Boom and Bust: Thriving Through Major Business Cycles

Boom and Bust: Thriving Through Major Business Cycles - Dave Hitz

Program Highlights

Opportunities exist and can be exploited in a downturn.
Values are important to successful transitions.
How future events can help formulate current strategy.

Net App was voted the Number 1 company to work for in 2009 by Fortune magazine. It managed to successfully navigate the chaos of a start-up, survived the dot-com boom and bust period, and eventually transformed itself to a stable and mature organization.

Dave Hitz notes that it was the core values adopted by the company that allowed it to survive and succeed - values that include candor, integrity, teamwork, and simplicity.

NetApp took on the business cycles by converting from a technology startup to an organization that intentionally created diversity amongst both it's products and customers.

There is more to be done - strategy and planning for growth in the future have to be developed. One of the tools used by Hitz in this process is that of visualizing “the future as history". He has found that by describing the future in the past tense, as well as the steps needed to get there, helps prepare the company and employees for the changes that are bound to occur.

Dave Hitz and James Lau founded NetApp in 1992, and as executive vice president, Hitz is responsible for the future strategy and direction of the company. Earlier, Hitz worked at Auspex Corporation and MIPS Computer. Before his career in IT, Hitz worked as a cowboy, getting valuable management experience by herding and branding cattle. He holds a BS in computer science and electrical engineering from Princeton University.

Format: DVD
Duration: 54 Minutes
2009
SV 1027-5 $95.00