Friedman
Strategic Concepts & Mechanics
Primary Evidence
"- I think it’s the best Stenbeck story, better than the ones about him losing his temper and shouting at people. Because this one shows what makes him scary, and unusual: that he is completely insensitive when it comes to humiliating close associates in front of other people. Imagine that he forced Friedman - who was quite an important person in the company then! - to spend so much effort and time on a tart. It’s callous."
"Unannounced visits from Apple could get around these problems. But suppliers have clever work-arounds. They might play a particular song throughout the factory, which serves as an urgent signal: ALL UNDERAGE WORKERS LEAVE THROUGH THE BACK DOOR. Apple could get wise to that sort of tactic if it really wanted to, but “you’ve got the fox guarding the henhouse,” says Friedman. He quit Apple’s advisory council after concluding that few of the things he wanted to accomplish were possible. “Why would Apple want to rigorously enforce things that would hurt their bottom line?”"
"Then there are Friedman’s “five forbidden phrases.” • “I don’t know.” It should be replaced with “Let me check and find out.” • “We can’t do that.” Instead, tell callers what can be done. • “You’ll have to . . .” The caller doesn’t have to do much of anything, certainly not sit on hold. Instead, the employee should say, “You’ll need to . . .” • “Hang on a second, I’ll be right back.” It’s a lie and should be replaced with “I’ll need to put you on hold for a few moments, if you are able to hold.” • “No.” It should no longer appear at the beginning of a sentence. That makes people think about what they’re saying before they start talking."