Whiting Williams

"In studying workers, we study ourselves."

"The factory teaches what philosophy debates—the nature of human motivation."

"A worker's creativity emerges only when he feels secure and respected."

"The manager who learns from those he manages becomes truly wise."

"Industrial success is ultimately moral success."

"The voice of the worker, when listened to, often contains solutions to seemingly intractable problems."

"Treating people well is not kindness—it is good business."

"The measure of a civilization is how it values and treats those who do its work."

"Understanding workers requires the humility to admit you don't already know."

"A workplace where people matter produces better results than one where only numbers matter."

"The future belongs to organizations that see workers as people first, resources second."

"In human relations lies the secret to every business problem."

"The worker's hope is the organization's most renewable resource."

"To improve production, first improve the conditions of those who produce."

"The synthesis of management science and human understanding creates true leadership."

"A worker's best effort comes when he believes in the value of his work."

"The observer of human nature in industry becomes a student of life itself."

"Progress in industry requires progress in how we think about human worth."

"Every worker contains potential that poor management will never discover."

"The strength of an economy lies in the dignity it provides to workers."

"Understanding is the bridge between conflict and cooperation."

"The worker who feels exploited gives only what he must; the worker who feels valued gives his all."

"In the modern world, those who understand human nature will lead."

"The most productive workplace is one where people want to be present."

"Labor is not merely an economic transaction; it is a human relationship."

"The foundation of good management is good observation."

"Where workers are seen as problems to be managed, organizations decline; where they are seen as people to be understood, they flourish."

"The worker who understands why he works is the worker who works best."

"Industrial democracy begins when men understand that labor is not a commodity but a human activity."

"We learn more from those who challenge us than from those who merely agree."