What do YOU stand for?

I could also ask, “What does peanut butter have to do with Mike Wallace?”

Huh?!?

Bear with me…

And how does that effect the price of tea in China

Mike Wallace, one of the most pugnacious journalists to walk the planet, left a legacy when he died. He fought for justice…for what is right…and drove a red-hot poker into the eye of anyone who compromised worthy principles.

Jim Stengel, former global marketing officer at P&G and author of the book, Grow: How Ideals Power Growth and Profit at the World’s Greatest Companies, created the strategy that exploded Jif® peanut butter to record margins and market share. He did this by re-focusing P&G on the core values of their customer—kid’s mothers. Even more impressive was P&G’s growth when the global marketing strategy was re-focused on ‘improving people’s lives’. (See: http://www.strategy-business.com/article/00113)

Principles and values are riveting, to ourselves and others.

I once coached a high-potential manager who became self-conscious around a discerning CEO. The manager often edited her opinions in an attempt to impress the CEO, but her hesitation caused her to lose the CEO’s respect. By helping her remember what she stood for, in this case her passion for product quality, she became more outspoken. I’m not talking about philosophical values here, but deeply-held, personal values that twist your stomach when you see them violated.

It doesn’t matter whether you improve people’s lives, debate for quality, or engage employees’ passion. What matters is that you REMEMBER THAT YOU STAND FOR SOMETHING WORTHY. Too often we get caught up in the daily fray—pressures from others…administrative details…small thinking. But when we stand on a firm footing, our confidence and presence naturally emerge.

So, we have a few questions for you:

How often have you ruffled your boss’s feathers this year by standing on principle? (should be greater than zero)
How often did you challenge a peer to follow through on a commitment?
What will you fight for in a staff meeting this week?
When will you listen patiently to the concerns of your staff, who secretly want to be heard?
When will you take a long walk in the woods to remember what is important?

Source: Jeff Grip, Pinpoint Performance Blog, Witmer & Associates

Call a senior consultant with Ember Carriers at (513) 984-9333 for a free strategy session with one of our senior consultants.