"We have trust and respect for individuals.  We approach each situation with the belief that people want to do a good job and will do so, given the proper tools and support. We attract highly capable, diverse, innovative people and recognize their efforts and contributions to the company. HP people contribute enthusiastically and share in the success that they make possible."   --Statement of the HP Way, 1980

Don't lock the lab-stock room

"It was not unusual to find Bill in the plant on weekends. Perhaps he was working on an antenna for the fly-in airstrip on the ranch he and Dave owned in South San Jose. On one weekend evening, he was working on a radio antenna, and needed some parts from Lab Stock.

"It was the late 1960's and division management was on a cost saving initiative, which came and went in cycles. Some manager or bean-counter decided that open lab stock was a license to steal, so the lab stockroom door had a padlock on it after working hours and on weekends.

"Bill called a guard to open the tool room door in the facilities department, to bring him a bolt cutter tool. He cut off the padlock, got his parts, and left a note on the stock room door to the effect, 'Don't ever lock this door again,' signed Bill Hewlett. Guess how many years that that note prevented lab stock doors from being locked? Such action gets around -- everywhere!

"Bill's attitude was that we hire expensive design engineers to create new products. At the same time, many have hobbies, such as ham radio or audio system design, which teach them new design tricks, useful in their regular HP job. Bill was willing to accommodate the use of HP parts from the lab stock to assist the engineers in their off-duty hobbies."

--from "Inside HP: A narrative history Of Hewlett-Packard from 1939--1990" by John Minck Sr. https://www.hpmemoryproject.org/timeline/john_minck/inside_hp_03.htm

For many articles by HP people -- developed, edited, and introduced by John Minck -- go to late Marc Mislanghe's personal HP Memory Project site, now operated by Ken Kuhn.

HPAlumni. Operated by volunteers. Not officially endorsed or supported. Question? Email: info@hpalumni.org   (Mar 14, 2019.)