ABCO Payroll Services®

From the publication of his first economics book in 1939 until his recent death, Peter Drucker was known as the foremost authority on how to run a business. (But he never had a secretary and he answered his own telephone.)

Though much of his work was done some years ago, his ideas are timeless. These are a few of his statements we believe in and try to practice.

On work: Focus on opportunities rather than problems. Problem solving prevents damage, but exploiting opportunities produces results. Unless there is a crisis, problems shouldn't even be discussed until opportunities have been analyzed and dealt with. Exploit change as an opportunity, and don't view it as a threat.

On organizations: Human beings tend to close out the outside. But effective organizations exist not to satisfy themselves but to fill a customer need. Leaders have the duty to focus an organization on the outside in a way that continually refreshes what everyone is doing inside the company.

On decisions: Every decision is risky. It's a commitment of present resources to an uncertain and unknown future. Risks can be minimized if you know when a decision is necessary, how to clearly define a problem and tackle it directly, and that you'll have to make compromises in the end. You haven't made a decision until you've found a way to implement it. (He was quoted in Fortune.)

On management: Don't ever say "I think," say "we." Effective leaders know they have authority only because they have the trust of the organization. They understand that the needs and opportunities of an organization come before their own needs.

Simply put, Drucker said we have to view problems and change as opportunities. We have to think of the customer and how we can fill his needs. We have to have a clear way to implement change before we make it. The interests of the organization come before individual interests.