20th Century Socrates

Image courtesy of the Shingo Institute, Jon M. Huntsman School of Business, Utah State University

Above is a snippet of what showed up in my inbox this morning. I did not include all the text as Ross was prolific over his career.

I first met Ross as a fledgling young non-traditional, re-entry student at the Jon M. Huntsman School of Business. There was no #ShingoInstitute at the time and the highly esteemed #ShingoPrize was managed under the auspices of the #PartnersInBusiness program.

Partners In Business has since been dissolved as its mission was eclipsed by the mission of the Shingo Institute. I was studying Operations Management as a concurrently matriculated student (BA/MBA), which had been granted me through the encouragement and sponsorship of Ross.

Several years later, after graduating, upon learning I had authored a published book, Ross sought me out to speak at a Partners In Business #symposium regarding the topic of my book. I was honored and once at the #USU campus, we had a chance to catch up and talk about what we both were doing. It was as if we had seen each other just the day before.

We loosely stayed in contact over the years. You know how those things go. But I will always remember the impression he had on me. His kindness, encouragement, willingness to challenge any paradigm he viewed as stagnant. He was a huge influence on where I am now, having started a #business that is a #Shingo Institute Licensed Affiliate, and carrying on the work he loved, i.e., helping organizations and individuals within them to challenge themselves to relentlessly pursue excellence.

What comes around, goes around.

Even as I write this, I look at the bookshelf to my left and see neatly arranged in chronological order, his published, hardbound works.

To the #family, #friends and #colleagues of Dr. Ross E Robson: may the poignancy of your loss be eclipsed by the memory of a life well lived, and which has had a deep impression and influence on at least one student under his wise and #Socratic tutelage.

He will be missed.