Jim Despain's Innate Desire example essay topic

Jim Despain's innate desire to do the right thing was tapped early in his life. Beginning with the harsh reality his father showed him when he killed the family dog after Jim had disobediently egged the dog on to go against the rules. It was evident early on that when Jim broke the rules, he paid a significant consequence. Fortunately, the lessons Jim learned with each consequence handed to him, he saw not only the error of his ways, but he saw the bigger picture and how his actions affected those around him. Of his father, Jim wrote "His parenting approach was a combination of the obsession to honesty of Abe Lincoln and the demanding obedience to authority of the mines".

(Despain, (2003), p. 3) Throughout Jim's journey in management, he would use both harsh and lenient approaches to his team, this is a direct effect of having been reared on fear and integrity. This approach, however, didn't necessarily have a universal charm. Another lesson learned early on was also exceptionally harsh when he cut down the pear tree after hearing his father tell his mother that he wished that it was gone. The fact that Jim only heard his father's desire to get rid of the tree and not the fact that his father was only wishful thinking because the family needed the tree that provided another source of sustenance for the family.

Jim learned that it was necessary to have all the facts before making such decisions as this. From the very beginning of his journey at Caterpillar, when he swept the floors, he wanted to sweep them as well as they had ever been swept. He always wanted to shine in his superior's eyes, to make them happy as he did with his father. Before long he was no longer sweeping, but working on the heavy machinery producing parts. The machinery was dangerous and intricate. He took his time researching his machine and the safety precautions that went along with it.

The machine meant more than just a paycheck to Jim. He knew that his part in the company had an impact on the end result. If there were orders to fill and deadlines attached, the company depended on his effort in order to meet these demands. If he slacked off, and a deal fell through, the company would not only lose money, but potentially, a client as well. This fueled him further into a let's win mode. While he pushed his machine to the limit and produced in record time, he earned praise from the supervisors.

This was what he strove for, as he did when it was his desire to please his father. However, unlike at home, here, there was a confusing negative side to his doing a good job. When he was approached by the Union head and the other men on the floor who told him to slow down and not to produce over standard union capacity. Telling Jim Despain to underachieve was like telling him to change his DNA. Jim had been an overachiever and a star on his football team. His nature was to motivate his team, and as a team, win the game.

Now he found himself on a team that wanted to lose. It took integrity and guts to push the machine to capacity and risk the wrath of his fellow factory workers, but he did so in the face of fear not to anger them, but to prove something to himself. He didn't realize it at the time, but even as a young man pushing a broom and working the assembly line, he saw a cohesive team working together to achieve great success for the company overall. "A blueprint for creating a work environment that drives success because they provide people a context for their decisions, broad boundaries for their ideas, and more freedom to make a difference". (p. xxi) It was this team effort and the values that drives people to succeed that he encountered in Japan, that he spread in Mexico, and eventually established and implemented in America - which remain golden rules at Caterpillar today. Despain overcame a major obstacle when he allowed himself to move up in the company. He knew that most of the senior staff had college degrees, and he knew enough to get outside help to help him with his English.

He also learned Japanese, he had a lot of ambition and he never let fear or any concrete obstacle get in his way. This is something he wanted to impart on those around him as well. He wanted them to feel the drive to succeed the way he did. It was his pride in the company and of his own capability to perform and produce successful results that drove him forward. When I worked at Fidelity Investments in Boston, Ned Johnson, the CEO, based his values in Kaizen much like Jim Despain did. He set a standard of respect and insisted that all of his employees treat each other, from himself down to the cleaning people, with equal respect and kindness.

Superiority would not be tolerated. When Jim Despain hired workers for the plant in Mexico, he was careful to hire only those that he could instill his values in. His priority was to teach quality which he referred to as excelencia, Spanish for excellence. This was something he saw much of while in Japan and had served as an excellent platform for the cohesion of his new group When Jim was between jobs, specifically, his stint in Japan and in Mexico, his feeling of emptiness associated with not being needed, was actually leading him into a state of mild depression. The neutrality of not being able to move in any direction is not only stifling, but desolate and scary, especially for someone who thrives on challenge and conquering tasks.

Even the engine was stopped, Jim was fortunate because he knew that it would start up again, just not on his timetable. When I was laid off from my job for a year and the unemployment checks were nearing an end, the thought of not getting hired in the already dismal economy, led me to a deep depression. During this time, I interviewed extensively. Whether it was my personality, my appearance, or my lack of and / or abundance of qualification, or my appearance, or the interviewer was having a bad day, when the rejections came, they hit hard.

Each one delivering anther blow to my fragile self-esteem thus speeding up an already rapid spiral into despair. My upbringing was very strict. My father was a National Guardsman and a Massachusetts State Policeman whose parenting style was one of authority and. My mother's upbringing was less strict, but she learned to follow his lead and because very strict herself. If we didn't do it their way, there was a heavy price to pay. Spankings and groundings were commonplace when I was a kid.

In fact, I recall preferring being spanked above being grounded to my room, because at least the spanking was temporary and quick. Even though their parenting style was tough, it was a standard practice for the day. They were trying to teach my siblings and I that there was a code of behavior set for everyone and we needed to adhere in order to fit in and survive in the real world. I'm actually grateful for the hardened discipline they handed out, because I was adequately equipped to handle the my superiors in the working world when the time came. When I turned 16, it was customary in my home to get a part-time job that would mean extra money while in high school. It was my responsibility to buy my own clothes, shoes and toiletries from that point forward, for the rest of my life.

This was my first foray to independence. Although I still lived with my parents for a few more years thereafter, I was never to rely on them to financially support my basic needs again. My first car was actually a birthday gift from them when I was 17, but I paid for my own gas, oil changes, car repairs, insurance, etc. It was never an option not to work after that. I have been working ever since and have many years of life experience behind me. My parents had the right idea by instilling a good work ethic in my siblings and myself when they did.

It took some time before I understood and valued a strong work ethic. In the beginning, I was still a teenager who didn't think being five minutes late for work every day mattered to anyone but me. The fact that I punched a time clock didn't deter my defiance either. My turnaround came when I began working for the bank. It could have been the fact that in the first three months of my employ there I was offered the job of head teller. At 21, this was a step in the right direction for me.

The decision not to go to college at that time had been made and I knew that I was going to have to work my way up the ranks at the bank to make something of myself. There was more emphasis on doing a good job and taking pride in my work. Soon thereafter, I was promoted to customer service representative. Now I was given a desk and business cards.

This was a h eddy feeling and although the pay was extremely poor, the place I had risen to had it's own reward. My future with the bank never materialized and that was partly due to several bank mergers and ultimately a potential layoff. By the time I knew I was next in line for the axe, a friend of mine was leaving her job at a law firm in order to pursue a global excursion. She expressed that she thought I would be perfect for the job and it occurred to me that not only was the firm closer to home, but the pay was better as well, and the thought of a new beginning was enough for me to make the decision to go on an interview. The job was offered to me and I accepted. Thus began my adventure in secretarial duties.

This was a baptism by fire job and I learned a great deal as well as honed my skills. The end product that I was responsible for was a reflection not only on myself as a worker, but on the law firm I worked for. It was imperative that what left the door with my initials on it was perfect. This was made clear to me in the beginning when my boss snapped a letter back at me and said it was unacceptable due to a type. Therefore, I was trained under a scrutinizing and demanding eye, but this bode well at the time in that it was successful. Much like with parents, you can't be your child's best friend and disciplinarian simultaneously.

My whole life had been a learning experience under an iron fist, so this was not unusual for me.