Herman Miller Quotes

“During most of the 20th century it was not only acceptable for businesses to make money at the expense of people, families, communities and the environment, it was fashionable. Business leaders were exalted on the covers of magazines for being tough, win-at-all-cost executives. Herman Miller was an outlier; it was even considered to be heretical by many traditional capitalists.”
― Michele Hunt, DreamMakers: Innovating for the Greater Good

“The company navigated with the core belief that people, communities and the environment all matter.”
― Michele Hunt, DreamMakers: Innovating for the Greater Good

“Herman Miller had the wisdom to tap into the collective gifts and creativity of the people in the company, its designers and its advisors, as well as the customers. This gave it a significant competitive edge and enabled it to prosper by innovating for the greater good.”
― Michele Hunt, DreamMakers: Innovating for the Greater Good

“Herman Miller was a place where people dreamed big dreams together.”
― Michele Hunt, DreamMakers: Innovating for the Greater Good

“It was a place where creativity was allowed to flourish, not just for the designers but for people in all jobs; innovation was the status quo.”
― Michele Hunt, DreamMakers: Innovating for the Greater Good

“What kind of culture and environment engenders this kind of ownership in someone who is on the bottom realm of the pay scale?”
― Michele Hunt, DreamMakers: Innovating for the Greater Good

“We had to garner the courage to renew and transform the company and we needed everyone’s help to get there.”
― Michele Hunt, DreamMakers: Innovating for the Greater Good

“Participative management and ownership was a very important principle and was at the heart of the process.”
― Michele Hunt, DreamMakers: Innovating for the Greater Good

“Now our vision and values looked like others you see on banners in corporate headquarters, in annual reports, and in marketing brochures; however, the difference was the process that got us there.”
― Michele Hunt, DreamMakers: Innovating for the Greater Good

“We engaged everyone in the company in the development of the vision and company values and then Max had the courage to liberate the people in the organization to make the changes.”
― Michele Hunt, DreamMakers: Innovating for the Greater Good

“Family, social, and environmental responsibility was the most revolutionary of all the values at the time, especially for a publicly traded Fortune 500 company. I was sure that these values would cause the toughest debates and hardest decisions among the leadership team; I was wrong. The team was very enaged and proud of these values. They helped us to see the inextricable connection between the company and people, families, communities, and the environment. We made courageous and radical decisions to align our policies and practices and behaviors with these important values.”
― Michele Hunt, DreamMakers: Innovating for the Greater Good

“We were not just encountable to shareholders-we were accountable to a myriad of interwoven stakeholders.”
― Michele Hunt, DreamMakers: Innovating for the Greater Good

“To become a leader at Herman Miller, we had to unlearn almost everything we had been taught is business school.”
― Michele Hunt, DreamMakers: Innovating for the Greater Good

“To become a leader at Herman Miller, we had to unlearn almost everything we had been taught at business school.”
― Michele Hunt, DreamMakers: Innovating for the Greater Good

“Herman Miller helped to prepare me for the transformative times we are living in today. I gained the experience and skills to contribute to the Business as an Agent for World Benefit movement, for which I am deeply grateful.”
― Michele Hunt, DreamMakers: Innovating for the Greater Good

“I experienced firsthand, a company that prospered by innovating for the greater good.”
― Michele Hunt, DreamMakers: Innovating for the Greater Good