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Technology Stocks : Compaq -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Andreas who wrote (56130)	4/9/1999 1:45:00 AM
From: Matt Meagh	Respond to of 97611

Andreas, I'm an infrequent poster (mainly a lurker) who has been a CPQ bull, but I feel you've hit the nail on the head. CPQ has made moves in the recent past which seem right: DEC/Alpha, AltaVista, direct sales, etc. , but I they seem to not be following thru for the shareholders. Long term this is a potential bargain, but for now I've sold, in hopes of some follow thru by management. I'm more and more of the opinion that they need some fresh blood in high level mgmt postitions. I haven't given up on the long term however, and hope for a mid-twenty buying opportunity for the long term - heck, high twenties doesn't seem that risky either (possibly dead money though). But short term , you're right they need some Viagra. Matt

To: Andreas who wrote (56130)	4/9/1999 6:08:00 AM
From: rupert1	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 97611

Andreas: "It's been a while since I posted....." No it isn't. You have made several posts recently. And remember when the dec purchase was supposed to add another 18 Billion in sales" No. DEC never had revenues of $18 billion in its entire existence.

To: Andreas who wrote (56130)	4/9/1999 10:27:00 AM
From: Loki	Read Replies (2) \| Respond to of 97611

Andreas and Thread...interesting points from Andreas. I do not have the inside knowledge to whom they apply at CPQ. What about Pesatori? Maybe someone else with insight can elaborate further. A very useful book on the subject….which I recommended to all my directors was: (read the text below it is very enlightening) Barbarians to Bureaucrats (Lawrence M. Miller - ISBN 0-517-57135-8) The seven stages of corporate life and leadership styles that dominate each stage are discussed in the book. "It is unlikely that any manager perfectly fits the description of one style. It is also unlikely that a company will fit perfectly into the description of one stage. We are more complex…..They are likely a blend of several, maybe in flux or in the process of change." Using a bell curve for The Corporate Life Cycle The vertical axis represents the health of the culture as measured by its ability to create new, and maintain present wealth. (culture be the backbone…the way we do things) The horizontal axis represent the maturing of a corporation over time. The Prophet: The visionary who creates the breakthrough and the human energy to propel the company forward. The Barbarian: The leader of crisis and conquest who commands the corporation on the march of rapid growth. The Builder and Explorer: The developer of the specialized skills and structures required for growth, who shift from command to collaboration. The Synergist: The leader who maintains the balance, who continues the forward motion of a large and complex structure by unifying and appreciating the diverse contributing of the Prophet, Barbarian, Builder, Explorer, and Administrator. (This is the top of the Bell Curve) The Administrator: The creator of the integrating system and structure, who shifts the focus from expansion to security. The Bureaucrat: The imposer of a tight grip of control, who crucifies and exiles new prophets and barbarians, assuring the loss of creativity and expansion. The Aristocrat: The inheritor of wealth, alienated from those who do productive work, who is the cause of rebellion and disintegration. A corporation must reengineer itself when it reaches the administrator stage. Certainly we can point to any company, with which we are involved either in business or as investors and often recognize the stages mentioned above. It is important to understand the character of the leader and the culture they create. For this reason I tried very hard to understand the character of Mr. Pfeiffer, when I first joined the thread in Jan. '98. Hpeace's comments were interesting but incomplete (now) for he has chosen not to be on the thread. His comments are therefore, static, were the situation has become extremely dynamic, making previous comments of less use. It would be interesting for me to hear opinions from the thread as to where CPQ fits on the Bell Curve; and if at the stage to reengineer themselves (Alta Vista, DEC, etc.), what is their progress. Loki