First things first, this post is in no way bashing other automobile manufacturers. My father [and mother-in-law] worked for General Motors for over 30 years and honorably retired without being forced out or slighted due to poor management. I will forever be greatful to him and his great work ethic and the company that provided the best of benefits to our family. This post is, however, celebrating the smart decisions that Ford and its president, Alan Mulally, have made since 2006 when Mulally was hired as CEO.
I have never lead a Fortune 500 company, but I have been in leadership positions. I know for a fact that in order to lead a team, you first want to get them all on the same page, on your page. If you have too many people to do so, you influence the decision-makers — they’ll take care of the rest. Alan Mulally did just that. He wrote a new corporate mission statement, placed it on plastic cards, and passed it out to the necessary employees. Moreover, he gets to work earlier and works longer than most CEOs of his stature. And the most newsworthy thing is that, unlike the other American motor companies, Ford has enough economic stability to withstand the economic downturn, because of Mulally’s decisions, and chose not take the government bailout money that the others have taken.
Mulally seems to know what it takes to build strong brands and an even stronger company to back them. Before General Motors terminated some of its divisions, Mulally decided to sale Jaguar, Land Rover, and Volvo (pending, I believe) and let Mercury dissolve so that he and the rest of the company could focus on the more important Ford and Lincoln brands. My favorite thing he ever said, after finding out that the Taurus had been phased out, was, “Well, you’ve got until tomorrow to find a vehicle to put the Taurus name on because that’s why I’m here. Then you have two years to make the coolest vehicle that you can possibly make.” On top of that, he has moved to consolidate many of Ford’s global automotive platforms and eliminate unnecessary available options offered to the car buyer. That’s what I call a decision-maker! Now only if they could just capitalized on this and get America on their side.
This is the time for Ford to make known to the public that they didn’t take the bailout, that they will strongly compete with foreign car companies, mainly Toyota, and that they plan on being around for a long time. Ford should change their US slogan from “Ford. Bold moves.” or “Built for the road ahead.” or even “Built Ford Tough” to something that communicates that they are the American motor company with Americans in mind. In concordance, to send the message that they do actually build “Ford Tough” products, Ford should offer its car buyers a better “America’s Best Warranty” than Hyundai — one that has unlimited miles and 15 years worth of powertrain protection. CEO Mulally is a obviously wise man and I am sure that given the time he will instill in America trust in his company. Whether it’s with a new slogan or CEO-focused, Sprint-like commercials, Ford’s image will be revamped and the company will prevail.
