Not long ago, the President and CEO of Procter & Gamble, Robert McDonald, spoke in Salt Lake City. He’s a U of U alumnus, by the way. Several things he said stood out to me.
First point. “Choose the harder right instead of the easier wrong,” he stated. He applies that advice to the business world, as well as to his personal life. It’s a mantra that came from his Marine Corps training.
“Don’t treat others as you would want to be treated,” he noted, “Instead, treat them as they would want to be treated.” That’s a smart twist on an old piece of philosophy, and very applicable to interactions with my clients.
“Put the needs of the organization above yours. Your ambition should be for the company’s success, not your own,” was another pearl he offered. It’s a principle he practices and asks all those who work at P&G to practice. Here’s another principle to which he subscribes: “Leaders should clearly communicate their company’s goals and values, simply because people prefer to work for consistent leaders with vision, values and goals.” I hope I'm not guilty of being too quiet about such things.
He also said, “Organizations must renew themselves. Change is crucial. Diversity leads to innovation, so avoid becoming a homogenized organization.” (Sometimes the diversity thing is hard to do in Utah.)
And one last tidbit from Mr. McDonald that was interesting to me as business owner: “Make sure you have the right people on your bus, and in the right seats. My greatest regret is not adhering to this advice strictly enough.” I believe we have the right people on the Richter7 bus, but I hope they will speak up if they're uncomfortable with their role.
