Page 96 - MY STORY

CHARLIE H

All of us that worked in large corporations have had to

experience the variety of management capabilities and
styles of those chosen to be our leader. Since they are

mere mortals, they come with attributes and shortcomings
that can range from a high fount of learning to a low of
anger or despair coupled with a serious need for damage
control.

Charlie H was head of the Materials and Processes

Department when I rejoined Douglas in 1960 (I
mentioned him earlier in the story about dimpling
titanium when he was chief of Production Design).

Charlie H was a pretty tough guy to work for. He was not
afraid to openly express anger, was not the least bit
concerned about openly, and loudly, “chewing out” any

of us that fell short of his expectations, conducted poorly
executed efforts, allowed him to make mistakes when he
briefed his management or tried to bluff their way into

being self-styled experts in their technology. My desk
was close enough to his office to allow me to hear some
of the tirades that might escape into the ether through his

open door.