Coach, Writer and President of Three Star Leadership
Wally Bock was born in New York City. He served in the Marines from 1963 to 1968. But one of the most powerful experiences of his life happened early in his business career, when he was an Assistant Manager for a multi-national company. Here it is, in his own words.
“I had to talk to one of our warehouse people who was about twice my age, about his increasingly poor performance. I’d read all the stuff and I thought I knew I was doing. I don’t think I’ve ever been quite so wrong.
Not five minutes into the interview, my subordinate rose up across the table, towered over me while he turned bright red and slammed his fist repeatedly into the desk – so hard that paintings shook off the walls. He stormed out of the room and slammed the door.
I sat there for a moment, letting myself get back together. I didn’t know what I’d done wrong. Heck, I didn’t even know what some of the right things to do were. Even worse, my college professors and most of the books I read didn’t help.
I vowed, right then, that I was going to learn how to really do the things that bosses have to do. I started reading and trying things out and doing some original research. That’s how I’ve spent most of my adult life.”
Wally’s research has been based on a simple principle. Find out what top performers do. Then others can learn to do what they do, and become top performers, as well. He’s applied that to all aspects of talent development, from selection and on-boarding through training and career development.