I've noticed that I'm getting a lot of hits to my blog via my LinkedIn website. They are probably wondering why my blog topics are so random and not "business related". Well folks, there's a lot more to Ryan Hartberg than selling a boat load of trash cans. I'm a complex man in a complex world, or something like that. Anyway, something "business related" recent caught my attention, and I think its something worth repeating and spreading around.
My brother David, who is a very successful businessman and strong leader, lent me the book Nothing to Fear: Lessons in Leadership from FDR by Alan Axelrod. I haven't yet finished the book, but one of the very early "entries" really hit home with me. The title of the entry is "What's Worth Winning" and the accompanying quote from FDR was, "A selfish victory is always destined to be an ultimate defeat." Axelrod begins by challenging the idea that for every winner there must be a loser and for every gain on one side there must be a loss on the other side. In business this does not necessarily be true - companies can trade value for value - although, unfortunately it can be true if both parties in a transaction aren't on the same page.
Being in sales, it made me realize that it is important to make sure all of my relationships, techniques, and arrangements have integrity and insure future success on my part as well as my client's part. In my industry (waste hauling/removal), the transaction is money for service. In theory, the exchange is even - or at least perceived as even; though that quantity may change for individual clients. If I take advantage of my client by 1) overcharging them for a service or 2) underservicing them based on their price, then I am doing my client a great disservice. Similarly if my client 1) refuses to pay its bill or 2) demands that my company repeatedly go above and beyond its agreed upon terms for the price (always requiring extra service and time, etc), then my company would lose money. In either case, over time - especially if every transaction is similarly inequitable - one or both of the companies could/would go out of business.
Axelrod ends with,
In other words, it doesn't do any good to take advantage of another company; we should want all clients to be successful so that they can continue to be our clients. And we should not want to take advantage of our vendors, because we would want out vendors to be successful and continue to be our vendors. This mentality breeds long-term relationships. The alternative is a series of burns and short-term, non-trusting relationships in which everyone loses."A selfish victory, a one-sided 'bargain,' is necessarily a dead end, whereas a victory for all concerned, a transaction in which true value is exchanged for true value, necessarily leads to additional victories of this kind."
1 comment:
Thanks for the nice comments.
Here's my latest thing at work, trying to find balance for our leaders and their employees. We've got a few employee situations that need resolving, and so I've used the 50/50 speech. I feel 50% of our action in any given situation as leaders must be business focused, sometimes viewed as harsh, unrelenting and cold. It is to get to the bottom line. The other 50% of our action as leaders should be compasssionate, reasonable and understanding that life is just as important as work. If we move or are led to a 30/70 split in our dealings as leaders, i.e more "people caring", then the organization does not get done what it needs to as we become too understanding, miss deadlines, make costly mistakes and don't have people doing the work they are paid to do, and possibly even get taken advantage of. Likewise, if we move to a 70/30 split we may get things done out of fear for termination if they don't, but we will lose the soul of the organziation and it will become a uncomfortable workplace where no one will want to or be able to work to their full potential.
My other mantra, "unable" and "unwilling" get you a ticket out of the organization.
I'll bookmark the blog and try to check back weekly.
DJH
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