The Second P

The Second P
Bob, the good news is, there is a way—that’s
powerful and effective—to decide among the various
options that confront us. There is a way to know what
to do and when to do it. There’s a way to get our
priorities in order. That’s the secret of the second P.”
The CEO pushed her magic button and again the
lights dimmed. The projection screen dropped,
ethereal music began to play, and a single word
flashed onto the screen. It quickly exploded to life
and, accompanied by sound effects, was chiseled onto
a stone tablet.
I’m beginning to detect a pattern here, Bob
decided as the word became etched in stone.
“Propriety.”
“That’s the second P,” the CEO announced with a
healthy dose of pride. “Any questions?”
Bob hesitated. “Only one. What does it mean?”
“Do you want my definition . . . or Webster’s?”
“Let’s start with Webster’s.”
The CEO didn’t have to look it up in the
dictionary. This definition was solidly embedded in
her mind. “There are three components. First, it
means ‘the quality or state of being proper or suitable.’
Second, it means ‘correctness of behavior or morals.’
Finally, it means ‘conformity with accepted
standards.’”
“That’s pretty much what I thought it meant, but
I have to tell you something candidly. I don’t think I’ve
used that word in years. Maybe I’ve never used it. It
seems so old-fashioned. Out-of-date. Prudish. Like
something from the Victorian era.”
Through her laughter, the CEO admitted,
“You’re right, Bob. It is old-fashioned. I can’t
remember my parents using the word even once as I
was growing up. But I can’t think of one other word—
let alone a ‘P’ word—that means exactly what
‘propriety’ means. The word itself may be kind of
snooty and out-of-date, but the concepts it represents
are very current and extremely vital.”
Bob pondered her words, then suggested, “I
imagine there’s some kind of test that goes along with
this.”
“Actually, no. But I do have a little handout for
you to contemplate when you get home.” The CEO
gave Bob another nine-by-twelve envelope. “This is
our company’s brand-new ‘Bill of Rights.’ There are
42 / The Second P
seven points. They define what ‘propriety’ will mean
to us from now on. And every on-time, on-target
manager in our company will adhere to them strictly
in order to be successful and produce high quality
work. Study them tonight, and tomorrow we’ll talk
about them. Same time, okay?”
“Sounds great! I’ll be here,” Bob said. But as he
packed up his computer and PDA at the end of the
day, he thought, I wonder if there’s any chance
everyone in this company is going to buy into this
program.