Re: 1940 Packard 180 petronix

Posted by Wat_Tyler On 2022/5/13 13:32:46
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MJG wrote:
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Wat_Tyler wrote:
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MJG wrote:
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Wat_Tyler wrote:
Christopher was/is an example of the Peter Principle.


Nance really tried.


I don't know if that was the case with Christopher. I remember reading he saved Harlow Curtice's butt while at Buick. He did save Packard with the junior line. Perhaps just the wrong man for the job postwar.



Christopher was a manufacturing guy, not a business guy. Gilman got the Clipper to market and Christopher rode the pony off the cliff. He needed a bright new model for the 50th anniversary, and he needed some new technology, too. He failed to implement either.


So, who is really to blame? None other than Sir Alvan himself.


I don't think he is a good example of the Peter Principle. When I think of the PP, I think of a mechanic, who is a great mechanic promoted to maintenance supervisor but, a poor delegator and leader. He constantly does the work himself and doesn't know how to tell his old coworkers that overtime is out. Or an assistant controller promoted to full controller. This person is a great bookkeeper but, doesn't know how to challenge other disciplines in following internal financial controls.

Christopher was a successful leader and GM/President pre-war. He was the right man for the job - then. Bringing him in was purposeful and successful. Had he been hired in 1946 and performed the same postwar - I would totally agree with you. The fact he wanted to step down tells you he had awareness to the fact that he wasn't the right leader for that time. He should have marketed himself as a turnaround specialist.. probably to close to retirement. No doubt others should have realized that too (earlier).

I use to work for a plant manager who was nothing more than a hatchet man. He knew his limitations and would sniff out inefficiency and redundancy then move on. He traveled the US as a "plant manager" though he couldn't manage one to save his life.

Mike



Christopher was brought in to make the 120 a success. He was a manufacturing guy. I said that already. Gilman has some vision. He got the Clipper (based largely on the successful 120) to market, and that was a rousing success and positioned Packard where it needed to be to enter the post-war period. You could say that WW2 hurt Packard as much as anything. BTW, they made 1.2% on PT boat and Merlin engines.


Christopher would have been fine as VP of operations to keep things efficient and economical. Too bad that Gilman couldn't keep it in his pants, so Old Man Macauley canned him and promoted Christopher a notch (or two) above his abilities, which is the definition of the Peter Principle that I was taught. My previous post mentions what he could/should have done. He didn't. He gets credit for keeping a lid on spending and that's about it. So the board canned him with the Old Man's blessing and then promoted their long-time bean counter when they desperately needed a leader with vision and cojones. They farted around 2 years in hiring Nance, who might have made a difference. They sank the ship in buying Studebaker without doing their due diligence.


Christopher was in over his head as president. He was retired when he was hired by Packard, and he went back to his Ohio farm when he was cut loose. I think he knew he was in over his head and he acted out of fear - fear to spend a nickel and to take a chance - fear of failure. Additionally, he was a blowhard about how much they would/could produce after the war. He failed to deliver - not all his fault, but it was his promise.


I still blame Alvan, but I could be wrong. I've been wrong before, and it didn't hurt all that badly.

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