2019 RETA Breeze Sept-Oct

An Ideal Operating Engineer from

Manager’s Standpoint

On February 10th, 1915, C. I. Day of Jacksonville Florida, presented a paper to the Meeting of the Southern Ice Exchange. The paper entitled “An Ideal Operating Engineer from Manager’s Standpoint”. It’s important to remember that at the time, thoughts of the worker / company / customer triangle were just beginning to be developed. David Brown had begun his crusade in Detroit, but the old habits in the South were slow to change. Customers in some ways were thought of as a means to an end. A company produced a product and the customer could buy it or do without. Competing on a service level was not as important

as it is today. At least it wasn’t looked upon as being important. Respect, while a buzz word today, took on a whole new meaning when dealing with the business leaders of yesterday. Respect for the position was earned and once earned, demanded. Disrespect was not tolerated. As an example, can you imagine, Theodore Vilter asking for respect? Theodore Vilter was given respect because he earned it. In those few recorded instances where he believed he was disrespected; Theodore’s temper seems to have risen sharply and quickly. Theodore grew up in the age of duels. Though I do not believe he ever participated, he certainly

understood personal honor and held himself and others to the utmost standard. This was the norm in his age, not the exception. Respect was given to the industry leaders because of their positions and their actions. Both were crucial. Failing in either led to loss of respect, something once lost is rarely regained. A minor disagreement on Facebook today, would have been looked upon as a career ending transgression one hundred years ago. There were no separations between business ethics and personal ethics. The traits sought after by Mr. Day were not the societal norms of the day for

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