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As a manager, you will invariably face situations in which your resources - both monetary
and human - seem inadequate. In some cases, as in High Noon, you might find the
spirit of your people, rather than their abilities, to be the thing that's lacking. In High
Noon, on the other hand, Gary Cooper finds he's taken a job in which he's ultimately
expected to do it all, relieving his bosses, the townspeople, of any responsibility for
peace and safety in their community. Oh sure, they're on board when there's no trouble;
but when trouble does arise and those Miller boys are coming to get Coop, he's suddenly
standing all alone with everyone else saying "not my job, man." At the end
of the movie, Coop throws down his medal - his badge - in disgust. No one ever said being
boss was easy.
Guide opening:
It hasn't been a business-as-usual day. You got married, announced your retirement and
learned that an old "gun-slinger" rival is coming after your company because he
wants to get back at you for fouling up his career. It's going to be an event-filled 24
hours, but you start out confidant you can get through. After all, this is your company!
You've built it up, protected its people, and helped it get and keep on its feet.
Now, surely, you can count on the employees to help you out. Whoops! Wrong assumption.
This company seems to be an ESOP. Those friendly employees are actually your bosses, and
they've hired you to take the heat - especially heat that's all being generated because of
actions you took years ago. Sure you took those actions to protect them and their
holdings, but. . . that was then and this is now.
Summary of the commentary:
High Noon offers a nice contrast to Zulu [see MGTTM Study Guide 13]. The
limited resources in Zulu are physical: lack of men, lack of ammunition, lack of
water. In High Noon the limited resources are spiritual and psychological - and very
similar to situations faced routinely by modern managers. Cooper knows what he has to do,
but his new wife isn't supportive. She wants him to ride away, leaving his self-respect
along with his job. The frightened townspeople won't support him and their ingratitude for
his past efforts on their behalf is both astonishing and stinging. Unlike the Rorke's
Drift defenders of Zulu, Cooper has to face only three gunmen. The town is well
supplied with guns, potential defenders and ammunition. The people, however, lack
guts, gratitude and any sense of responsibility to their retiring boss. If he weren't
retiring anyway, you can be sure they'd have fired him as soon as the Miller Gang
announced its coming. These "limited resources" of corporate soul can be far
more devastating to organizational success than shortages of money and material.

The commentary is supplemented by BREAKOUT BOXES
dealing with these topics:
 |
Prefer Your Horse Operas in Outer
Space? Try Outland! |
 |
The CEO as Hero: Opposing Views |
 |
What's Your CSQ? (Corporate Soul
Quotient) |
 |
Knowing When to Hold 'em, Fold 'em or Walk Away |

THE GUIDE also includes an essay that looks at business as depicted in
the movies. For an introductory section on how to use the Management Goes to
the Movies program, click through to Using The MGTTM Training Program.
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