I hope you have enjoyed reading my previous two posts as a brief overview of Dale Partridge’s book here and here.
While these reviews may be helpful they are not as powerful as owning your own copy. Visit Amazon to purchase a copy of People Over Profit by clicking here.
As we continue our look at Dale’s writings, I want to call our attention to his thoughts in Chapter 5 – People Matter. The focus of this chapter serves as a reminder to emphasize individuals more than the company or organization.
He gives us a glimpse into the success of Sevenly when he reveals a challenging time period when the tagline and focus of the company was in question. He stresses the importance of three points that his team used to find its center:
- Why did we start the company?
- Why are we passionate about our mission?
- Why do we give away money to charities rather than keeping it to ourselves?
Dale states directly, because he and his team “believe that people matter.” Have you ever asked yourself, What matters most to my organization? If not, it needs to be an agenda topic at your next team meeting. The answer to this question could be revealing about the output that is perceived by staff or customers. To take the discovery journey a step further, it is worthwhile to do a self-check before you walk through the doors of the meeting to ask yourself, Why am I a part of this company? If your honest answer is not one based on your key values, it may not be a good fit and may be time for you to exit. This does not mean quit your job today or provide your employer a two weeks notice by Friday of this week. However, it does mean that you obviously have a different focus than where you currently are.
I had to come to grips with this same belief about four years ago. I was working for a successful logistics company that was experiencing strong growth in strategic markets throughout the U.S. I was well-liked by everyone in the company. The CEO and I had a very respectful relationship. Yet, something was not right. I am not wired to work in the corporate sector. My purpose is to help develop the next generation. Thus, I had to leave the company and re-connect with my passion of working with students.
You may have a similar story. Don’t be afraid to move beyond your comforts and go where you believe your skill set, purpose and passion will be maximized.
As you ponder where you believe you can maximize your gifts to help people, I want to leave you with four points to help guide you from chapter five:
- People are valuable.
- No person is worth more than another.
- Every person deserves to be treated fairly and with respect.
- Organizations should be empathetic to all people they touch.
Hi, Dewitt. I am, in fact, “working for a company that puts people first.” That is because six years ago, I left traditional work to mentor teens and young adults, and to help families have new conversations — full time. And so the company I’ve chosen to work for … is me.
This idea that people matter is so important to me that several chapters of The Best Advice So Far are devoted to it specifically. I state it in various ways:
People are not props on the stage of “you.”
Treat people as people, not as obstacles to hurdle, machines to serve you, or background noise.
Focus on the person, not the problem.
But, however it’s worded, the concept and truth behind it are the same: people matter.
It’s funny. I published a post not long back called “the non-people,” which essentially questioned why we feel the need (or right) to be mean to and gossip about those in the spotlight. It turned out to be my most controversial post to date – which says something. Mainly, it reminded me that we have a ways to go yet.
Thanks for another important reminder to stay focused on what (or who ) matters.
Another great post, Dewitt. You bring out the point that should be at the core at all we say and do. And like Erik, I work for myself. So if I’m not putting people first, the only person I have to blame is myself. It is a constant checkup, and your post is just another great reminder about the importance of people.