Sizing Up Donald Burr

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Hurrah for the "people" people. In "Bitter Victories," I was delighted to hear over and over again the concern for employees' welfare and customer service. Isn't this what really makes an organization worth belonging to? What a relief to hear such concern voiced by those at the top, who can be role models and attitude generators.

After reading Don Burr's comments on finding something for some of the flight managers to do during job rotation, I got to thinking about Bill Gore's [chief executive officer of W. L. Gore & Associates] philosophy of telling his employees to look around for themselves and find something they'd like to do. Why doesn't Don try that, instead of sustaining the kind of paternalism for which he knocks Delta? Even flight managers have private lives in which they're communications or computer buffs, landscapers, woodworkers, counselors, or even backyard chefs (useful for ideas for company/family picnics). Turn them loose and know they'll continue to give you their best.