因為遇見ＰＡＮＥＲＡＩ讓我回到高中時代遇到ＳＯＮＹ的那種感覺
超過十年以上沒有這種感覺
一個品牌代表的是創業者對那產品及品牌的偏執
然後激起粉絲對那產品或者品牌產生熱情
想想自己以來瘋的品牌、從ＳＯＮＹ到ＳＴＡＲＢＵＣＫＳ、ＦＯＵＲ ＳＥＡＳＯＮＳ ＨＯＴＥＬ、ＡＰＰＬＥ到ＰＡＮＥＲＡＩ
一直在想她們有甚麼共通點呢？
找到了、那就是創業者的偏執跟粉絲的熱情
在這裡似乎可以忘了優秀的存在
還有改變無數人的生活或者提供很多美好的體驗
上星期沒有參加你們的會議
但是後來ＪＯＣＫＹ有跟我講了
關於有什麼新的產業或是生意可以做
今天晚上剛好看到經濟學人雜誌的科技專輯（三個月一次每次主題不一定、這一次剛好是科技）
最後高潮就是主編專文介紹前ＩＮＴＥＬ總裁ＧＲＯＶＥ博士
標題是唯有偏執者才能存活
想跟你們分享所以我大約整理一下
http://www.economist.com/search/displaystory.cfm?story_id=14299624
開頭提到ＧＲＯＶＥ博士一直以來都在ＳＴＡＮＦＯＲＤ商學院當客座教授
哈佛商學院教授Richard Tedlow稱ＧＲＯＶＥ博士是美國企業界有史以來最傑出的天才領導人
一是因為、市場的成功、在他的帶領下ＩＮＴＥＬ成為ＣＰＵ界的占有率領導者
另外更大的原因就是ㄝ、在他的帶領下讓ＩＮＴＥＬ成就前所未有的成功
從一個匈牙利難民ㄝ、為了逃離納粹、進入紐約城市大學化工系、並且以第一名畢業
進入柏客萊大學繼續攻讀博士、同時也寫了一本書、後來成為半導體電子、半導體材料科系的必備教科書
（小弟我有眼不識泰山、研究所的時候跟學長說為甚麼要讀這麼舊的書、學長說這是經典啊！你知道作者是ＩＮＴＥＬ的總裁嗎？？）
進入主要是以生產跟研發記憶體晶片的ＩＮＴＥＬ、主要收益也是在記憶體、他斷然要把這個方向改成微處理器
ＩＮＴＥＬ的兩位創業者還有員工都還沈迷在過去的成功
但是他決定把公司的將來賭在ＣＰＵ上
這個動作救了ＩＮＴＥＬ也改變了整個產業
另外一個大動作就是、他堅持要跟消費者直接接觸
在電腦上都有個ＩＮＴＥＬ ＩＮＳＩＤＥ的貼紙、
因為如果只是做幕後ＣＰＵ的廠商、會讓ＨＰ、ＤＥＬＬ等大廠搶去太多ＩＮＴＥＬ的創新所帶來的價值
（他不想ＩＮＴＥＬ只是一個電腦零件供應商、訂單只是金額不等於價值、價值是在消費者心中能留下多少印象）
他嚴格規定早上八點一定準時進辦公室
遲到的人要簽遲到單
但他同時也被部下評價為很公平的上司
只要是好點子不管你的位階或是從哪裡萊
公司實行能力主義、為了吸引優秀的人加入也為了維持自身公司的競爭力
（不知道是否因為這樣改造三星的靈魂人物ＭＡＲＫＥＴＩＮＧ頭頭、ＥＲＩＣ ＫＩＭ也去了ＩＮＴＥＬ？？）
文章最後寫到、他認為石油跟汽車遲早會離婚、電池科技業有可能造就像ＩＮＴＥＬ這樣的巨人
另外醫療業應該會出現破壞式的改變、例如醫療系統總是慢動作、藥廠一種藥十年二十年不變、比起ＣＰＵ業的十八個月出現大進步
＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝
如果葛佬有參加那天的電話會議、他的答案就是電池科技跟醫療產業
這不就是剛剛提到的“改變無數人的生活“嗎？
公司一直在說好工作是甚麼、我覺得能改變無數人的生活就是好工作
我迷的那些牌子全都符合改變無數人的生活（形態）或提供美好體驗
如果ＳＯＮＹ創業的時候、如果ＳＴＡＲＢＵＣＫＳ創業的時候
當初找管理顧問公司、Ｍ公司或Ｂ公司的頭頭去
會有現在的世界嗎？
不會
Ｍ跟Ｂ公司的創業者都是哈佛商學院、沒理由不優秀
但是新力跟星巴克在經歷大幅成長卻在危機殺很大的時候
不約而同都去請Ｍ公司的高層並進行很多改善計畫。。
結果相信一兩年就可以揭曉！
ＭＢ能提供廠商或者產業甚麼價值？
取決於那份偏執
ＭＢ當不了專業創投公司、也當不了專業顧問公司
那提供不是一流創投公司、顧問公司的功能給顧客
那會變成三角貓
所以出資等只能是過程、後面需要一個目標
比如ＭＢ想要哪個產業或者哪個廠商幾年後變成怎樣？
有那一份偏執還有ＭＢ的大家對那偏執都有熱情
做了一個案子後、ＭＢ的成員得到甚麼成長
這應該是更重要的課題
如果是報關好了、我報關報五年、對海關跟文件處理很熟練。。等這樣的情形相信大家都覺得沒意思
人員的分工會是關鍵
不然誰跟上司好就常去跟客戶喝
或者誰比較老誰就去開會都會變成很奇怪
陪客戶喝酒的招待、蒐集業界情報的、企劃提案的
三組人馬互相合作
說到這個就想知道ＳＯＮＹ跟ＳＴＡＲＢＵＣＫＳ的三組人馬跟組織的狀況。。
如果不走這種路線、就要走創投、顧問公司的組織模式
公司裡面除了常聽到好工作以外就是回到原點了
我現在也想說回到原點
ＭＢ要賣甚麼呢？賣咖啡？賣隨身聽？
雖然東西不一樣、但是或許可以買下肯得雞等
還是永遠都要在灰色地帶做永遠的幕後呢？
幕後人員買下電影公司也是可以當導演
三菱買下肯得雞去當導演或許可以是我們ＭＢ的好暗示
這只是我的直覺
還有感想
下星期我們繼續討論吧！
2008年11月6日 星期四
感動 熱情 氣質
今天意外在網路上看到一篇金城武的專訪
裡面有這樣一段：
每次拍完一部電影、我都會自己一個人從頭看到完、看看自己的表現
這麼多年了、我對電影的熱情一直不剪
電影最終就是要感動人心
而我每次也是以這個為目標、感動是很重要的
、、、、、、、、、、、、、、、、、、、、、、、、
感動這兩個字、令人多感動啊！
四季酒店的創辦人、ＳＴＡＲＢＵＣＫＳ的創辦人當初也是為了讓客人感動才造就了今天的成績
而推動這個感動人心的正是熱情
沒有熱情又哪來的感動呢？
為甚麼三個人都說了類似的話呢？
終點可能就是感動吧！
金城武的魅力已經完全超越外貌了
跟宮澤理惠ㄧ樣
從一個外型出眾到整個人都散發出光和熱還有亮
有什麼ㄧ樣的地方嗎？
說話的地方、心裡的感觸？！
說到金城武就不得不說到我那新光三越台灣美男選拔第二名的死黨
想起以前大學有一次在宿舍房間看到死黨的桌上放著一張金城武的照片
結果呢？現在把這些事情連起來想
一九九八年金城武當選ＰＲＡＤＡ代言人
當時死黨好像也有一條黑色ＰＲＡＤＡ的長褲
選美比賽第二名進入模特兒公司
髮型不是剛好跟金成武一樣嗎？
死黨很崇拜金城武
看得出來、他也確實有本錢、身高臉蛋還有氣質都有
雜誌有金城武他也買、金城武重保養他也居然跟著在用化妝水
我看到差點沒有嚇一跳
金城武愛穿黑色照相、死黨也愛穿黑色
當年有多瘋
髮型也是金城武當年留的長髮
頭髮太軟還特地去燙髮
對金城武的概念就是、真的帥啊！連帥哥都拿來當神在拜
偶而電影中也會出現
漸漸的發現金城武變了
一樣帥可是氣質不一樣了
跟當初發現宮澤理惠的氣質變了ㄧ樣
雖然一個是超級帥哥一個是超級美女
但是變了以後
那個感覺是一樣的
不會描述
是昇華嗎？
直到昨天看了專訪文
原來如此的感覺就很深
也發現感動跟熱情跟氣質是連在一起的
四季酒店、ＳＴＡＲＢＵＣＫＳ、宮澤理惠、金城武有什麼共通點呢？
一切都是這麼美好這麼有氣質這麼感動
因為有熱情啊！
對旅館的熱情！
對咖啡店的熱情！
對電影的熱情！
還有一直在思考要如何讓客人觀眾感動！
當然更重要的是自己想要怎麼做而全力以赴
男生女生都需要氣質
氣質是沒有保存期限的
感動是沒有界限的
熱情則是沒有底限的
有這三樣東西好像就是美好的事物的三要素
上帝賜予萬物空氣水陽光
而感動、熱情、氣質就是交給我們人類去創造吧！
這就是所謂的靈魂的成長吧！
肉體需要陽光水空氣
靈魂需要
感動
熱情
氣質！
人生也需要這三樣吧！
金城武
謝謝你！
裡面有這樣一段：
每次拍完一部電影、我都會自己一個人從頭看到完、看看自己的表現
這麼多年了、我對電影的熱情一直不剪
電影最終就是要感動人心
而我每次也是以這個為目標、感動是很重要的
、、、、、、、、、、、、、、、、、、、、、、、、
感動這兩個字、令人多感動啊！
四季酒店的創辦人、ＳＴＡＲＢＵＣＫＳ的創辦人當初也是為了讓客人感動才造就了今天的成績
而推動這個感動人心的正是熱情
沒有熱情又哪來的感動呢？
為甚麼三個人都說了類似的話呢？
終點可能就是感動吧！
金城武的魅力已經完全超越外貌了
跟宮澤理惠ㄧ樣
從一個外型出眾到整個人都散發出光和熱還有亮
有什麼ㄧ樣的地方嗎？
說話的地方、心裡的感觸？！
說到金城武就不得不說到我那新光三越台灣美男選拔第二名的死黨
想起以前大學有一次在宿舍房間看到死黨的桌上放著一張金城武的照片
結果呢？現在把這些事情連起來想
一九九八年金城武當選ＰＲＡＤＡ代言人
當時死黨好像也有一條黑色ＰＲＡＤＡ的長褲
選美比賽第二名進入模特兒公司
髮型不是剛好跟金成武一樣嗎？
死黨很崇拜金城武
看得出來、他也確實有本錢、身高臉蛋還有氣質都有
雜誌有金城武他也買、金城武重保養他也居然跟著在用化妝水
我看到差點沒有嚇一跳
金城武愛穿黑色照相、死黨也愛穿黑色
當年有多瘋
髮型也是金城武當年留的長髮
頭髮太軟還特地去燙髮
對金城武的概念就是、真的帥啊！連帥哥都拿來當神在拜
偶而電影中也會出現
漸漸的發現金城武變了
一樣帥可是氣質不一樣了
跟當初發現宮澤理惠的氣質變了ㄧ樣
雖然一個是超級帥哥一個是超級美女
但是變了以後
那個感覺是一樣的
不會描述
是昇華嗎？
直到昨天看了專訪文
原來如此的感覺就很深
也發現感動跟熱情跟氣質是連在一起的
四季酒店、ＳＴＡＲＢＵＣＫＳ、宮澤理惠、金城武有什麼共通點呢？
一切都是這麼美好這麼有氣質這麼感動
因為有熱情啊！
對旅館的熱情！
對咖啡店的熱情！
對電影的熱情！
還有一直在思考要如何讓客人觀眾感動！
當然更重要的是自己想要怎麼做而全力以赴
男生女生都需要氣質
氣質是沒有保存期限的
感動是沒有界限的
熱情則是沒有底限的
有這三樣東西好像就是美好的事物的三要素
上帝賜予萬物空氣水陽光
而感動、熱情、氣質就是交給我們人類去創造吧！
這就是所謂的靈魂的成長吧！
肉體需要陽光水空氣
靈魂需要
感動
熱情
氣質！
人生也需要這三樣吧！
金城武
謝謝你！
2008年11月3日 星期一
四季酒店創辦人Isadore Sharp訪談錄
Head Hotelier in the Making: The Early Years of Isadore “Issy” Sharp
He was just 29 years old when he launched what has become the internationally successful Four Seasons luxury hotel chain. Today, Isadore “Issy” Sharp is recognized as one of Canada’s most successful businessmen, having been inducted into the Canadian Business Hall of Fame and made an Officer of the Order of Canada. Consistently ranked among the best hotels in the world, the Four Seasons earns annual revenues in excess of $200 million. That is no small achievement for a man who knew little stability as a boy, moving 15 times in his first 16 years. Isadore “Issy” Sharp was born on October 8, 1931. His father, Max, was a Polish Jew who emigrated from Poland to Palestine in 1920, and finally to Toronto five years later. He worked as a plasterer until his family began to grow with the arrival of Issy and three daughters. Using his knowledge of home renovation, Max began purchasing houses throughout the 1930s and 1940s, repairing and renovating them, and selling them at a higher price; this was what forced the young Sharp to move so frequently in his youth. In his early years, Sharp admits he was less than interested in academics. “My life in high school revolved around sports,” he recalls. “Partying became my priority.” That all changed when Sharp was accepted into the architecture program at Toronto’s Ryerson Polytechnical Institute. Sharp began to earn high marks for his work, and also stood out as a top athlete. In the summers, Sharp gained experience in the construction business by working for his father. After graduation, Sharp went to work for his father’s company full-time, building small apartment buildings and houses. It wasn’t only Sharp’s father that would serve as an important family connection in the young architect’s life. One of Sharp’s sisters had married Eddie Creed, the owner of a large fashion emporium in Toronto. Creed’s best friend, Murray Koffler, would later go on to found Shoppers Drug Mart. The three budding entrepreneurs became fast friends and decided to form a partnership that would last for decades. “Eddie and Murray had always told me that if I ever had a real estate venture, they would like to invest in it,” Sharp says. After five years of working for his father, Sharp decided it was time to branch out on his own. It was in the 1950s when he began to seriously ponder the idea of building a hotel. “A hotel seemed to me to be a more interesting structure to build because it would be a more active kind of building than either a factory or a house,” Sharp says. He decided to try and make a go of his dream, but first he needed to find the money. After spending years “knocking on a lot of doors” trying to convince banks and venture capitalists that his business could be a success – to little avail – Sharp finally decided to take his brother-in-law and Koffler up on their offer from years before. He was going to go into business and he wanted their help.
His Finest Season: Sharp Creates a Life of Luxury
After borrowing $300,000 from his two friends, Sharp still needed over $700,000 in capital to begin building his dream hotel. Once again, he turned to a family connection. Cecil Forsyth was a friend of Sharp’s father; he also happened to be the manager of the mortgage department at Great West Life Insurance Company. Forsyth initially refused Sharp’s mortgage application, doubtful of the young builder’s business know-how, but Sharp was persistent. Eventually, Forsyth gave in and provided Sharp with the rest of the money he would need for his project. $1.5 million and 126 rooms later, the Four Seasons Motor Hotel opened on the first day of spring in 1961. It was an immediate success, despite being located in a downtown area of Toronto well known for the prostitutes and homeless that also called it home; customers didn’t seem to care. Sharp’s hotel was casual, but had an upscale atmosphere; a swimming pool surrounded by a unique courtyard was a major drawing point. It was also located across the street from the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, whose employees soon began to frequent the hotel after hours. It would be the beginning of the hotel’s association with celebrities and those with influence. In 1963, Sharp approached Cecil Forsyth again for a $1 million loan in order to launch his second venture in the hotel industry. It was a riskier proposition than his first; this time, Sharp wanted to build a hotel on 17 acres of land in a remote part of Northern Toronto, where the only business nearby was a local garbage dump. But, Forsyth had been impressed with the success of the Four Seasons Motor Hotel and agreed to give Sharp the loan. In little time, the 569-room resort hotel proved to be a similar success, and spawned the development of a new suburbia. It was business as usual until Sharp took a trip to Europe. “My wife and I stayed at the Dorchester in London,” he recalls. “It was a wonderful hotel and it started me thinking that there is a real style in hotels that must be appreciated, since hotels like the Dorchester have gone on for so long.” Sharp returned to Canada with a better understanding of what it would take to succeed in the long term: excellence. Using what he had learned in Europe, Sharp decided to create a new luxury hotel in London’s Hyde Park. Market research told him it would be difficult to compete with the already established luxury hotels in that location, but Sharp didn’t listen. In 1970, he opened the 227-room Inn on the Park; it quickly became one of the most profitable hotels in the world. It was small, luxurious, and had excellent service – customers were willing to pay the hotel’s higher rates. Throughout the 1970s, Sharp began developing hotels in smaller, more rural areas of Ontario, as well as a luxury condo hotel in Israel. Plans to build in Europe were harder to realize; in Rome, for instance, workers kept uncovering Roman artifacts which blocked further construction. A 1972 partnership with Sheraton also went sour due to cost overruns and Sharp’s inability to make real decisions. He sold his 49 percent stake in the Toronto Four Seasons Sheraton and instead, invested in his first property in the U.S. Sharp continued to expand his operations throughout the 1980s with mixed success. By 1982, he had accumulated $116 million in long-term debt. He began selling some assets, while still continuing to manage the hotels under long-term contracts. With Creed and Koffler, Sharp also created a new company to manage non-hotel assets such as laundry and development property. Money raised from a stock offering was the last step in reducing the company’s debt. The first Four Seasons public stock offering came in 1969, but after a significant decline in value, Sharp and his partners took the company private. In 1985, it again went public, but Sharp retained 83 percent of the votes. In the 1990s, Sharp embarked on another period of rapid expansion, primarily into the financial centres of the world, including Tokyo, Paris, and Frankfurt. After purchasing Regent International Hotels Ltd. in 1992, Sharp had created the world’s largest network of luxury hotels; he owned and operated 45 luxury properties in 19 countries. That number grew as Sharp expanded into Singapore, New York, Mexico City, Paris, Prague and more. The first room rate at the Four Seasons Motor Hotel was $9 per night. By 2000, the hotel was charging up to $750 per night for a basic room, and up to $5,200 for a presidential suite, and $11,000 for a royal suite. In 2006, Microsoft founder Bill Gates and Saudi Prince Al-Waleed bin Talal bought the Four Seasons for $3.4 billion, but Sharp has remained on as Chairman and CEO. Today, Sharp’s net worth is an estimated $370 million.
Seasons of Success: How Sharp Took His Hotel To The Top
“I started just from building one [hotel], it worked so let’s build another, and it worked so three went to four,” recalls Sharp. “It’s a matter of what I call stepping-stones.” He may not have set out to create the world’s largest network of luxury hotels, but that is exactly what happened. In the over forty years since he first entered the business, Sharp has taken the hotel industry by storm, transforming the idea of service and quality, and doing things on his own terms. What were the factors that helped this Canadian hotelier succeed? Leadership: “Leaders have to set a pattern of behaviour for others to follow,” says Sharp. He believes that trust – in integrity and openness – is the measure of a good leader. He thus strove to cultivate these qualities in himself in order to motivate and bring out the best in his employees. “By nurturing the full potential of every willing worker from top to bottom,” says Sharp, “I believe that businesses can tap a unique source of leadership and success for the 21st Century.” Focus: In his early days, Sharpe was faced with many skeptics. For almost five years, he knocked on door after door looking for investors, with no success. It was the determination with which Sharpe wanted to achieve his single goal of building a hotel that kept him going. “If someone had told me ‘Look, you’re going to start today and spend the next five years wasting your time trying to get this thing start’, I would have said I can’t do that,” says Sharp. “But you never think about what it’s going to take of you. Think: I’ve got it now.” Service: “With China, India, Russia and other developing countries growing in market importance, recognition and appreciation of a brand name will not only help gain market share but also open up many, many opportunities for development,” says Sharp. Throughout his career, Sharp has striven to ensure that his brand name is synonymous with quality. From the interlocking bricks of the driveways at Four Seasons hotels, no detail was too small for Sharp in his goal to provide the highest quality service possible to his guests. Consideration: “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you,” says Sharp. “That set in place the culture of the company, which gave us service, which allowed us to become the best.” Whether it was helping his employees after the Asian tsunami or refusing to fire his staff when business went bad after 9/11, Sharp was able to rise to the top on a platform of having treated others as he would want in return. Management: Sharp’s vision had to do with service. He didn’t want to get involved in the ownerships issues surrounding his hotels; he just wanted to run a high-quality hotel. By refusing to follow the path of his competitors, and developing his own unique management schemes, Sharp was able to develop his comparative advantage and rise above the rest. “Every road will have a detour and bumps,” says Sharp. “The choices are the forks in the road. Usually when you understand something and feel good it gives you the will to persevere, overcome the skepticism and see through the negative side that people present.” Sharp certainly had many detours along the way, but because he had passion for what he was doing, he refused to give up. “Whatever you do, don’t ever use a crutch, and don’t ever think of having an excuse for not having said, ‘Yeah, I did my best.’”
Lesson #1: Leadership Is Not To Be Taken Lightly
“Long-term success is never achieved on our own,” says Sharp. “The phrase ‘a self-made man’ is a myth – all along the way we need support.” Sharp didn’t become the leading luxury hotelier in the world all by himself. In the over forty years he has been in the industry, Sharp has developed a unique leadership style that has encouraged his employees to devote 110 percent of themselves to the company. By creating a working environment that is built on trust, credibility, and integrity, Sharp has inspired his team to work to realize their best efforts. In the end, he understood that this was the secret ingredient to helping the company realize its best results. According to Sharp, the most essential quality of leadership – and the one most often overlooked – is responsibility. “Maybe it’s taken for granted,” he says. “Maybe it lacks pizzazz. In any case, it’s basic, the other side of the coin of authority.” As a leader, Sharp admits that his first responsibility if of course to be profitable and competitive in a global economy. But this, he says, no longer means just the creation of wealth through physical assets: “It calls for wealth creation through human resources – the continuous input of information, ideas, and enterprise from our employees.” Sharp believed that by empowering his employees, his company would experience significant productivity gains. Thus, his first task was always to create a united purpose amongst his workers. “We do that, first of all, by establishing a meaningful goal, an overriding purpose that most people can relate to,” says Sharp. “If the goal is clear and the focus is sharp and constantly reinforced, we unify and energize through a sense of common purpose that inspires employees to ardent effort.” While his competitors were downsizing in response to the pressures of various recessions, Sharp didn’t believe that the solution to their problems was cutting costs by cutting labour. This, he believed, only served to cut quality. Instead of “minimizing labour’s cost”, Sharp strove to “maximize labour’s value by convincing our employees that our purpose merits commitment.” Sharp knew that the dedication of his employees was not something he could simply command, nor could anyone else. Leadership, for Sharp, requires persuasion to follow the common vision that he had established. That persuasion was to be built upon a foundation of credibility and trust. Echoing the words of Edward R. Murrow, Sharp suggests, “To be persuasive, we must be believable. To be believable, we must be credible. And to be credible, we must be truthful.” Throughout his career, Sharp strove to earn that credibility. It was never something he took for granted. “We earn credibility only when employees see that what we say is confirmed by what we do, and when our actions consistently further our stated goal,” he says. “We have to share information truthfully, openly and fully. And we have to earn trust before a sense of common purpose can emerge.” Sharp’s three cardinal qualities of leadership were the ability to unify, to direct and to motivate. Through a combination of mental toughness and enthusiasm, Sharp was able to bring out the best in his people, which is, after all, the ultimate goal of leadership.
Lesson #2: Success Comes From Pursuing A Single-Purpose Goal
Sharp says he is often asked what his overall vision for the Four Seasons was when he first began pondering the idea in the late 1950s. “What was my grand dream?” he asks. “Well I can say with a great deal of certainty and truth that there was no vision, there was no grand dream. The fact is I was just trying to do one small hotel deal. One deal – not a company.” Despite not having a dream or envisioning the possibilities of the luxury hotel chain he has created today, when Sharp first got started in the industry, he did in fact began with one clear goal. The very first decision he made in the business was, he says, to establish a single-purpose; wherever he set up shop, Sharp was going to create the best hotel he knew how to. “We set out to redefine luxury as service, and to provide a support system at our hotels to replace the one left behind at home or at the office,” says Sharp. It was to this end, to the goal of being the best, that Sharp began upgrading his hotels to Five Star standards. He installed the quietest plumbing systems he could find, the softest towels, and – for the first time in a hotel – shampoos in their bathrooms. Over time, Sharp also began accommodating business requests in his rooms. From installing two-line jacks for both phone and computer work, to having well-lit desks, and other amenities such as irons, bathrooms, and a free shoeshine service, Sharp was making sure all his bases were covered. When Sharp first started to expand his hotel chain, he knew that there were other bigger competitors out there. Nevertheless, Sharp paid no attention. The goal he had established at the very beginning of his career was not to be the biggest and the best hotel in operation; it was simply to be the best. Thus, Sharp focused on operating medium-sized hotels of the highest possible quality. Having a single goal at the heart of his operations was not a tactic Sharp limited just to his business. In 1978, Sharp’s 17 year old son Christopher died of melanoma cancer. It was a devastating blow to the Sharp family. So, when Sharp first caught sight of 21 year old Terry Fox on TV as he began his cross-country run to raise money and awareness for the disease, Sharp knew this was his chance to take action. Not only did Sharp pledge money and offer free night’s lodging to the Marathon of Hope team at Four Seasons hotels, but he also developed a close relationship with the young runner himself who would often call Sharp from roadside phone booths along his way. “No one seemed to be taking him seriously,” recalls Sharp. “I mean, a kid with one leg, running all the way across Canada? It seemed to far-fetched. People were cutting him off with their cars on the highway.” When Fox’s cancer returned and the marathon was cut short in Thunder Bay, Ontario, Sharp knew he had to take action. Fox’s goal had been to raise a dollar from every Canadian, or what would amount to roughly $25 million. Sharp took up that goal, and by promoting the event into what has become an annual worldwide phenomenon, Sharp has been able to raise over $400 million for the cause. That is what can happen when the mind is focused on and dedicated to a single goal.
Lesson #3: Take Care Of Your Customers And They Will Take Care Of You
More than anything else, the Four Seasons chain of luxury hotels is known for exactly that – luxury. But, it isn’t luxury in the normal sense. “Our competitors interpreted luxury chiefly as dazzling architecture and décor, but how important is that to our customers?” Sharp asks. “They are mostly executives, often under pressure, fighting jet lag, stress and the clock. We decided to redefine luxury as service.” In each and every one of its worldwide locations, the Four Seasons tends to set the top hotel price for the area, and it is usually about 20 percent higher than its closest competitor. How can Sharp risk such a pricing policy? He guarantees that “guests get a fail-safe experience so that a company is eager to pay the extra $50 to ensure a hassle-free trip for an executive who might be working on a $50 million deal.” To this end, Sharp has initiated a quality of service that goes almost unmatched in the industry. From offering large bars of soap and shampoo in every room, to non-smoking floors, to fitness rooms, and real live people who answer the phones, Sharp has striven to ensure that each Four Seasons hotel is equipped with whatever it needs to make its customers happy. After all, happy customers come back, and they bring their friends with them. When he opened his first Four Seasons in Toronto almost half a century ago, Sharp might not have had a grand plan, but he did have a consistent thread, which was to provide great service. “The essential question for us in the early days was: ‘What did guests value most?’” says Sharp. “Market research said luxury, not necessarily elegant surroundings and gourmet meals. The greatest luxury is time, and service can help you make the most of that. Give greater productivity, greater enjoyment – what better luxury can there be?” Of course, Sharp knew that designing service was no easy task, especially in the hotel business where it is generally just a few moments of service delivery that Sharp calls the “make or break point, when reputation is either confirmed or denied.” In order to ensure that the employees at the very front of that service delivery were motivated and committed, Sharp implemented a number of initiatives, such as a profit-sharing plan and two “stress breaks” every day. “Whether purchasing a yacht, a diamond, a sports car or a handbag, luxury consumers expect the experience of making the purchase to be as rewarding as the purchase itself,” says Sharp. “A company's ability to provide that kind of experience depends on its employees.” To this end, Sharp also paid his front desk clerks twice the average rate; he knew that unsatisfied employees would almost guarantee unsatisfied customers. In 1967, one Four Seasons employee went to the extreme in demonstrating the kind of service Sharp was trying to encourage. A bellboy for the hotel, Roy Dyment discovered that a dignitary guest had left his briefcase behind after checking out. The guest soon called from Washington stating that the contents of the briefcase were essential for an upcoming meeting. Feeling responsible, Dyment bought a plane ticket at his own expense and personally delivered the briefcase to the former guest. Today, the Four Seasons name has become synonymous with service, and that is where its true value is found. “Profit directs our focus toward short-term market gains,” says Sharp. “As long as we can keep on creating customer value, profit is unlikely to be a concern.”
Lesson #4: The ‘Golden Rule’ Is Your Golden Ticket To Success
There are some who would argue that there is no such thing as ‘business ethics’. Sharp is not one of those people. In outlining the credo with which he wanted to run his company, Sharp declared that the ‘Golden Rule’ was going to be one of the cornerstones of the corporate culture that he was trying to create. “We aimed to treat others as we would want to be treated ourselves,” says Sharp. “Enforcing our credo was the hardest part, and senior managers who couldn’t or wouldn’t live by it were weeded out within a few years.” It was a painful process, says Sharp, but one that had to be done. From its customers to its staff, Sharp wanted to create a culture of service that was based on the Golden Rule. How can something like that be put into action? First, says Sharp, get the right people on board your team. For instance, before you can work for the Four Seasons, you must be scrupulously screened through a series of five interviews. “To be at the top we get service standards down to the bottom of the pyramid, and that process begins for us with our hiring policy,” he says. “We hire for attitude. We want people who like other people and are, therefore, more motivated to serve them. Competence we can teach. Attitude is ingrained.” According to Sharp, the driving force behind his success has been his desire to treat Four Seasons employees with the same level of respect that they in turn are expected to give their guests. The success of this policy has shown itself not only in terms of employee engagement and satisfaction. For the past nine consecutive years, the Four Seasons has been the only Canadian company to land on Fortune magazine’s list of the 100 best companies to work for in the U.S. “Businesses are all relationships, based on common values, values such as staying true to your word,” says Sharp. “Every religion also enshrines those values, so you can have different religious beliefs, but underlying those beliefs, you’ve got people who must have similar values, and can work together.” Sharp’s commitment to his employees has been tested in the aftermath of many well-publicized events. In the aftermath of 9/11, the hotel industry began to suffer the effects; people were not flying and traveling as much, so there was a severe downturn. However, whereas its competitors were laying off staff to reduce their costs, Sharp refused to let the Four Seasons go down that same road. He refused to lay off his staff or lower his hotel’s high quality of service, demonstrating his commitment to both customers and employees. The tsunami crisis in Southeast Asia was a similar test of Sharp’s commitment to his credo. Waves pounded the Four Seasons hotel in the Maldives and within 24 hours, all employees and guests were safely evacuated from the island. But, the damage didn’t stop there. With the resort now closed, hundreds of employees were all of a sudden out of work “at the moment when they needed income most as they started to rebuild their lives and communities,” says Sharp. “We couldn’t let that happen.” Sharp subsequently sent all his employees to other Four Seasons hotels around the world in order to keep them employed. “In true Four Seasons fashion, they have become a dynamic part of the teams at these hotels, embracing our guests with their caring service.”
Lesson #5: Find Your Comparative Advantage and Step Beyond the Standard
It is one of the Four Seasons’ greatest ironies that despite its tremendous success as one of the world’s premier luxury hospitality companies, it actually owns very few hotels. One of the most important decisions Sharp made early on in the life of the Four Seasons was that he wanted to create a unique business model; he wanted his company to be principally occupied with management, instead of ownership of its hotels. Sharp believed that shifting investment away from hotel ownership and towards management expertise was a way of “freeing up assets to be used for hiring, training and motivating employees – everyone from dishwashers to bellhops to managers to cleaning staff.” Thus, over the past forty years, the Four Seasons has evolved into what is principally a management holding company with different partners investing in different hotels. Sharp’s strong desire to steer clear of hotel ownership is clearly reflected in one of the company’s key documents: “It is Four Seasons’ objective to maximize the percentage of its operating earnings from the management operations segment, and generally to make investment in the ownership of hotels, resorts and Residence Clubs only where required to secure additional management opportunities or to improve the management agreements for existing properties.” Under the Four Seasons’ unique management agreements, the company generally supervises all aspects of the day-to-day operations of its hotels on behalf of the owners. Everything from sales, reservations, accounting, purchasing, budgeting, and the hiring, training, and supervising of staff thus falls under the Four Seasons’ management duties. At the corporate level, the Four Seasons also often provides strategic management services, such as recommendations of IT systems and developing long-term marketing strategies. To be sure, the Four Seasons both manages and owns some hotels. But, if Sharp had it his way, the company would avoid the burdens of ownership completely. The fact that this is one hotel chain that would rather not own hotels has played a key role in its success. In exchange for its management services, the Four Seasons charges a range of fees, including a base fee, an incentive fee, a sales and marketing charge, and a reservation charge. The base fee is a percentage of each hotel’s gross revenues, while the incentive fee is calculated based on the operating performance of each hotel it manages. That is where the Four Seasons makes its real money, and that is exactly how Sharp wanted it. Leaving behind the issues that come with ownership, Sharp has been able to focus the Four Seasons on what it does best – service. He assessed his competencies and realized where his competitive advantage lied – and it wasn’t in owning real estate. His assessment proved correct; over the years, management earnings have tended to rise, while ownership operations have lost. In splitting up management and ownership, Sharp demonstrated his willingness to do something differently than his competitors and it was this creativity for which he would later be rewarded.
原始連結
http://www.evancarmichael.com/Famous-Entrepreneurs/962/Head-Hotelier-in-the-Making-The-Early-Years-of-Isadore-Issy-Sharp.html
He was just 29 years old when he launched what has become the internationally successful Four Seasons luxury hotel chain. Today, Isadore “Issy” Sharp is recognized as one of Canada’s most successful businessmen, having been inducted into the Canadian Business Hall of Fame and made an Officer of the Order of Canada. Consistently ranked among the best hotels in the world, the Four Seasons earns annual revenues in excess of $200 million. That is no small achievement for a man who knew little stability as a boy, moving 15 times in his first 16 years. Isadore “Issy” Sharp was born on October 8, 1931. His father, Max, was a Polish Jew who emigrated from Poland to Palestine in 1920, and finally to Toronto five years later. He worked as a plasterer until his family began to grow with the arrival of Issy and three daughters. Using his knowledge of home renovation, Max began purchasing houses throughout the 1930s and 1940s, repairing and renovating them, and selling them at a higher price; this was what forced the young Sharp to move so frequently in his youth. In his early years, Sharp admits he was less than interested in academics. “My life in high school revolved around sports,” he recalls. “Partying became my priority.” That all changed when Sharp was accepted into the architecture program at Toronto’s Ryerson Polytechnical Institute. Sharp began to earn high marks for his work, and also stood out as a top athlete. In the summers, Sharp gained experience in the construction business by working for his father. After graduation, Sharp went to work for his father’s company full-time, building small apartment buildings and houses. It wasn’t only Sharp’s father that would serve as an important family connection in the young architect’s life. One of Sharp’s sisters had married Eddie Creed, the owner of a large fashion emporium in Toronto. Creed’s best friend, Murray Koffler, would later go on to found Shoppers Drug Mart. The three budding entrepreneurs became fast friends and decided to form a partnership that would last for decades. “Eddie and Murray had always told me that if I ever had a real estate venture, they would like to invest in it,” Sharp says. After five years of working for his father, Sharp decided it was time to branch out on his own. It was in the 1950s when he began to seriously ponder the idea of building a hotel. “A hotel seemed to me to be a more interesting structure to build because it would be a more active kind of building than either a factory or a house,” Sharp says. He decided to try and make a go of his dream, but first he needed to find the money. After spending years “knocking on a lot of doors” trying to convince banks and venture capitalists that his business could be a success – to little avail – Sharp finally decided to take his brother-in-law and Koffler up on their offer from years before. He was going to go into business and he wanted their help.
His Finest Season: Sharp Creates a Life of Luxury
After borrowing $300,000 from his two friends, Sharp still needed over $700,000 in capital to begin building his dream hotel. Once again, he turned to a family connection. Cecil Forsyth was a friend of Sharp’s father; he also happened to be the manager of the mortgage department at Great West Life Insurance Company. Forsyth initially refused Sharp’s mortgage application, doubtful of the young builder’s business know-how, but Sharp was persistent. Eventually, Forsyth gave in and provided Sharp with the rest of the money he would need for his project. $1.5 million and 126 rooms later, the Four Seasons Motor Hotel opened on the first day of spring in 1961. It was an immediate success, despite being located in a downtown area of Toronto well known for the prostitutes and homeless that also called it home; customers didn’t seem to care. Sharp’s hotel was casual, but had an upscale atmosphere; a swimming pool surrounded by a unique courtyard was a major drawing point. It was also located across the street from the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, whose employees soon began to frequent the hotel after hours. It would be the beginning of the hotel’s association with celebrities and those with influence. In 1963, Sharp approached Cecil Forsyth again for a $1 million loan in order to launch his second venture in the hotel industry. It was a riskier proposition than his first; this time, Sharp wanted to build a hotel on 17 acres of land in a remote part of Northern Toronto, where the only business nearby was a local garbage dump. But, Forsyth had been impressed with the success of the Four Seasons Motor Hotel and agreed to give Sharp the loan. In little time, the 569-room resort hotel proved to be a similar success, and spawned the development of a new suburbia. It was business as usual until Sharp took a trip to Europe. “My wife and I stayed at the Dorchester in London,” he recalls. “It was a wonderful hotel and it started me thinking that there is a real style in hotels that must be appreciated, since hotels like the Dorchester have gone on for so long.” Sharp returned to Canada with a better understanding of what it would take to succeed in the long term: excellence. Using what he had learned in Europe, Sharp decided to create a new luxury hotel in London’s Hyde Park. Market research told him it would be difficult to compete with the already established luxury hotels in that location, but Sharp didn’t listen. In 1970, he opened the 227-room Inn on the Park; it quickly became one of the most profitable hotels in the world. It was small, luxurious, and had excellent service – customers were willing to pay the hotel’s higher rates. Throughout the 1970s, Sharp began developing hotels in smaller, more rural areas of Ontario, as well as a luxury condo hotel in Israel. Plans to build in Europe were harder to realize; in Rome, for instance, workers kept uncovering Roman artifacts which blocked further construction. A 1972 partnership with Sheraton also went sour due to cost overruns and Sharp’s inability to make real decisions. He sold his 49 percent stake in the Toronto Four Seasons Sheraton and instead, invested in his first property in the U.S. Sharp continued to expand his operations throughout the 1980s with mixed success. By 1982, he had accumulated $116 million in long-term debt. He began selling some assets, while still continuing to manage the hotels under long-term contracts. With Creed and Koffler, Sharp also created a new company to manage non-hotel assets such as laundry and development property. Money raised from a stock offering was the last step in reducing the company’s debt. The first Four Seasons public stock offering came in 1969, but after a significant decline in value, Sharp and his partners took the company private. In 1985, it again went public, but Sharp retained 83 percent of the votes. In the 1990s, Sharp embarked on another period of rapid expansion, primarily into the financial centres of the world, including Tokyo, Paris, and Frankfurt. After purchasing Regent International Hotels Ltd. in 1992, Sharp had created the world’s largest network of luxury hotels; he owned and operated 45 luxury properties in 19 countries. That number grew as Sharp expanded into Singapore, New York, Mexico City, Paris, Prague and more. The first room rate at the Four Seasons Motor Hotel was $9 per night. By 2000, the hotel was charging up to $750 per night for a basic room, and up to $5,200 for a presidential suite, and $11,000 for a royal suite. In 2006, Microsoft founder Bill Gates and Saudi Prince Al-Waleed bin Talal bought the Four Seasons for $3.4 billion, but Sharp has remained on as Chairman and CEO. Today, Sharp’s net worth is an estimated $370 million.
Seasons of Success: How Sharp Took His Hotel To The Top
“I started just from building one [hotel], it worked so let’s build another, and it worked so three went to four,” recalls Sharp. “It’s a matter of what I call stepping-stones.” He may not have set out to create the world’s largest network of luxury hotels, but that is exactly what happened. In the over forty years since he first entered the business, Sharp has taken the hotel industry by storm, transforming the idea of service and quality, and doing things on his own terms. What were the factors that helped this Canadian hotelier succeed? Leadership: “Leaders have to set a pattern of behaviour for others to follow,” says Sharp. He believes that trust – in integrity and openness – is the measure of a good leader. He thus strove to cultivate these qualities in himself in order to motivate and bring out the best in his employees. “By nurturing the full potential of every willing worker from top to bottom,” says Sharp, “I believe that businesses can tap a unique source of leadership and success for the 21st Century.” Focus: In his early days, Sharpe was faced with many skeptics. For almost five years, he knocked on door after door looking for investors, with no success. It was the determination with which Sharpe wanted to achieve his single goal of building a hotel that kept him going. “If someone had told me ‘Look, you’re going to start today and spend the next five years wasting your time trying to get this thing start’, I would have said I can’t do that,” says Sharp. “But you never think about what it’s going to take of you. Think: I’ve got it now.” Service: “With China, India, Russia and other developing countries growing in market importance, recognition and appreciation of a brand name will not only help gain market share but also open up many, many opportunities for development,” says Sharp. Throughout his career, Sharp has striven to ensure that his brand name is synonymous with quality. From the interlocking bricks of the driveways at Four Seasons hotels, no detail was too small for Sharp in his goal to provide the highest quality service possible to his guests. Consideration: “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you,” says Sharp. “That set in place the culture of the company, which gave us service, which allowed us to become the best.” Whether it was helping his employees after the Asian tsunami or refusing to fire his staff when business went bad after 9/11, Sharp was able to rise to the top on a platform of having treated others as he would want in return. Management: Sharp’s vision had to do with service. He didn’t want to get involved in the ownerships issues surrounding his hotels; he just wanted to run a high-quality hotel. By refusing to follow the path of his competitors, and developing his own unique management schemes, Sharp was able to develop his comparative advantage and rise above the rest. “Every road will have a detour and bumps,” says Sharp. “The choices are the forks in the road. Usually when you understand something and feel good it gives you the will to persevere, overcome the skepticism and see through the negative side that people present.” Sharp certainly had many detours along the way, but because he had passion for what he was doing, he refused to give up. “Whatever you do, don’t ever use a crutch, and don’t ever think of having an excuse for not having said, ‘Yeah, I did my best.’”
Lesson #1: Leadership Is Not To Be Taken Lightly
“Long-term success is never achieved on our own,” says Sharp. “The phrase ‘a self-made man’ is a myth – all along the way we need support.” Sharp didn’t become the leading luxury hotelier in the world all by himself. In the over forty years he has been in the industry, Sharp has developed a unique leadership style that has encouraged his employees to devote 110 percent of themselves to the company. By creating a working environment that is built on trust, credibility, and integrity, Sharp has inspired his team to work to realize their best efforts. In the end, he understood that this was the secret ingredient to helping the company realize its best results. According to Sharp, the most essential quality of leadership – and the one most often overlooked – is responsibility. “Maybe it’s taken for granted,” he says. “Maybe it lacks pizzazz. In any case, it’s basic, the other side of the coin of authority.” As a leader, Sharp admits that his first responsibility if of course to be profitable and competitive in a global economy. But this, he says, no longer means just the creation of wealth through physical assets: “It calls for wealth creation through human resources – the continuous input of information, ideas, and enterprise from our employees.” Sharp believed that by empowering his employees, his company would experience significant productivity gains. Thus, his first task was always to create a united purpose amongst his workers. “We do that, first of all, by establishing a meaningful goal, an overriding purpose that most people can relate to,” says Sharp. “If the goal is clear and the focus is sharp and constantly reinforced, we unify and energize through a sense of common purpose that inspires employees to ardent effort.” While his competitors were downsizing in response to the pressures of various recessions, Sharp didn’t believe that the solution to their problems was cutting costs by cutting labour. This, he believed, only served to cut quality. Instead of “minimizing labour’s cost”, Sharp strove to “maximize labour’s value by convincing our employees that our purpose merits commitment.” Sharp knew that the dedication of his employees was not something he could simply command, nor could anyone else. Leadership, for Sharp, requires persuasion to follow the common vision that he had established. That persuasion was to be built upon a foundation of credibility and trust. Echoing the words of Edward R. Murrow, Sharp suggests, “To be persuasive, we must be believable. To be believable, we must be credible. And to be credible, we must be truthful.” Throughout his career, Sharp strove to earn that credibility. It was never something he took for granted. “We earn credibility only when employees see that what we say is confirmed by what we do, and when our actions consistently further our stated goal,” he says. “We have to share information truthfully, openly and fully. And we have to earn trust before a sense of common purpose can emerge.” Sharp’s three cardinal qualities of leadership were the ability to unify, to direct and to motivate. Through a combination of mental toughness and enthusiasm, Sharp was able to bring out the best in his people, which is, after all, the ultimate goal of leadership.
Lesson #2: Success Comes From Pursuing A Single-Purpose Goal
Sharp says he is often asked what his overall vision for the Four Seasons was when he first began pondering the idea in the late 1950s. “What was my grand dream?” he asks. “Well I can say with a great deal of certainty and truth that there was no vision, there was no grand dream. The fact is I was just trying to do one small hotel deal. One deal – not a company.” Despite not having a dream or envisioning the possibilities of the luxury hotel chain he has created today, when Sharp first got started in the industry, he did in fact began with one clear goal. The very first decision he made in the business was, he says, to establish a single-purpose; wherever he set up shop, Sharp was going to create the best hotel he knew how to. “We set out to redefine luxury as service, and to provide a support system at our hotels to replace the one left behind at home or at the office,” says Sharp. It was to this end, to the goal of being the best, that Sharp began upgrading his hotels to Five Star standards. He installed the quietest plumbing systems he could find, the softest towels, and – for the first time in a hotel – shampoos in their bathrooms. Over time, Sharp also began accommodating business requests in his rooms. From installing two-line jacks for both phone and computer work, to having well-lit desks, and other amenities such as irons, bathrooms, and a free shoeshine service, Sharp was making sure all his bases were covered. When Sharp first started to expand his hotel chain, he knew that there were other bigger competitors out there. Nevertheless, Sharp paid no attention. The goal he had established at the very beginning of his career was not to be the biggest and the best hotel in operation; it was simply to be the best. Thus, Sharp focused on operating medium-sized hotels of the highest possible quality. Having a single goal at the heart of his operations was not a tactic Sharp limited just to his business. In 1978, Sharp’s 17 year old son Christopher died of melanoma cancer. It was a devastating blow to the Sharp family. So, when Sharp first caught sight of 21 year old Terry Fox on TV as he began his cross-country run to raise money and awareness for the disease, Sharp knew this was his chance to take action. Not only did Sharp pledge money and offer free night’s lodging to the Marathon of Hope team at Four Seasons hotels, but he also developed a close relationship with the young runner himself who would often call Sharp from roadside phone booths along his way. “No one seemed to be taking him seriously,” recalls Sharp. “I mean, a kid with one leg, running all the way across Canada? It seemed to far-fetched. People were cutting him off with their cars on the highway.” When Fox’s cancer returned and the marathon was cut short in Thunder Bay, Ontario, Sharp knew he had to take action. Fox’s goal had been to raise a dollar from every Canadian, or what would amount to roughly $25 million. Sharp took up that goal, and by promoting the event into what has become an annual worldwide phenomenon, Sharp has been able to raise over $400 million for the cause. That is what can happen when the mind is focused on and dedicated to a single goal.
Lesson #3: Take Care Of Your Customers And They Will Take Care Of You
More than anything else, the Four Seasons chain of luxury hotels is known for exactly that – luxury. But, it isn’t luxury in the normal sense. “Our competitors interpreted luxury chiefly as dazzling architecture and décor, but how important is that to our customers?” Sharp asks. “They are mostly executives, often under pressure, fighting jet lag, stress and the clock. We decided to redefine luxury as service.” In each and every one of its worldwide locations, the Four Seasons tends to set the top hotel price for the area, and it is usually about 20 percent higher than its closest competitor. How can Sharp risk such a pricing policy? He guarantees that “guests get a fail-safe experience so that a company is eager to pay the extra $50 to ensure a hassle-free trip for an executive who might be working on a $50 million deal.” To this end, Sharp has initiated a quality of service that goes almost unmatched in the industry. From offering large bars of soap and shampoo in every room, to non-smoking floors, to fitness rooms, and real live people who answer the phones, Sharp has striven to ensure that each Four Seasons hotel is equipped with whatever it needs to make its customers happy. After all, happy customers come back, and they bring their friends with them. When he opened his first Four Seasons in Toronto almost half a century ago, Sharp might not have had a grand plan, but he did have a consistent thread, which was to provide great service. “The essential question for us in the early days was: ‘What did guests value most?’” says Sharp. “Market research said luxury, not necessarily elegant surroundings and gourmet meals. The greatest luxury is time, and service can help you make the most of that. Give greater productivity, greater enjoyment – what better luxury can there be?” Of course, Sharp knew that designing service was no easy task, especially in the hotel business where it is generally just a few moments of service delivery that Sharp calls the “make or break point, when reputation is either confirmed or denied.” In order to ensure that the employees at the very front of that service delivery were motivated and committed, Sharp implemented a number of initiatives, such as a profit-sharing plan and two “stress breaks” every day. “Whether purchasing a yacht, a diamond, a sports car or a handbag, luxury consumers expect the experience of making the purchase to be as rewarding as the purchase itself,” says Sharp. “A company's ability to provide that kind of experience depends on its employees.” To this end, Sharp also paid his front desk clerks twice the average rate; he knew that unsatisfied employees would almost guarantee unsatisfied customers. In 1967, one Four Seasons employee went to the extreme in demonstrating the kind of service Sharp was trying to encourage. A bellboy for the hotel, Roy Dyment discovered that a dignitary guest had left his briefcase behind after checking out. The guest soon called from Washington stating that the contents of the briefcase were essential for an upcoming meeting. Feeling responsible, Dyment bought a plane ticket at his own expense and personally delivered the briefcase to the former guest. Today, the Four Seasons name has become synonymous with service, and that is where its true value is found. “Profit directs our focus toward short-term market gains,” says Sharp. “As long as we can keep on creating customer value, profit is unlikely to be a concern.”
Lesson #4: The ‘Golden Rule’ Is Your Golden Ticket To Success
There are some who would argue that there is no such thing as ‘business ethics’. Sharp is not one of those people. In outlining the credo with which he wanted to run his company, Sharp declared that the ‘Golden Rule’ was going to be one of the cornerstones of the corporate culture that he was trying to create. “We aimed to treat others as we would want to be treated ourselves,” says Sharp. “Enforcing our credo was the hardest part, and senior managers who couldn’t or wouldn’t live by it were weeded out within a few years.” It was a painful process, says Sharp, but one that had to be done. From its customers to its staff, Sharp wanted to create a culture of service that was based on the Golden Rule. How can something like that be put into action? First, says Sharp, get the right people on board your team. For instance, before you can work for the Four Seasons, you must be scrupulously screened through a series of five interviews. “To be at the top we get service standards down to the bottom of the pyramid, and that process begins for us with our hiring policy,” he says. “We hire for attitude. We want people who like other people and are, therefore, more motivated to serve them. Competence we can teach. Attitude is ingrained.” According to Sharp, the driving force behind his success has been his desire to treat Four Seasons employees with the same level of respect that they in turn are expected to give their guests. The success of this policy has shown itself not only in terms of employee engagement and satisfaction. For the past nine consecutive years, the Four Seasons has been the only Canadian company to land on Fortune magazine’s list of the 100 best companies to work for in the U.S. “Businesses are all relationships, based on common values, values such as staying true to your word,” says Sharp. “Every religion also enshrines those values, so you can have different religious beliefs, but underlying those beliefs, you’ve got people who must have similar values, and can work together.” Sharp’s commitment to his employees has been tested in the aftermath of many well-publicized events. In the aftermath of 9/11, the hotel industry began to suffer the effects; people were not flying and traveling as much, so there was a severe downturn. However, whereas its competitors were laying off staff to reduce their costs, Sharp refused to let the Four Seasons go down that same road. He refused to lay off his staff or lower his hotel’s high quality of service, demonstrating his commitment to both customers and employees. The tsunami crisis in Southeast Asia was a similar test of Sharp’s commitment to his credo. Waves pounded the Four Seasons hotel in the Maldives and within 24 hours, all employees and guests were safely evacuated from the island. But, the damage didn’t stop there. With the resort now closed, hundreds of employees were all of a sudden out of work “at the moment when they needed income most as they started to rebuild their lives and communities,” says Sharp. “We couldn’t let that happen.” Sharp subsequently sent all his employees to other Four Seasons hotels around the world in order to keep them employed. “In true Four Seasons fashion, they have become a dynamic part of the teams at these hotels, embracing our guests with their caring service.”
Lesson #5: Find Your Comparative Advantage and Step Beyond the Standard
It is one of the Four Seasons’ greatest ironies that despite its tremendous success as one of the world’s premier luxury hospitality companies, it actually owns very few hotels. One of the most important decisions Sharp made early on in the life of the Four Seasons was that he wanted to create a unique business model; he wanted his company to be principally occupied with management, instead of ownership of its hotels. Sharp believed that shifting investment away from hotel ownership and towards management expertise was a way of “freeing up assets to be used for hiring, training and motivating employees – everyone from dishwashers to bellhops to managers to cleaning staff.” Thus, over the past forty years, the Four Seasons has evolved into what is principally a management holding company with different partners investing in different hotels. Sharp’s strong desire to steer clear of hotel ownership is clearly reflected in one of the company’s key documents: “It is Four Seasons’ objective to maximize the percentage of its operating earnings from the management operations segment, and generally to make investment in the ownership of hotels, resorts and Residence Clubs only where required to secure additional management opportunities or to improve the management agreements for existing properties.” Under the Four Seasons’ unique management agreements, the company generally supervises all aspects of the day-to-day operations of its hotels on behalf of the owners. Everything from sales, reservations, accounting, purchasing, budgeting, and the hiring, training, and supervising of staff thus falls under the Four Seasons’ management duties. At the corporate level, the Four Seasons also often provides strategic management services, such as recommendations of IT systems and developing long-term marketing strategies. To be sure, the Four Seasons both manages and owns some hotels. But, if Sharp had it his way, the company would avoid the burdens of ownership completely. The fact that this is one hotel chain that would rather not own hotels has played a key role in its success. In exchange for its management services, the Four Seasons charges a range of fees, including a base fee, an incentive fee, a sales and marketing charge, and a reservation charge. The base fee is a percentage of each hotel’s gross revenues, while the incentive fee is calculated based on the operating performance of each hotel it manages. That is where the Four Seasons makes its real money, and that is exactly how Sharp wanted it. Leaving behind the issues that come with ownership, Sharp has been able to focus the Four Seasons on what it does best – service. He assessed his competencies and realized where his competitive advantage lied – and it wasn’t in owning real estate. His assessment proved correct; over the years, management earnings have tended to rise, while ownership operations have lost. In splitting up management and ownership, Sharp demonstrated his willingness to do something differently than his competitors and it was this creativity for which he would later be rewarded.
原始連結
http://www.evancarmichael.com/Famous-Entrepreneurs/962/Head-Hotelier-in-the-Making-The-Early-Years-of-Isadore-Issy-Sharp.html
2008年10月13日 星期一
Angela Desveaux
好久沒有一九九六年時第一次聽到FRENTE！（澳洲樂團、已解散）的感動http://lomobangdoll.blogspot.com/2007/08/musicfrentebizarre-love-triangle.html
這個澳洲樂團跟SAVAGE GARDENㄧ樣、樂團解散、主唱出來單飛。
話說昨天早上在STARBUCKS聽到一首歌、有種似曾相識的感覺、經過詢問店員、才知道是加拿大樂團ANGELA DESVEAUX的SHAPE YOU
今天二話不說上了AMAZON訂了他們這張今年九月才剛發的專輯。
http://www.thrilljockey.com/catalog/index.html?id=102860
女主唱的唱法、曲風讓我感覺有FRENTE！跟SIXPENCE NONE THE RICHER的混合的感覺
很久很久沒有這樣的感動！
快去聽吧！
這個澳洲樂團跟SAVAGE GARDENㄧ樣、樂團解散、主唱出來單飛。
話說昨天早上在STARBUCKS聽到一首歌、有種似曾相識的感覺、經過詢問店員、才知道是加拿大樂團ANGELA DESVEAUX的SHAPE YOU
今天二話不說上了AMAZON訂了他們這張今年九月才剛發的專輯。
http://www.thrilljockey.com/catalog/index.html?id=102860
女主唱的唱法、曲風讓我感覺有FRENTE！跟SIXPENCE NONE THE RICHER的混合的感覺
很久很久沒有這樣的感動！
快去聽吧！
2008年8月23日 星期六
光波不打架 運算好處多 光子取代電子 運算新時代來臨
更新日期:2008/08/24 07:56 【中國時報 唐鎮宇／專題報導】
準備好迎接「光學電腦」時代了嗎？科學家為了因應「摩爾定律」未來可能面臨的崩解，過去30年來投入相當多的心血，企圖打造「光學電腦」成為新世代電腦規格。
「光學電腦」顧名思義，就是利用光子取代電子，進行數字運算、邏輯操作、資訊儲存及處理。由於光的速度比電流快多了，如果研發成功，運算速度可以比目前最快的電腦快上1000倍。
光學電腦會這麼快，除了倚靠光的傳播速度快外，交大光電系教授賴（日英）杰解釋，由於不同波長的光彼此行進間不會互相干擾，所以在資料傳輸與運算上，可以平行處理不同的計算工作，等於好幾個運算單位同時運作，比現行電子電腦僅靠有電流通過與否來分辨「開與關」，當然快上許多。
電子電腦易短路 光學成新寵
光學電腦用什麼「光」為工具呢？賴（日英）杰說，光的波長選擇大多由所用的材料與元件來決定，要達成運作光學電腦的條件，必須找到適合的元件來產生雷射光源，透過雷射光源將電子的0與1訊號轉換成光子的0與1訊號，再加上一個光邏輯閘(Optical Logic Gate)來做邏輯運算以及其他適合的光偵測器、光開關與光邏輯閘，構成完整的系統。
科學家研究光學電腦的基本出發點之一是根據「摩爾定律」的預測，但物理定律告訴我們，電晶體不可能一直小下去，等到最後電晶體內的矽結構如分子般大小時，電子會直接從一個單位跳到另外一個單位，造成嚴重短路。許多科學家預言，摩爾定律將在10年內面臨瓶頸，因此各國相繼投入研發可能替代的技術，包括量子電腦、DNA電腦…。其中，人類目前最能掌控的技術，就是光學電腦。
賴（日英）表示，目前一些大型高速電腦系統中，光的應用多半是資料交換方面，要使用光來進行一般的邏輯運算，各國仍在努力中。
交換元件材料 科學家研發中
光學電腦研究早期主要面臨製作光學晶體的材料以及提供電力來源的元件體積過大，導致整台電腦如果真的達到如現今個人電腦一樣的功能，至少必須要像汽車那樣大小才有辦法達成。現在有科學家結合各種奈米結構來改變物質特性，探尋輕薄短小、可做大量生產的元件。目前多使用矽與砷化鎵等材料來製作更高速及密度更大的交換元件，這兩項材料目前算是比較成熟的技術。
賴（日英）杰說明，現有的光連結(Optical Interconnect)應用應可讓資料傳輸速率達到每個傳導通道每秒40GB的等級，如再搭配技術，總位元傳輸率有機會超過每秒TB的等級。至於光學計算方面，原則上單一光邏輯閘的速度已可小於10的負-12次方/秒，目前無法做大規模光學計算。
（GB=10億位元組，TB=兆位元組）
準備好迎接「光學電腦」時代了嗎？科學家為了因應「摩爾定律」未來可能面臨的崩解，過去30年來投入相當多的心血，企圖打造「光學電腦」成為新世代電腦規格。
「光學電腦」顧名思義，就是利用光子取代電子，進行數字運算、邏輯操作、資訊儲存及處理。由於光的速度比電流快多了，如果研發成功，運算速度可以比目前最快的電腦快上1000倍。
光學電腦會這麼快，除了倚靠光的傳播速度快外，交大光電系教授賴（日英）杰解釋，由於不同波長的光彼此行進間不會互相干擾，所以在資料傳輸與運算上，可以平行處理不同的計算工作，等於好幾個運算單位同時運作，比現行電子電腦僅靠有電流通過與否來分辨「開與關」，當然快上許多。
電子電腦易短路 光學成新寵
光學電腦用什麼「光」為工具呢？賴（日英）杰說，光的波長選擇大多由所用的材料與元件來決定，要達成運作光學電腦的條件，必須找到適合的元件來產生雷射光源，透過雷射光源將電子的0與1訊號轉換成光子的0與1訊號，再加上一個光邏輯閘(Optical Logic Gate)來做邏輯運算以及其他適合的光偵測器、光開關與光邏輯閘，構成完整的系統。
科學家研究光學電腦的基本出發點之一是根據「摩爾定律」的預測，但物理定律告訴我們，電晶體不可能一直小下去，等到最後電晶體內的矽結構如分子般大小時，電子會直接從一個單位跳到另外一個單位，造成嚴重短路。許多科學家預言，摩爾定律將在10年內面臨瓶頸，因此各國相繼投入研發可能替代的技術，包括量子電腦、DNA電腦…。其中，人類目前最能掌控的技術，就是光學電腦。
賴（日英）表示，目前一些大型高速電腦系統中，光的應用多半是資料交換方面，要使用光來進行一般的邏輯運算，各國仍在努力中。
交換元件材料 科學家研發中
光學電腦研究早期主要面臨製作光學晶體的材料以及提供電力來源的元件體積過大，導致整台電腦如果真的達到如現今個人電腦一樣的功能，至少必須要像汽車那樣大小才有辦法達成。現在有科學家結合各種奈米結構來改變物質特性，探尋輕薄短小、可做大量生產的元件。目前多使用矽與砷化鎵等材料來製作更高速及密度更大的交換元件，這兩項材料目前算是比較成熟的技術。
賴（日英）杰說明，現有的光連結(Optical Interconnect)應用應可讓資料傳輸速率達到每個傳導通道每秒40GB的等級，如再搭配技術，總位元傳輸率有機會超過每秒TB的等級。至於光學計算方面，原則上單一光邏輯閘的速度已可小於10的負-12次方/秒，目前無法做大規模光學計算。
（GB=10億位元組，TB=兆位元組）
2008年8月22日 星期五
接近消費者 SONY與三星
健正
善恆
很高興能跟你們聊這些
因為最近的一些案子
我們聊到SONY跟三星
我也分享一下我所知道的還有感想
可以說因為有SONY所以才有三星
三星從一開始就眼中只有SONY
完全徹底研究SONY的成功模式然後摹仿
我從小就風靡SONY
如你們所知當我學會日文來到東京的第一件事就是買了所有書名有SONY的日文書然後讀完
因為喜歡所以會想知道他的歷史還有為甚麼他可以這麼有魅力
當然當我還在唸淡江的時候、圖書館的FORTUNE雜誌我也不放過
就只是好奇心
只要看到標題有SONY的文章就不放過
來到東大以後常常去經濟系的圖書館、因為那裡有FORTUNE
當我還是大學生的時候、三星就在FORTUNE上發表他們五年內要追上SONY
當然很不喜歡會想看看他們到底有多大能耐
所以有關三星的事也都注意一下囉
我發現他們兩間有類似的地方
第一、靈魂人物
井深大＋盛田昭夫
陳大濟（前南韓產業情報部長陳大濟）＋金炳國（Intel Vice President）
井深鑽研技術、盛田專搞行銷、但是兩人從年輕到老都不斷聊天
也因此SONY有源源不絕的成長動力
陳先生有井深那股技術熱忱加上STANFORD電子系博士班的背景、IBM
基礎研究所的經歷
金先生本來大學是物理系畢業、HARVARD MBA
這讓我想到我們台灣也有STANFORD電子系博士畢業的學生、也有
STANFORD MBA但是比如ACER這種公司為甚麼不會勵精圖治把這些人挖來呢？南韓能台灣政府台灣企業沒有理由不行
何況台灣的高科技業比韓國還要發達產值也比南韓高吧！
YOUTUBE創辦人之一、陳士駿
http://mr6.cc/?p=912
YAHOO創辦人之一、楊致遠
INTEL第ㄧ位亞洲人資深副總裁、虞有澄
http://www.gvm.com.tw/Board/content.aspx?go=cover&ser=10870
APPLIED MATERIALS第ㄧ位亞洲人資深副總裁、王寧國
都是台灣人
台灣政府要找兩人來幫忙或者聯合一些台灣企業來合作都是有可能的
我們台灣優秀人才絕對不比南韓日本少、為甚麼政府跟企業不能讓這些人產生一些交集或者產生一些對台灣產業有幫助的合作計畫
第二、發展方向
都是技術加上行銷
這好像變成定律
第三、都選擇以美國市場為出發點
美國是一個很多新東西的地方、也對新的牌子新的東西接受度高
競爭性大能存活下來代表接近成功吧
http://www.nihao.com/news/article.phtml?rid=0211243928528
http://www.digitimes.com.tw/n/10article.asp?id=0000088529_A779914KGJ3AQDT8UDV8X
三星是韓國政府出錢搞起來的、而SONY則是盛田家的資金撐起來的
大家都對歷史沒有興趣、但是知道歷史可以對我們在做一些判斷的時候有幫助
（現在SONY的CEO就是歷史系畢業的英國佬）
沒有SONY在前面成功、三星可能不知道如何成功
換成現在很熱的話題、有野茂先去MLB然後才有後來的日本球員去MLB
有陳金鋒先去MLB才有現在的台灣球員去MLB
想到政府、我們或許可以當一個民間政府
如果台灣政府總是在搞政治、口頭上說搞經濟
那我們更可以組織民間政府
因為這就是製造商所沒有的統合能力
也是我們可以提供價值的地方吧！
要當政府要有領導力不然企業不會服我們
現在陳士駿、楊致遠都還在位子上、或許可以辦個座談會
會中都請台灣的大企業老闆來再加上在INTEL有三十年的虞有澄
還有在應用材料超過二十年的王寧國先生
再加上STANFORD MBA的作家王文華先生
大家一起腦力激盪一下
給台灣的產業界一點新的方向新的刺激
如健正所說、大家都在想辦法離消費者近一點
無奈台灣廠商總是被隔開而在代工
INTEL也想接近消費者
兩年前開始投資EDY電子錢包五十億日幣
現在又跟YAHOO還有三星一起要進軍網路電視
連INTEL都不甘願做幕後無名英雄而往幕前走
那台灣廠商是不是也該盡量往幕前走呢？
生殺大權還是被掌握在品牌大廠
那我們是否就要坐著等死呢？
不、有YAHOO、YOUTUBE這樣離消費者這麼近的夥伴
一定有辦法的
當IBM跟PHILIPS分別放棄電腦生產以及LCD生產時
似乎意味著硬體的時代已經結束、隨之而來的是服務
IPOD的出現更可以證明一切
消費者要的是服務、不是一臺機器
剩下的只是SONY跟三星在做意識形態的LCD競爭
SONY跟三星肯定都有看到這一點他們肯定在準備延伸戰線
當說到服務的時候YAHOO跟YOUTUBE就是一個比SONY、三星都更接近消費者的公司
只有在消費者要買東西的時候才會把眼光放去看SONY、三星
但為了看SONY、三星的東西可能就會用YAHOO去看網路評價如何
甚至去YAHOO拍賣網標、或者上YOUTUBE看人家直接使用SONY或三星的手機感覺如何等
哪個更有威力、YAHOO跟YOUTUBE似乎是消費者的眼睛、SONY跟三星則是消費者的手
人總是先用眼看再決定要不要動手吧！
剛開始的SONY就像現在的APPLE、充滿夢想跟點子
剛開始的三星就是復仇者的角色靠決心跟野心一路走來
說到這實在很佩服高麗民族的根性！
剛剛不小心搜尋到這個
三星居然有個先進科技研究所在跟STANFORD化工系鮑哲楠副教授在研究奈米碳管的東西
果然因為跟晶片有關三星也在砸錢跟人在這方面
奈米碳管可以比現在的晶片更小導電性也更好
現在的製程已經快要發展到極限
再小就要靠換材料
奈米碳管跟量子點就是候選人之一
這兩種東西在奈米世界應該說是一個是倚天劍一個是屠龍刀
三星的團隊跟STANFORD的團隊的研究成果在今年七月四號的SCIENCE雜誌登出來了
科學期刊中最高殿堂的SCIENCE、
http://news-service.stanford.edu/pr/2008/nano-070908.html
鮑哲楠
好好優秀的一位大陸女科學家、我以前不知道她是何許人也
是我同一個研究室的馬萊西亞華僑朋友跟我介紹
以前有來我們研究室演講過人感覺很謙虛、本人也很美
剛剛看了她的學生一堆韓國人難不成是三星砸錢推進去的
下面是她的網頁
http://cheme.stanford.edu/faculty/zbao.html
科技的進步真的是在靠基礎科學的研究
現在看來SONY在這方面已經落後三星太多啦！三星的基礎功真的是狠狠的在做
想想我們的友達、奇美也可以這樣啊！
跟聯發科ㄧ樣提供全額奬學金給台灣學生去STANFORD唸博士班
只有這樣我們才能保持競爭力
最近很紅的七億台幣如果都拿來給去全美前五理工學院的博士班學生全額奬學金
將來對台灣的產業發展不知道可以有多大幫助
最後是一篇有關人脈的文章
一起互相勉勵加油打氣囉！
http://diary.blog.yam.com/baoo0702/article/3494984
思緒很亂一下子寫了ㄧ大堆
由於是抱著聊天的心情
所以沒有整理思緒
如果覺得很亂不好意思喔！
善恆
很高興能跟你們聊這些
因為最近的一些案子
我們聊到SONY跟三星
我也分享一下我所知道的還有感想
可以說因為有SONY所以才有三星
三星從一開始就眼中只有SONY
完全徹底研究SONY的成功模式然後摹仿
我從小就風靡SONY
如你們所知當我學會日文來到東京的第一件事就是買了所有書名有SONY的日文書然後讀完
因為喜歡所以會想知道他的歷史還有為甚麼他可以這麼有魅力
當然當我還在唸淡江的時候、圖書館的FORTUNE雜誌我也不放過
就只是好奇心
只要看到標題有SONY的文章就不放過
來到東大以後常常去經濟系的圖書館、因為那裡有FORTUNE
當我還是大學生的時候、三星就在FORTUNE上發表他們五年內要追上SONY
當然很不喜歡會想看看他們到底有多大能耐
所以有關三星的事也都注意一下囉
我發現他們兩間有類似的地方
第一、靈魂人物
井深大＋盛田昭夫
陳大濟（前南韓產業情報部長陳大濟）＋金炳國（Intel Vice President）
井深鑽研技術、盛田專搞行銷、但是兩人從年輕到老都不斷聊天
也因此SONY有源源不絕的成長動力
陳先生有井深那股技術熱忱加上STANFORD電子系博士班的背景、IBM
基礎研究所的經歷
金先生本來大學是物理系畢業、HARVARD MBA
這讓我想到我們台灣也有STANFORD電子系博士畢業的學生、也有
STANFORD MBA但是比如ACER這種公司為甚麼不會勵精圖治把這些人挖來呢？南韓能台灣政府台灣企業沒有理由不行
何況台灣的高科技業比韓國還要發達產值也比南韓高吧！
YOUTUBE創辦人之一、陳士駿
http://mr6.cc/?p=912
YAHOO創辦人之一、楊致遠
INTEL第ㄧ位亞洲人資深副總裁、虞有澄
http://www.gvm.com.tw/Board/content.aspx?go=cover&ser=10870
APPLIED MATERIALS第ㄧ位亞洲人資深副總裁、王寧國
都是台灣人
台灣政府要找兩人來幫忙或者聯合一些台灣企業來合作都是有可能的
我們台灣優秀人才絕對不比南韓日本少、為甚麼政府跟企業不能讓這些人產生一些交集或者產生一些對台灣產業有幫助的合作計畫
第二、發展方向
都是技術加上行銷
這好像變成定律
第三、都選擇以美國市場為出發點
美國是一個很多新東西的地方、也對新的牌子新的東西接受度高
競爭性大能存活下來代表接近成功吧
http://www.nihao.com/news/article.phtml?rid=0211243928528
http://www.digitimes.com.tw/n/10article.asp?id=0000088529_A779914KGJ3AQDT8UDV8X
三星是韓國政府出錢搞起來的、而SONY則是盛田家的資金撐起來的
大家都對歷史沒有興趣、但是知道歷史可以對我們在做一些判斷的時候有幫助
（現在SONY的CEO就是歷史系畢業的英國佬）
沒有SONY在前面成功、三星可能不知道如何成功
換成現在很熱的話題、有野茂先去MLB然後才有後來的日本球員去MLB
有陳金鋒先去MLB才有現在的台灣球員去MLB
想到政府、我們或許可以當一個民間政府
如果台灣政府總是在搞政治、口頭上說搞經濟
那我們更可以組織民間政府
因為這就是製造商所沒有的統合能力
也是我們可以提供價值的地方吧！
要當政府要有領導力不然企業不會服我們
現在陳士駿、楊致遠都還在位子上、或許可以辦個座談會
會中都請台灣的大企業老闆來再加上在INTEL有三十年的虞有澄
還有在應用材料超過二十年的王寧國先生
再加上STANFORD MBA的作家王文華先生
大家一起腦力激盪一下
給台灣的產業界一點新的方向新的刺激
如健正所說、大家都在想辦法離消費者近一點
無奈台灣廠商總是被隔開而在代工
INTEL也想接近消費者
兩年前開始投資EDY電子錢包五十億日幣
現在又跟YAHOO還有三星一起要進軍網路電視
連INTEL都不甘願做幕後無名英雄而往幕前走
那台灣廠商是不是也該盡量往幕前走呢？
生殺大權還是被掌握在品牌大廠
那我們是否就要坐著等死呢？
不、有YAHOO、YOUTUBE這樣離消費者這麼近的夥伴
一定有辦法的
當IBM跟PHILIPS分別放棄電腦生產以及LCD生產時
似乎意味著硬體的時代已經結束、隨之而來的是服務
IPOD的出現更可以證明一切
消費者要的是服務、不是一臺機器
剩下的只是SONY跟三星在做意識形態的LCD競爭
SONY跟三星肯定都有看到這一點他們肯定在準備延伸戰線
當說到服務的時候YAHOO跟YOUTUBE就是一個比SONY、三星都更接近消費者的公司
只有在消費者要買東西的時候才會把眼光放去看SONY、三星
但為了看SONY、三星的東西可能就會用YAHOO去看網路評價如何
甚至去YAHOO拍賣網標、或者上YOUTUBE看人家直接使用SONY或三星的手機感覺如何等
哪個更有威力、YAHOO跟YOUTUBE似乎是消費者的眼睛、SONY跟三星則是消費者的手
人總是先用眼看再決定要不要動手吧！
剛開始的SONY就像現在的APPLE、充滿夢想跟點子
剛開始的三星就是復仇者的角色靠決心跟野心一路走來
說到這實在很佩服高麗民族的根性！
剛剛不小心搜尋到這個
三星居然有個先進科技研究所在跟STANFORD化工系鮑哲楠副教授在研究奈米碳管的東西
果然因為跟晶片有關三星也在砸錢跟人在這方面
奈米碳管可以比現在的晶片更小導電性也更好
現在的製程已經快要發展到極限
再小就要靠換材料
奈米碳管跟量子點就是候選人之一
這兩種東西在奈米世界應該說是一個是倚天劍一個是屠龍刀
三星的團隊跟STANFORD的團隊的研究成果在今年七月四號的SCIENCE雜誌登出來了
科學期刊中最高殿堂的SCIENCE、
http://news-service.stanford.edu/pr/2008/nano-070908.html
鮑哲楠
好好優秀的一位大陸女科學家、我以前不知道她是何許人也
是我同一個研究室的馬萊西亞華僑朋友跟我介紹
以前有來我們研究室演講過人感覺很謙虛、本人也很美
剛剛看了她的學生一堆韓國人難不成是三星砸錢推進去的
下面是她的網頁
http://cheme.stanford.edu/faculty/zbao.html
科技的進步真的是在靠基礎科學的研究
現在看來SONY在這方面已經落後三星太多啦！三星的基礎功真的是狠狠的在做
想想我們的友達、奇美也可以這樣啊！
跟聯發科ㄧ樣提供全額奬學金給台灣學生去STANFORD唸博士班
只有這樣我們才能保持競爭力
最近很紅的七億台幣如果都拿來給去全美前五理工學院的博士班學生全額奬學金
將來對台灣的產業發展不知道可以有多大幫助
最後是一篇有關人脈的文章
一起互相勉勵加油打氣囉！
http://diary.blog.yam.com/baoo0702/article/3494984
思緒很亂一下子寫了ㄧ大堆
由於是抱著聊天的心情
所以沒有整理思緒
如果覺得很亂不好意思喔！
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