Jerry Gorde Strikes Back

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We invited INC. magazine to come to Vatex Corp. for an unusual glimpse of organization transformation in action ("Chairman Jerry's Cultural Revolution," August). Our hope was that an article on our experience would give the small-business community a better understanding of the peaks and valleys of corporate change. The real stuff of organizational life is not the petty politics and sensationalism that float to the surface in a rapidly changing company. It is the deeper substance that we must share and seek to understand. Unfortunately, writer John Case created a superficial story better suited for the National Enquirer than America's leading small-business publication.

After a decade of outstanding growth, the managers of Vatex were a classic case of collective stress and burnout. In spite of continued profitability, it became apparent in 1986 that we did not have the management strength to break the $10-million sales mark. We had only two alternatives: replace ourselves with a new, more capable management team; or agree to participate in a radical program of individual and organization transformation. We chose the latter.

With this choice came the responsibility for each individual to work within the defined framework we had created. This framework included small group sessions on team and trust building, communication, leadership, management, and the development of visioning skills. Equally important was the holistic training program for our bodies, including nutrition and stress management, and a general physical-conditioning program, which required the creation of a fully equipped in-house gymnasium.

The program was an alternative to cleaning house. Our goal was to regain our management and leadership composure, so that we could resume our growth without going outside our ranks. Our success depended entirely on our individual and collective will. As the chief executive officer, it was my job to hold the emerging team accountable for their participation in this process. The issue was not "working out in the gym"; it was being responsible for one's individual development within the context of organizational values and objectives.

We will miss the few who have left. As for the rest of us, we are once again taking responsibility for our company's future. This time we are achieving results with a mix of new, capable managers and old-timers who, with renewed vigor, are learning to grow and change.

Vatex welcomes opinions, criticisms, and suggestions from our associates in the small-business community. We believe that only through sharing our own experiences can we gain the wisdom that is necessary to succeed.