The Golden Rule, Ownership Thinking & Be Positive 

Recently, I wrote about how in 2011 I sat down and with the help of my leadership team created our Mission, Vision, 5 Guiding Principles, and Core Values. I did this in order to ensure the company continues on a path consistent with my beliefs. Essentially it was a set of ethical guidelines. Below are the core values at Pro Food Systems (PFSbrands).

PFSbrands Core Values 

  1. Have fun
  2. Always treat others as you want to be treated
  3. Practice ‘ownership thinking’
  4. Positive ATTITUDE always
  5. I – There’s no I in TEAM
  6. No complaining
  7. Entitlements do not exist
  8. Structure & balance – God, family, work, and everything else
  9. Straight talk and Simple is better
  10. Remember that the customer is why we are here
  11. U never get a 2nd chance to make a 1st impression
  12. Learn to communicate openly through all channels
  13. Everyone has the opportunity to excel

If you follow the first letters down, you will notice that our core values spell out HAPPINESS RULE.  As we all live and work by these core values I guarantee you that our work will be more fun and more rewarding.  I’ve already broken down the first rule “Have Fun” and below you will see rules 2 through 4: Always treat other as you want to be treated, practice ownership thinking, positive attitude always.

1. Have Fun

2. Always Treat Others as You Want to be Treated

The GOLDEN RULE!  Many of you learned or were at least aware of the golden rule as a child growing up.  Another way to say this is: “Always treat others as THEY want to be treated”. There is not much that can be expanded upon here because the rule is simple and clearly stated. Always reflect back on this core value anytime you feel the need to jump all over someone. If you happen to break the golden rule, be sure to make amends by apologizing to the person you treated unfairly. Remember, these rules are especially important when working with your teammates (co-workers). Always approach your teammates in a respectable manner regardless of the circumstances.

3. Practice Ownership Thinking

I could write a book on this entire subject and I may try to tackle that project later in life.  In the meantime, check out Brad Ham’s book entitled: “Ownership Thinking”.  To summarize my idea of ownership thinking briefly: ownership thinking is focusing on the bottom line profitability of the company and taking care of your employees and customers. While successful companies know that these are closely related, make no mistake about it, one cannot happen without the other. A company MUST be profitable and create positive cash flow in order for an owner to take care of his or her employees. If everyone within the company thinks like an owner and focuses on ways to be more profitable, and the owner is committed to taking care of his or her employees, everyone has tremendous opportunities to excel.

4. Positive Attitude Always

Take a step back and consider some of the most successful people you know. I guarantee you that most of these successful people carry a positive attitude, always remain optimistic, and have a never quit personality. As Americans we are all fortunate to be protected by those serving in the United States military.  At the top of the list many would say are the US Navy Seals. This is a unique group of individuals that are both mentally and physically tough, extremely intelligent, and always carry a positive can-do attitude.  Do you want negative people protecting your life and freedoms? Not only are these Navy Seals unique as individuals, they also understand the importance of operating as a unit and team.

At PFS we aspire to recruit, hire, and retain ‘A’ players. These ‘A’ players want to succeed, want to perform well, and in general aspire to do a good job and constantly excel. This doesn’t mean that these people don’t make mistakes, mistakes are part of being human. The difference between ‘A’ players and others is that ‘A’ players learn from their mistakes and take corrective actions to make sure the mistakes don’t happen again. ‘A’ players are forward thinking and positive by nature. ‘A’ players are not always interested in advancement or management type positions but they do want to be the best at their job and they take pride in making positive contributions to the company. Anyone can be or become an ‘A’ player. It simply revolves around having a positive attitude along with a desire to improve.

Wrap-Up

As you can see these aren’t merely a set of rules on how to run a business, they are a set of rules on how to conduct your life and be more successful. Treat others well, have fun and stay positive and your life will be more rewarding!

Come back next time for more of the PFSbrands Core Values HAPPINESS RULE.