of the 70s ... or well-prepared, must be well-tra and re-trained. Professional skills must be cont ly developed and nurtured through meaningful training opportunities. Let me add that professional growth doesn't occur in a vacuum. People who want it, welcome it ... and the attitude is contagious. Peters Waterman spend a good deal of time in their best seller, In Search lence, focusing on the importance of a company's attitude toward people in the organization. Their comment is that "When we look at the excellent companies, we see a orientation." -10-people COM.t'VlUN I CAT I ON 's th this " orientat " ce a of value on commun tion the fourth building block of uccess. Actual , commun cation is more than a building block ... it s foundation of iness success. It is the comrnon denominator to success or failure. Ef ive communication starts with mutual or as Peters and Waterman say, "trust." Ed Carlson, former United Airlines President, has than a lack of as saying, "Nothing is worse for morale ion down in the ranks. I call it NET11A --Nobody Ever Tells Me Anything!" Mutual respect precludes what I call the "audit attitude." True due. I th erases the need to monitor people and replaces it with ition of their contributions ... giving credit where it's it's a disgrace that we hear such an uproar about "a ing employees what they think" •.. as if it were a revolutionary concept is one we exported to Japan ... andnowwe realize good it is! Constructive, open communication leads to innovation, because it gives everyone -- regardless of "rank" the opportunity to exercise the freedom to create. -11-INVOLVEMENT The final building block to business success is community invo rnent. I call this "giving a 1 back." I suppose community involvement isn't literally a business bas -- but is an We shouldn't lose sight of the fact that we don't our businesses in a vacuum. We exist and co-exist in a soc , and we have an important responsibility to help our communities grow and develop. It is, after all, this same free society that s us the opportunity to create and compete. SUMMARY Let me sum up with these comments. F t, You've garnered a good deal of important ion during your years classroom of Golden Gate. You've also developed a number of useful interpersonal skills as part of your education. And you've undoubtedly gained some "street smarts" from your day-to-day experiences. Put all of this knowledge to work. Secondly, be alert to the dangers of fast track fads and complacency. Remember, too, that change is constant: always expect the unexpected and stay in touch with your environment. -12-And thi 1 Get Back to Basics. Bu ld with the bas lding blocks of business success: 0 St i lanning 0 ial and Controls o Human Resource Deve o CoiT~unication, and 0 ty Involvement. 'm sure you've heard this witticism be s, It may not a b ng mater ision is obvious be obvious or even easy ls, you can build anyth l a contribut Thank you. -13-G all of the but with the right I bel 11 B stopher, William F. for the 1980s. New York, 1980. Drucker, Peter F. The Changing World of the New York, 1982. Drucker, Peter F. Managing for Foltz, Roy G. Management £y Hecht, Maurice R. What Happens in ices. New York, 1980. -----New York, 1964. r, Nagel T. Golden Gate University Story. San Francisco, and Peters, Thomas J. and Waterman, Robert H., Jr. In Search of 1 New York, 1982. 

Commencement Address - Charles A. Lynch

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Commencement Address - Charles A. Lynch

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Golden Gate University School of Law: Digital Commons