The First P

The First P
On the way to the office the following morning,
with time to spare, Bob noticed that his gas gauge was
hovering dangerously close to “E.” I don’t know if I
can make it, he thought.
He pulled into the nearest gas station—the one
that also appeared to have the longest waiting line he
had seen in quite some time. He drummed his fingers
impatiently as he waited for an elderly couple to pay
for their gas and get a move on it.
At precisely 8:04 A.M., Bob the Perpetually Late
Manager parked in his reserved space, dashed into the
building, and headed straight for the CEO’s office. He
was greeted by a confident woman in her late twenties
to mid-thirties.
“Good to meet you, Bob.”
“Good to meet you, too,” he responded warmly.
The CEO wasted no time getting to the point.
“I’m sure you’re wondering what a Chief
Effectiveness Officer is.”
“Took the words right out of my mouth,” Bob
admitted.
“This is a position Dave and I created. He was
concerned about what he could do to help people
become good performers. He always felt that if he had
to choose between character and skills, he’d choose
character. He felt that it’s hard to teach people about
values; skills should be easier to teach. I was interested
in the same thing but realized that people with good
hearts sometimes have their heads screwed on wrong—
if you’ll pardon the expression. While they may have
servant hearts and good intentions, that is not reflected
in their performance. People they have worked with
over the years may have implanted some faulty thinking
in their heads about serving customers and working
with people. This faulty thinking prevents them from
making significant contributions to the success of our
business. As a result, their good character gets blocked
in their head and never gets played out in performance.
“My job as CEO is to help our good people get in
touch with what is really important, not only at work
but in life, so they can help themselves and others
win—and achieve the necessary goals.”
Bob wasn’t sure he wanted to ask the question
that was on his mind, but he decided he had to. “Are
you saying that we now practice some sort of religion
here . . . and that I have to convert to it?”
16 / The First P
The CEO smiled warmly. “No, it simply requires
reflection. We want you to think deeply about who you
are, why you want to be here, how you can contribute
in greater ways, and how your being here will enrich
your own life, our company’s success, and our
customers’ satisfaction. It will become increasingly
clear that our best people are those who understand
who they are. That’s because they take time to explore
their thoughts, feelings, dreams, and goals. Ultimately,
they come to realize that they can best achieve their
goals—as well as those of our company—by becoming
on-time, on-target individuals who make the most of
the seconds, minutes, and hours that make up their
days.”
These are certainly things I’ve never really
considered before, Bob thought as a clearly quizzical
expression crossed his face.
The CEO continued. “This is the stuff of high
principles, selfless actions, and life-changing attitudes.
This is what will make our people and our company
even more effective. You see, we firmly believe that
the best companies first and foremost help their
people become more than they ever aspired to be.
Everyone who leaves our company for another should
have more to offer their new employer than when
they started here.”
The First P / 17
Bob was fascinated by this refreshing point of
view . . . one that was completely new to the corporate
culture. Dave may have made a really good decision
with this CEO thing.
“Second, the best companies serve their
customers by delivering exactly what they promise—
and even more than promised. On time, at the agreedupon
price. Customers want what they want, when and
where they want it, with high quality at a fair price.
These are the principles we use to develop loyalty,
even when economic conditions are challenging.”
She continued, “Third, the best companies help
ensure their vendors’ survival. A supplier that isn’t
profitable may not be around to help us meet our own
objectives in the future. Of course we want the best
prices on raw materials. But we don’t want to beat up
our vendors. We want them to make a fair profit. And
we strive to pay them within their terms, rather than
the terms we would likely prefer to set on our own.”
“So the reason I’ve been put on probation rather
than being fired is to see if I can get and adopt this
positive philosophy?” Bob ventured.
“That’s it, Bob. The company has invested a lot in
you over the years. That makes you valuable here. I’m
sure you realize that we’re not in business to meet just
short-term goals. We’re in this for the long haul. We
want our company to survive—and to thrive—because
18 / The First P
then everyone wins on an ongoing basis. We can only
secure our future by meeting our customers’ needs;
by enlisting the support of our vendors; by treating
one another with respect, fairness, and honesty; and
by building an internal team of on-time achievers. We
don’t want any last-minute managers in this company.
If we achieve that goal, we won’t have any last-minute
employees, either.”
This has to be some sort of conspiracy, Bob
thought to himself as he digested the phrase “lastminute
manager” yet another time.
“What do I have to do to help the company reach
its objectives?” Bob asked with deep sincerity.
“Very simply, Bob, it’s best if all of us who work
here understand and subscribe to what I call the
‘Three P Strategy.’”
“Our HR Director mentioned the Three P thing,
but I admit I have no idea what she meant by it.”
“It’s really straightforward, Bob. As you know, we
are a player in a fast-moving industry. We don’t travel
in the slow lane. To avoid being a last-minute
company, we have to be in the right place at the right
time with the right solutions. For that reason, we have
to make certain that everyone in our company is on
the same team, playing the same game. Anyone who
doesn’t make decisions based on the Three P’s is going
to hurt us more than he or she helps us.”
The First P / 19
Bob’s curiosity was increasingly piqued. “What
are the Three P’s?”
The CEO paused for a moment. “I’m sorry, but I
can’t really answer that question.”
Bob the Bewildered Manager sat there in utter
silence, completely puzzled.
The CEO laughed. “I’m not trying to play games
with you. What I mean is that understanding the
Three P’s is a process, not merely a list or an answer to
a question. We’ll take one step at a time.”
“You’re going to tell me what the first P is then?”
“I sure am.”
The CEO pushed a small button on her desk and
the office became a whirlwind of technological activity.
The lights dimmed, a projection screen dropped out of
the ceiling, eerie music played from all directions, and
a video projector flashed a brilliant image onto the
screen. The image was a single word that moved and
danced, surrounded by a glowing halo effect. The word
was “Priority.” Suddenly, accompanied by stunning
sound effects, the word appeared to be burned and
chiseled into a stone tablet.
I had no idea we had this kind of high-tech stuff
here, Bob the Skeptical Manager thought. I thought
we were still in the world of whiteboards, Post-it notes,
and big tablets of paper on easels.
20 / The First P
As quickly as it had all happened, the image
disappeared, the music faded out, the screen
retracted, and the lights came back on.
“That’s it?” Bob asked. “The first P is ‘Priority’?”
“That’s it! Impressive, huh?”
“I doubt that I’ll ever forget it,” Bob admitted
with a sly grin.
“That’s the whole idea,” the CEO confirmed.
“The people who work here need to understand their
priorities. They can never, ever forget them.”
“So what are they?” Bob asked.
The CEO reached into her left desk drawer,
pulled out a nine-by-twelve-inch envelope, and
handed it to him.
“This is your homework for tonight. After dinner,
find someplace quiet and complete this questionnaire.
Then bring it back to me tomorrow, same time.”
“If I answer the questions correctly, will I be
taken off probation?” Bob asked candidly.
“There aren’t really any right or wrong answers,
Bob. There are only your answers,” the CEO declared
as she rose to her feet, obviously signaling the end of
the meeting.
Bob tucked the envelope under his arm, stood up,
and shook hands with the CEO. “I’ll see you
tomorrow.”