St. Francis Hotel

"has not ever crushed a flower half-hidden in the grass that he did not wish he might have walked some other way.” 25 Like many modern executives intent upon maintaining high worker morale, Kaiser sponsored frequent, elaborate awards ceremonies. He enjoyed overseeing many of the arrangements himself. For the “25 Year Service Awards Banquet” in December 1952, he rented the Colonial Ballroom in the St. Francis Hotel in San Francisco. Detailed arrangements prescribed not only the words, but the mood of the awards presentations: At the conclusion of the dinner the coffee is served... All service is removed from the tables.... Lights in house slowly dim while lights on the individual tables come on (This is the last function of the waitress at each table just before the change of lights). After a pause and on cue spotlight brightly on male octet in balcony behind the head table. Octet: “I am the builder. Come walk with me.” The singing continued softly in the background, while Henry Kaiser, Jr., speaking over a microphone but hidden from view, narrated a tribute to silver anniversary employees. The tribute was part poem, part song. At the end of a lengthy narration, the octet belted out “Give me some men who are stout-hearted men.” Henry Jr., still concealed, intoned, “My father will now make the awards.” 26 Cynics hooted at such theatrical antics. However, as Peters and Waterman observed, the “best” companies create awards ceremonies and similar nonmonetary compensation on the flimsiest pretexts. 27 Few cynics worked for Kaiser, and most attending such banquets came away with good feelings. It was evident to them that the boss cared about employees."

"has not ever crushed a flower half-hidden in the grass that he did not wish he might have walked some other way.”25 Like many modern executives intent upon maintaining high worker morale, Kaiser sponsored frequent, elaborate awards ceremonies. He enjoyed overseeing many of the arrangements himself. For the “25 Year Service Awards Banquet” in December 1952, he rented the Colonial Ballroom in the St. Francis Hotel in San Francisco. Detailed arrangements prescribed not only the words, but the mood of the awards presentations: At the conclusion of the dinner the coffee is served…All service is removed from the tables…. Lights in house slowly dim while lights on the individual tables come on (This is the last function of the waitress at each table just before the change of lights). After a pause and on cue spotlight brightly on male octet in balcony behind the head table. Octet: “I am the builder. Come walk with me.” The singing continued softly in the background, while Henry Kaiser, Jr., speaking over a microphone but hidden from view, narrated a tribute to silver anniversary employees. The tribute was part poem, part song. At the end of a lengthy narration, the octet belted out “Give me some men who are stout-hearted men.” Henry Jr., still concealed, intoned, “My father will now make the awards.”26 Cynics hooted at such theatrical antics. However, as Peters and Waterman observed, the “best” companies create awards ceremonies and similar nonmonetary compensation on the flimsiest pretexts.27 Few cynics worked for Kaiser, and most attending such banquets came away with good feelings. It was evident to them that the boss cared about employees."