Skip to content

Business Quote by Thomas J. Watson

“Recently, I was asked if I was going to fire an employee who made a mistake that cost the company $600,000. No, I replied, I just spent $600,000 training him. Why would I want somebody to hire his experience?” quote by Thomas J. Watson
Download Open image
“Recently, I was asked if I was going to fire an employee who made a mistake that cost the company $600,000. No, I replied, I just spent $600,000 training him. Why would I want somebody to hire his experience?”

Thomas J. Watson

About This Quote

Source Interview: Business Leadership Talk, 1950s

A manager invests heavily in training rather than firing, valuing experience over immediate cost.

In simple terms: Invest in people, not just profit.

Key Takeaway

Prioritize employee development.

Themes

leadership training cost management

Mood

reflective pragmatic

Type

advice leadership

When to use this quote

  • HR decisions
  • budget planning
  • team building

Key Concepts

human capital learning investment

Questions to Reflect On

  • How can you balance training costs with risk?
  • What metrics show training ROI?
A Different Perspective

Training may not guarantee future performance.

2.9 out of 5 (6 ratings)

More by Thomas J. Watson

Explore all 26 Thomas J. Watson quotes

More Business quotes

Browse all 39,016 Business quotes