In the End, Any Organization Is Only as Good as Its People

Often in my presentations, I ask people whether they know that the Association I represent had its roots over 60 years ago in the microfilm business. I then proceed to talk about how our focus has always been about the management of unstructured information in the context of business processes, and then proceed to explain the migration from film to micrographics to images to documents to content.

Seldom has this rich history been closer to me than in the past week. Unfortunately, during the past week, we had the passing of Bud Granat and Frank McGovern. In their two lives, virtually the entire history of this organization and this industry can be traced.

They remind me that all of this association stuff is ultimately about people. People who care about their peers and customers, love their families, and are so generous with their time and talents. People I have been blessed to know.

Some comments about Bud that I heard over the past week...

We have all had certain individuals in our lives that were our mentors for personal or business reasons, and Bud was one that influenced many of us in our lives.  I will always remember in a group session the discussion of selling a product from “this company” or “that company” and Bud responded with a thought that sticks with me to this day.  “It’s not about the product, it’s all about the people you deal with in selling and supporting the product.”

There are so many things I remember about this wonderful man, most of all his joix de vivre and something he said to me once that went along the lines of, "You're the only person I know who can tell someone to go to Hell and have him looking forward to the trip."

Bud was indeed a grand man, never lacking for or shy about expressing an opinion but always dignified in the way he went about communicating it. I will always remember him as one of the most honorable men I have ever met.

Family man, hard worker, patriot, deeply involved in things that mattered to him and his family.

Some comments about Frank…

We should all have at least one epic story we can tell. Every year I knew Frank, we plied him with a cocktail and coaxed his “wedding story” out of him. It involved a multi-week vacation, a cross-continental drive, a mix-tape, a wedding (of course), and Colin Powell. It never disappointed.

When I got the chance to build a team at FileNet, there was only one guy I wanted to build a team around…Most of all, I will miss his friendship and his tremendous spirit. He was a good and humble man who was beloved by everyone who knew him.

It was an honor to have known Frank McGovern. He was a very knowledgeable professional in his field, always more than willing to share from his experiences and quick with a witty line.

Frank was a dedicated, consummate professional, a seasoned leader, an inspiring mentor, and a lovely gentleman. I'm lucky to have worked for him. His wit, patience, kindness, and love of family are sterling examples for all who knew him. 

Our prayers are with Bud and Frank and their families. They will be missed.