I published this article about The Platinum Rule (TPR) over a year ago. The response I keep receiving merits a part two. As a refresher, you’ve probably heard of The Golden Rule (TGR). It says, “Treat others the way you want to be treated.” The next progression of this philosophy is The Platinum Rule (TPR). It says, “Treat others the way they want to be treated.” For example, if I followed TGR, I’d never give anyone a gift card to a restaurant because I don’t want to receive gift cards to restaurants. (Eating at restaurants is a minefield for this diabetic.) Following TPR, if my goal is to celebrate someone, then I should give them something they like, no matter how I feel about it.
In his book, How to Win Friends and Influence People, Dale Carnegie wrote, “Personally I am very fond of strawberries and cream, but I have found that for some strange reason, fish prefer worms. So when I went fishing, I didn’t think about what I wanted. I thought about what they wanted. I didn’t bait the hook with strawberries and cream. Rather, I dangled a worm or grasshopper in front of the fish and said: ‘Wouldn’t you like to have that?’”
Culture Creator
Employers would be wise to apply Mr. Carnegie’s logic to their workforce. In this movement dubbed The Great Resignation, we have moved on to the Great Reevaluation. The workforce is thinking really hard about the priority their jobs have in their lives. If they are currently dissatisfied with their situation, there are plenty of options from which to choose. The need for employees is so desperate that if employers want to both attract talent and retain it, they’d be wise to consider TPR instead of TGR. For example, if you are a Founder/CEO/President of a small business, then no one loves that company more than you do. It is on your mind 24/7/365. As the leader, your example sets the culture of your company. If you send emails at 10:07PM, then the employee who receives it thinks they have to get out of bed and respond. If you call from your car while dropping your son off at his play rehearsal, then the employee who answers feels like they have to stop making dinner to talk to you. If you review quarterly reports during your daughter’s swim practice, then the employee you texted questioning last month’s lagging sales feels like they have to pause their workout to reply. Your behavior sets a standard of being on-call all the time. Eventually you will burn out both yourself and your workforce. Once your company has this reputation, it’s difficult both to retain current employees and hire new ones.
Lead by Example
You can say that employees don’t have to reply right away, but your behavior gives the impression that an employee who cares about career growth with your company will be responsive. Your words whisper, but your actions shout. Thinking about work is actually work. It is invisible unpaid work that you create for your employees when you habitually cross their boundaries. Define what your business hours are. Set reasonable communication boundaries for both before and after those hours. Respect those boundaries. That is an effective use of the TPR.
What does your company do to apply The Platinum Rule to employees? Please share in the comments.