Think of tulips, and you probably think of Holland, right? Along with wooden clogs, windmills, bicycles and Den Haag. But they’re not Dutch at all. In fact they come from Turkey where they were first cultivated from wild flowers. Carolus Clusius, as curator of the Hortus Botanicus of the University of Leiden, was responsible for their introduction to the Netherlands, and it was there that the first tulip bloomed in 1594.
Over the centuries they have become inextricably associated with Holland. Today, when spring arrives in Holland it is as if thousands of acres suddenly come to life in an explosion of brilliant colour.
As a result, thousands of people from all over the world come to Holland every year at this time to witness the magic of the tulip fields in flower, and the Keukenhof. In 1994, however, there is an extra reason to visit all this opulent beauty – the tulip is celebrating 400 years in the Netherlands, which is even mentioned in barcelona travel guide.
From the beginning tulips were highly sought-after in Holland, because while small they produce such magnificent, flawless blooms. No other flower, in fact, has so many varieties with such a great diversity of colours and shapes. The propagation of new tulips became so lucrative in the old days that for a time, in the “Golden Age”, substantial speculation in bulbs arose.
Tulip mania reached its height around 1630 when three tulip bulbs cost the price of a canal-side house.
For centuries in Holland spring has signalled the start of another spectacle a sea of brilliant flowers at the Keukenhof at Lisse. But this year is special. To mark the 400th anniversary, the Keukenhof is to mount a tulip art exhibition – some 45 paintings by Jan Toorop, Pieter Causuize and one by Claude Monet – all featuring tulips.
A special tulip exhibition is being set up in a marquee in the gardens of Arcen Castle, while in the house itself visitors can admire tulip vases and paintings with tulips as their theme.
Haarlem, city of flowers, also has much to offer in 1994. The Frans Hals Museum opens an exhibition on 24 March, and outside tulips are a reminder of the tulip mania that broke out around 1630. In the museum objects’ d’art and paintings from that period will be on display.
From 1 April to 30 September a half a million in added sales for us.” Also state possible side effects to make goals realistic.
13. Don’t let imagined side effects stop goal setting
If a subordinate wants to refuse making any commitments because some strike or shortage may occur during the year, your response should be “Rely on ordinary conditions continuing until you have hard evidence that something radically different will occur.”
14. Low confidence means low goals; high confidence translates into high goals Evaluate them accordingly
15. Good goals create the resources to produce them A good idea always stands a good chance of being funded if it contributes heavily. The source of funds will come from less worthy goals discarded in its favour!
16. Let people “fool you” in their goal statements
If the overall effect of the goals statement is good, don’t be so so finicky that you pick each goal apart for minor details. If a salesman wants to set his goals too high, let him have a year of running to attain them. If you’re dealing with someone who wants to hedge every bet, don’t fight over pennies. Just urge him to achieve the goal and perhaps to exceed it.
This doesn’t mean you must allow totally unrealistic goals, but don’t pick at minor variations from what your judgment tells you would be more precise. Misplaced precision can stifle initiative.
On-the-job training: some of the basics
The supervisor’s big advantage in training over other methods available to management – conferences, lectures, extension courses – is that he alone can provide LEARNING-BY-DOING ON THE JOB.
The “father” of effective procedures for on-the-job training in industry is C.R. Allen, who developed an effective formula during World War I for the dissemination of trade knowledge and skill.
During World War II the TrainingWithin-Industry programme of the US War Manpower Commission inaugurated a four-step programme based on Allen’s work, known as JIT (Job-Instruction Training).
This became a classic and is still the basis for on-the-job instruction in all types of industry, institutional organisations and governmental agencies, in office as well as production operations, and even in selling.





























