Erle P. Halliburton

Erle P. Halliburton
A Story of Success
Lawrence Pope
Vice President
Human Resources and Operational Excellence
© 2007 Halliburton. All Rights Reserved.
Today, I want to talk to you about Erle P. Halliburton.
Erle Halliburton, the founder of the company that I
work for, had one goal in mind: to be successful.
What worked for Erle can work for you
Erle started his New Method Oil Well Cementing
Company with nothing but a couple of mules, a
wagon that he borrowed from a friend and a fierce
desire to make it all work. That kind of drive and
commitment will prove valuable to you as you make
your way through your chosen career.
© 2007 Halliburton. All Rights Reserved.
When Erle was 12, his father died, so he left home at
age 14 to help support the family. He learned to
operate a train locomotive and later a steam crane
on the Mississippi River. He was a salesman in New
York and ran a steam shovel in California.
Hard work won’t kill you
In other words, Erle never said “no” to hard work.
And he became a better man for it.
Success doesn’t happen overnight, so be prepared
to work for it, and never say “no” when someone
asks you to do a job – as long it’s the right thing to
do. No matter how small or meaningless the task
may seem at the time, chances are you’ll learn
something from it.
© 2007 Halliburton. All Rights Reserved.
Sometimes you have to take calculated risks
Things were tough for Erle in the early days, but he was committed to keeping his business afloat. With very little money coming in, Erle pawned
his wife’s wedding ring to make payroll for his few employees.
Good thing for Erle, his first big opportunity was soon to follow. But pawning his wife’s wedding ring and hoping to land work was a huge risk.
Find your passion, whatever it is, and follow it. Work hard, never stop learning and don’t be afraid to take a few calculated risks along the way.
© 2007 Halliburton. All Rights Reserved.
Today, scientists, chemists and engineers at Halliburton
continue to take ideas and make them better. The quest to
create better, cleaner, more efficient products and services is
our ultimate goal.
Take an idea and make it better
To be successful in this business, you must continually search
for ways to not just compete, but to stay one step ahead of the
competition.
Our chief chemist holds more than 160 patents. When asked
recently how he continues to come up with ideas for new
products, he said, “Not all of our ideas are for new products.
Most of them, in fact, are ideas to improve upon products that
we already make. We’re always looking for ways to make the
products that we have better, more efficient, greener and more
cost-effective.”
© 2007 Halliburton. All Rights Reserved.
Don’t wait to be told what to do. Ask for something to
do. Solving problems and taking initiative are the
best ways to stand out from the crowd.
Be proactive
© 2007 Halliburton. All Rights Reserved.
Learn all you can about the industry. Learn all you
can about the company you work for. You won’t
learn everything you need to know in the new
employee brochure. Talk to people in other
departments. Talk to clients and vendors. Search the
Internet and the intranet. Read press releases and
trade publications.
Do your homework
© 2007 Halliburton. All Rights Reserved.
It’s often been said that time is money, so if that’s the
case, we need to take better care of the time we are
allotted. A strong desire to put in an honest day’s
work is a trait that any employer would like to see in
his or her workers. Just as important, we all need
time to relax and enjoy our time with family and
friends.
Strike a balance between work and life
Never forget to have some fun! It generally translates
into increased productivity, increased employee
morale and decreased turnover.
© 2007 Halliburton. All Rights Reserved.
Ideas are wonderful, but if you don’t
work hard to implement them, it’s as
if you never had the idea at all.
Think way outside the box
Throughout his life, Erle Halliburton
continued to seek improvements,
better methods and new services.
But, he also invented some things
that had nothing to do with the oil
field: aluminum luggage, a portable
breathing machine.
He even started his own airline.
Did he ever fail? Sure he did, but that
didn’t stop him from trying new
things. It shouldn’t stop you, either.
© 2007 Halliburton. All Rights Reserved.
Make ethical behavior the cornerstone
of your career.
From day one, act with honesty and
integrity in all your daily business
dealings. Your customers will value
these traits. It’ll make your company
a better place in which to work and it’ll
make you a better person.
Never compromise your integrity
© 2007 Halliburton. All Rights Reserved.
Halliburton is one of the world's largest providers of products
and services to the energy industry, with nearly 50,000
employees in approximately 70 countries.
Be responsible, and wipe your feet
Around the globe, our employees are committed to the
economic, social and environmental welfare of the communities
where we live and work.
And now, more than ever, it’s important that we all leave a clean
footprint wherever we work. No matter what career you
ultimately choose, you’ll have plenty of opportunities to do your
part toward making the world a better place.
© 2007 Halliburton. All Rights Reserved.
As vice president of Human
Resources and Operational
Excellence, I follow the
example that Erle set for all
of us.
Make your own checklist for success
Every day, I keep in mind the
principles and work ethic of
our company’s founder, and I
encourage all of you to do the
same. This recipe for
success has been proven to
work throughout the decades,
by Erle P. and by other
successful leaders in the
energy industry.
It’ll work for you, too.
© 2007 Halliburton. All Rights Reserved.
© 2007 Halliburton. All Rights Reserved.
Erle P. Halliburton
A Story of Success
Lawrence Pope
Vice President
Human Resources and Operational Excellence
© 2007 Halliburton. All Rights Reserved.