HP Way, The

From a one-car-garage company to a multibillion-dollar industry, the rise of Hewlett-Packard is an extraordinary tale of vision, innovation and hard work. Conceived in 1939, Hewlett-Packard earned success not only as a result of its engineering know-how and cutting-edge product ideas, but also because of the unique management style it developed -- a way of doing things called "the HP way". Decades before today's creative management trends, Hewlett-Packard invented such strategies as "walk-around management", "flextime", and "quality cycles". Always sensitive to the needs of its customers and responsive to employee input, Hewlett-Packard earned massive steady growth that far outshone its competitors' vacillating fortunes, even with radically different products from those responsible for its initial boom. For entrepreneurs and managers alike, the wisdom found in these pages is invaluable if they want their businesses to gain steady growth and consistent success. Transcending the ever-shifting marketplace and management trends, The HP Way offers the hard-won and battle-tested practical experience of a proven and respected leader.