The CEO of Charles Schwab Corp was asked what lessons did he learn in college? He said,“a business strategy course in my senior year stands out. I had maintained a 4.0 average, and I wanted to graduate with a perfect average. It came down to the final exam, and I had spent many hours studying and memorizing formulas to do calculations for the case studies. The teacher handed out the final exam, and it was on one piece of paper, which really surprised me because I figured it would be longer than that. Once everyone had their paper, he said, “Go ahead and turn it over.” Both sides were blank. And the professor said, “I’ve taught you everything I can teach you about business in the last 10 weeks, but the most important message, the most important question, is this: What’s the name of the lady who cleans this building?” And that had a powerful impact. It was the only test I ever failed, and I got the B I deserved. Her name was DOTTIE. I’d seen her, but I’d never taken the time to ask her name. I’ve tried to know every DOTTIE I’ve worked with ever since. It was a great reminder of what really matters in life, and that you should never lose sight of people who do the real work.”

Most people look for respect. To receive respect from other people you have to allow yourself to interact with others and be vulnerable. To gain respect you have to have empathy and understanding of others, and show respect. We work in a community, not for individual accomplishments, but a community that needs empathy and compassion. Respect is not an individual accomplishment but something that emerges from joined hearts and souls within groups. We need the courage to open up to others. Google found through their research that the best managers make time for one-on-one meetings, helping employees work through problems and taking an interest in their lives. By showing a vulnerability it is possible to build trust. Those who inspire trust possess warmth and competence. When values and beliefs are shared we form trust. That is culture. Then we are all working in the same direction, the culture of the organization lives. The next time you pass someone in the hall; stop, look them in the eye and ask them about their day. Ask them about their family. If you do not know them, ask; WHO ARE YOU?

Categories: Article Summary Philosophical Perspective

ron winnegrad

Ron Winnegrad has been a Perfumer and teacher for 46 years. As a perfumer, Ron has been able to express the world he sees through a rainbow of olfactive and emotive visions. As a teacher, Ron has helped others to see fragrance through his own multi sensorial lens.