I’ve been
reminded lately of the Platinum Rule.
Above and beyond the Golden
Rule of “do unto others as you would have them do unto you,” the
Platinum Rule reminds us that it’s even better to “do unto others as they would want
done unto them." Not what you would want, but what they would
want.
I’ve recently
worked on a project where the motivations for participants were quite varied
and, in some cases, very different from mine. The project leader, recognising
this, did a great job making sure we all felt valued.
She gave us
small gifts for participating and treated us to a special celebration of
success. These are things I didn’t particularly need, but some of the other
team members did. And these weren’t offensive to me or otherwise de-motivating,
so it was the right thing to do for the benefit of the whole team.
However, on
another recent project where I was the team lead, I forgot to think through the
best way to value each team member and, frankly, I treated them all by the
Golden Rule — as I would expect to be treated. I did NOT follow the
Platinum Rule, and it didn’t work out very well. I didn’t bring my
customary A-game.
How many times
do we treat our employees or others we work or volunteer with as we would want
instead of how they would want?
To be clear, I
don’t believe we need to overthink every little action or interaction, but I do
advise that we consider the driving forces for each of our team members and do
our best to enable each one to feel valued. I’m always amazed how much I’ve
learned (then forgotten) to use. So please take a lesson from me and use the
Platinum Rule. I think you’ll like the results.
In Summary
• Reconsider the Golden Rule: Do unto others as you
would have them do unto you.
• Apply the Platinum Rule: Do unto others as they would
want done unto them.
• Different people have different motivations, so they
will feel most valued when you use the Platinum Rule.
I hope this helps your
business be outstanding.
One more thing before
you go......I would like you to do one important thing for me - spread the word
about this article.
That is all -
David
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