Many smart entrepreneurs have philosophies that assist them in achieving their vision. One of my former employers coined the phrase “People, Product and Profit” meaning if you get the people right, they will create a great product that will generate lots of profit. Marcus Lemonis from CNBC “The Profit” has a similar mantra, “People, Product and Process.” Lemonis believes that a business fails due to a lack in quality of one or more of these three things that he considers essential.
While I agree with both of these business principles, the “Three Ps” means something different to me and I believe that continuing to invest in these three P’s has greatly contributed to my business success.
People
Like the two individuals mentioned above I believe that people make the biggest difference in any organization. Whether you are selling FroYo or the latest Google innovation the interaction that your employees have with your customers can make or break the most capable company. Consider both your internal and your external customers when thinking about the interactions your employees have as well. Often times I see people that are dynamic, thoughtful, relationship builders to their external customers but are the proverbial bull in the china shop inside their employers’ office.
Passion
People are passionate about different things and quite often they think they are passionate about earning money. I have been blessed to have jobs that paid well and some that paid not as well but what continues to prove true is that money makes no difference in my happiness.
What truly makes me happy is working with passionate people that are passionate about working on the projects that they love. You see this passion come to life when you talk to a barista about pour over coffee at a hipster café or a programmer that is trying to hack the latest Android application. No amount of money or fringe benefits can buy this type of passion regardless of how hard a person tries to fake it.
Purpose
When an employee is clear on their purpose and how being on purpose contributes to the company as a whole the organization can do great things. For years I worked along side a very smart and talented young lady that was very clear that her purpose was to provide excellent customer service to her internal customers and ensure that they arrived safely at their destination with a clean hotel room to sleep in. She did this while also knowing how her decisions to spend money responsibly contributed to the health of the organization. By being clear on her purpose in our organization as well as being confident in the importance of that responsibility she quickly became one of our best employees (not to mention one of my favorites as well).
As I travel through life’s journey I now know that I want to surround myself with great people that are passionate about living their purpose and that is why my goal is to surround myself with as many of these driven individuals as possible and, when possible, help other passionate people realize their purpose. It has taken me years to become clear on my personal purpose and define my third P. If you are in a similar place as I was a few years ago, please let me know how I can help you find and live your purpose.
