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I dropped in on a CEO the other day. We talked about the lessons we had learnt about turning around non-performing companies.
We chatted about how it was so much about reinforcing values. About upholding standards of cleanliness, everyone pitching in, opening up communications between people, creating safe environments so people have the confidence to speak up, building trust, bringing discipline to operations, customer service, sales and marketing, engineering and technology development.
I noticed he had a number of Summer interns working for him. I asked him if they were paid. Before he could answer, I explained why I asked.
It reminded me of a conversation around a board table many years ago. The discussion was about whether interns should be paid as we had noticed that there was a growing trend not to pay them. Fortunately they decided that they should be paid.
All of our interns are paid, he said. You can shaft someone, and there will be a short term benefit , but in the end, it comes back and bites you. You just have to treat others the way you want to be treated yourself. It’s not rocket science.
Indeed, I replied. It isn’t rocket science, but what catches people is a lack of courage. Often when the decision has to be made, money might be tight, and the temptation to get something for free is at its height, to pad out the meager resources available and thereby buy more time.
You’re right, it’s not rocket science, but you do need courage to do the right thing.
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