Reading Reflection No. 3

Grinding it Out: The Making of McDonalds by Ray Kroc

      This was a very interesting read, and it was actually my second choice behind Steve Jobs, which is what I wrote about for my first reflection. The making of McDonalds is a huge deal for America, and it is a place where all of us have gone to, or still go to as college students trying to save a little bit of money. It surprise me that the two titans of industry who created McDonalds didn't see eye to eye on many things, and that despite these issues the company continued to run like a well oiled machine. I admired that Ray Kroc was so driven to complete his goals, however I wasn't impressed with how he let it effect his personal life the way it did, especially with his business partner. This relationship between Ray and Harry was extremely controversial, however Ray was able to keep a sound mind through all of this, take control, and turn this company into what it is today.
     The core competencies that Ray showed were ones of determination. He was never afraid to go after something, whether it be a networking connection, a business idea, or a controversial decision he was forced to make. Because of this value, he was able to push away he competitors and people that were dragging him down so that the business would be the most successful he could make it. Although this came at a price, by loosing family members, close friends, and even his wife, whom he left for another married women. The point of this competency, whether it be good or bad, is that he didn't let anyone get in his way.
    Nothing was really confusing to me about this reading. The only thing that I could think of that made me raise my eyebrows were that fact that Ray and Harry were trying to work on two different aspects of the business, meaning hamburgers and real estate, but for some reason when they jumped the line to help each other their personalities didn't let them take advice from each other. This made for a very sticky situation for years to come.
      If I had two questions for Kroc, I would ask him if he would ever consider making these meals healthier for the general public so that we don't have an obesity crisis, and I would also ask how they found the supplier for their famous french fries. The fries are still delicious and I crave them every week. McDonalds actually announced this week that they were getting rid of their artificial preserves in their chicken nuggets. I would really like to ask him about this because I don't think the foresaw the issues with what their burgers would cause for people who sometimes don't have a lot of self control...... like myself.
    I would like to think Kroc worked so hard throughout his career that he may have forgotten what wasn't hard work. This is how I want to be someday with whatever I get myself into. I feel like the harder you work, the more normal it feels to have the drive that he had from day to day. College has really brought out this aspect in me, and I am looking forward to continue working hard when I earn my degree and start my career.