The
Covenant
Secret
The Master Key to Success
A Short Story
by John Feloni
Co-author, The Fall of the House of Hutton, Henry Holt, 1989
Copyright 2011 John Feloni
Smashwords Edition
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This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to Smashwords.com and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.
Dedication
To Cathy, Richard and Victoria.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Three: Relationship Management
The Bottom Line
Thanking Your Way to Success
The Significance of Value
Character Counts
Influence as Currency
Empathetic Leadership
We're All Kinsmen
Ten: The Relationship Professional
You'll See It When You Believe It
“He profits most who serves best.”
A.F. Sheldon, Motto for the International Rotary
“The soul alone raises us to nobility.”
Seneca
The following story is not true, although many incidents portrayed in it are. I chose a business parable format because of its utility in delivering timeless truths. I also chose fiction for the reason best captured in the words of Oliver Wendell Holmes: “History tells lies about real people, fiction tells the truth about imaginary ones.” Hopefully, I have written a story here that engages and entertains you, and says something that you find useful.
Enjoy.
John Feloni
“People are Stupid!”
“I NEED MONEY NOW!” Bill yelled like a spoiled ten-year-old. “But this economy is going to make it impossible for me to find investors!”
“Forget the economy, let's move on!” Laura yelled.
“Forget the economy? Are you out of your mind? How do you forget the economy?” Bill replied.
“Whatever. It doesn't matter, Bill.” Laura lowered her voice, trying to calm herself. “Maybe it'll even be positive for us. Business failures will free up talent out there. We need to build a team right now.”
“You've lost it, Laura.” Bill was carrying on this meeting in his office with Laura while simultaneously searching for phone numbers of venture capitalists. “I need money. I need it desperately. Now with the world the way it is it will be tougher than ever. I've got to move quickly. I have to find money!”
“No, Bill, I’ll say it again: if we get the people, the money will come, with or without a bad economy. Here, look. I put together a list of people who graduated with us—the ones with the talent we need. I've talked to each of them. We can afford them and they’re ready to join us.” Laura ripped off a few pages from her yellow legal pad and put them on Bill's desk. Bill ignored them, turned away and dialed the phone.
Six months earlier, upon graduating from MIT's Sloan School with his MBA, Bill Rand did what a bunch of his hard-charging, highly-motivated classmates did: he went for it and started his own company. Bill wanted to capitalize on Internet-based products and services that promoted social networking, collaboration, and communication.
Bill believed that the Internet was all about relationships and that the really solid relationships in business were offline and owned by “professionals” like investment advisors, lawyers, and CPA's. But these professionals had problems—their clients could now use the Internet to do their own research, get most of their questions answered and do business cheaply, if not for free. Bill strongly contended that the only real asset that remained for individual professionals was the value of their client relationships, and that in order to survive they had to do everything they could to secure them. Bill saw that a magnificent opportunity existed for the entrepreneur who could develop an inexpensive Internet-based relationship building application for individual professionals, and with it build communities for professionals to interact with each other and their clients. He decided that he would be that entrepreneur.
He applied everything he had learned in business school and put together a business plan for the creation of RelationshipPro, Inc. He developed a patent-pending process he called Professional/Client Linkage that would put state-of-the-art technology in the hands of individual professionals and make them the gateway to the Internet for their clients.
“I’m creating a whole new segment of the Internet.” Bill would claim to anyone who would listen. “I’m calling it P2C, professional-to-client.”
It was a bold and grand vision, but one not without its skeptics.
“There’s no way you can make this happen, Bill,” his finance professor said as he handed Bill back his business plan. “It's pie-in-the-sky. You're dreaming.”
“Yeah, I'm dreaming. So what?” was Bill's answer. He was angry. He never liked being told he couldn’t do something. He was like that his whole life. Even as a kid, his father would take advantage of that aspect of his personality to get him to accomplish things. It made him more determined. Without knowing it, this professor’s criticism succeeded in motivating Bill more than his marketing professor whose judgment of the business plan was so positive she personally invested in the company.
That professor told him, “If you pull this off, Bill, you'll be famous. And very, very rich.”
“What do you mean ‘if’?” was Bill's response to her.
Those classmates who knew what he was doing wanted in. But he only felt comfortable offering a position and stock to his closest business school friend, Laura Drago. Laura loved Bill's passion for the project and was sold on its commercial viability. The company's business model projected that the company would actually be profitable within eighteen months, an uncommon thing for a startup. RelationshipPro was a big idea with huge potential, and Laura believed that Bill had the drive, discipline, technological savvy, and brain-power to pull it off. She jumped at the opportunity even though she knew Bill’s one big shortcoming—his inability to be more sensitive to the people side of running a business. From the onset she pleaded with him to bring aboard more of their classmates, but Bill felt that they would be too expensive to hire and initially unnecessary. He also didn't trust any aggressive MBA-types other than Laura to have access to his ideas. He considered this prudent risk-aversion. Laura called it plain old paranoia.
When it came to dealing with people, the two were vastly different.
Unlike Bill, Laura trusted people and loved working with them. Her accomplishments always included others while Bill's were individual in nature. She played team sports like softball, basketball, and field hockey. He excelled in individual sports like tennis, golf, skiing, and squash. She was a social butterfly, an organizer of events, editor of her college newspaper, and president of her high school class—a consummate networker and team player. He was national honor society, a statewide science fair winner, and a math team all-star—your basic nerd.
Bill always operated alone.
It was the only way he knew, and it worried Laura. She saw this solitary tendency of Bill's as a problem for a CEO in a startup company and felt that at some point it would become a serious liability. She was right. And that point came quickly, just as Laura feared. Bill's aloof nature was now threatening the very viability of their company.
Laura went back to her office. She leaned back in her chair with her hands behind her head, looked up at the ceiling and pondered the problem she had with Bill. To her the issue was simply money vs. people. She was clearly on the “people” side and Bill was becoming more and more obsessed with money. Within a moment her point was proven when Jack Murray, one of the company's web designers, frantically rushed into Laura's office.
“Laura, help me!” Jack said in a grade school whine. “Pleeease.”
“What's up, Jack?” Laura said.
“Bill is going to kill me!”
“So, what else is new?”
“No, really, Laura, he is! He wanted all that new code written by this morning. He said that every minute without it was costing him money! I told him it was impossible, but…”
“Oh no, you're right, he will kill you,” Laura said. “Didn't anyone help you?”
“No one could. No one had any time. He's riding everyone, Laura. I worked at Microsoft for five years and they were tough, but this is ridiculous.”
Laura thought about her own experience with a tyrannical manager when she worked as an intern at a major stock brokerage firm during her undergraduate days. The guy constantly rode his brokers. Laura swore to herself that she would never work in such an environment—now she found herself party to creating one. Ughh!
Just then Maxine Carmichael, the company's chief financial officer, stuck her head in the room and shouted, "Bill's on the warpath, everybody watch out. I need your help, Laura. Please come to my office ASAP and save me." And she was gone.
"Laura, this can't go on," Jack continued. "Bill's driving us all nuts. I'm ready to hang myself. Do you realize this company is near mutiny?"
"I know, Jack. Let's give Bill a little leeway; he's under a lot of pressure."
"Laura, we're all under pressure. We're supposed to be a team, remember? But I don't think Bill knows the meaning of the word."
"I know. I'll figure something out."
"OK, Laura, just understand, we're all counting on you. Go tame that lion in the corner office. If you don’t, well…"
"We'll be all right. I appreciate your confidence in me, Jack. I really do. Just give me a little time. And lighten up on Bill if you can. He'll come around, I promise. No revolts yet, please."
Jack nodded and left, but not before peeking out the doorway to make sure Bill wasn't there.
Laura then went to see Maxine. After she listened to Maxine spout off about Bill’s irritating ways, Laura did her best to calm her down. She realized she was doing this kind of thing more often than was healthy—for the people she worked with, the company they were dedicated to making a success, and for herself. Frustration and despair engulfed her. She left Maxine’s office, put on her sweats and went for a run. She needed to clear her head and figure out what to do.
While Laura was out, Bill again chewed out Maxine for not producing adequate reports. He pounded her for numbers, numbers, and more numbers and hammered her for failing to deliver results—results that Maxine clearly had no control over.
“This isn't fun anymore, Bill,” was all Maxine could say.
Bill, annoyed and frustrated, retreated to his office and closed the door. This isn't working, he thought. They’re driving me crazy! I've got to get them to work harder. I’ve got to work harder. I've got to raise money! NOW!
Later that night Bill and Laura met at a local pub for a special “two-member executive committee” meeting called by Laura. When the beer was served, Bill raised his glass and said, “To money. I am going to get us some—immediately!”
Laura raised her glass to his and said, “Oh, really? And where, may I ask?”
“I don't know yet, my friend. But I will get it. Just watch.”
“Yeah, well, anyway, you're concentrating on the wrong issue. We should be…”
“Why isn't anyone getting this?” Bill interrupted as if not even hearing her. “I can't understand why venture capitalists aren't throwing money at us.”
The frustration Bill was feeling was a result of the mixed messages he and Laura were getting from venture capitalists. Sometimes it seemed as if the financiers spoke in tongues. After presentations of the RelationshipPro plan to various investment firms, there was always interest generated but then came some lame excuse as to why the deal couldn’t be done. The venture capitalists’ exit lines almost uniformly went something like this: “At this point in time the firm's investment committee is not putting any money into new companies,” or “We already have a commitment in your space” or "Unfortunately, we are invested in a company that has a similar business proposition.” And they all ended with, “Keep us in the loop. We're interested in how you do.”
From her past dealings with venture capitalists, Laura knew that their rejections were always sugar coated and their doors always left open, just in case the startup in question became successful and needed a second or third round of financing. Everyone wants in at that point. Laura knew the game.
But occasionally, as Laura saw it, these meetings with potential investors revealed a more pointed issue: investors were shying away because the RelationshipPro management team lacked the depth necessary to execute such an ambitious business plan. Bill firmly disagreed, but the objection was raised several times. Laura continuously tried to convince Bill that people were the issue, plain and simple. She also knew that no serious money would be raised until it was addressed.
“Why not just believe what they tell us, Bill,” she said. “It's pretty much the same thing: ‘People!’ We need people! We need a better team, Bill. And we also need partners and customers. It’s people, people, people, and we need them now!”
“But they're wrong. Once I have enough money, I can get the technology built, the right systems in place. I can build a more scaleable platform, I can buy state-of-the-art applications, I can advertise and promote, and I can get the markets ready for a massive product launch. Then I can build a team, negotiate partnerships, acquire customers, do all those people things.”
Laura shook her head in frustration. He’s just not getting it. And once again she noted that, as always, Bill spoke in terms of “I” instead of “we.” In a joking way, she banged her forehead on the table until Bill stopped her.
“Bill, you're killing me! You've got it backwards. It's about people, Bill.”
“Ahhh,” Bill said with a wave of his hand. “People are overrated. People are stupid!” he added, tongue in cheek, firmly putting Laura on the defensive, which is exactly what he intended.
“What?” she yelled. “Can you hear yourself, Bill? Do you think you can do this alone? Well, you can't. Do you know that you're driving everybody in the office nuts? You've got to change the way you handle our team or we’re going to lose them. Everyone is afraid of you. How would you like to work for a boss who demands from you more than you can possibly give?”
Bill was quiet for a moment as he thought about what Laura said. He knew it was true, but that didn’t make it any easier to hear it. It bothered him, sure. He wished it wasn’t so. But he didn’t think that it was critical. Anyway, what could he do...he had a business to run. His reflective moment passed quickly and he said simply, “I don't have time for people-pleasing right now, Ms. Manager.”
When they disagreed about business, Bill would always tease Laura, patronizing her inclination to take care of others. Laura was older than Bill, thirty-three to his twenty-five. She had spent a few years in management before going to business school, unlike Bill who went to b-school straight from his undergraduate college. Laura gained some of her management experience working at an Internet startup. Before that, she had worked selling financial plans to individuals and then as a sales manager in a large insurance company. Bill knew she ran interference for him all of the time, and he was appreciative, but boosting morale was definitely not part of his job description as he saw it. He was CEO. He had to make things happen. He had to watch costs and sign checks. It wasn't always fun, especially in a cash crunch. But he was the one on the hook for the money. He was the one with the commitment to their "angel" investors. He was the one who borrowed money from friends and family. It was his name and reputation on the line. If RelationsipPro failed, then, well, that was just not an option.
Bill continued. “If they could just grasp what I'm trying to do I wouldn't have to be so hard on them. They're working on something great here. Come on, Laura, they should see that. I'm bringing humanity to the Internet. I'm…”
“Wait, wait. Stop!” Laura interrupted. “Listen to what you just said!” Laura started laughing. “My God, can't you see the irony in the fact that you see people as getting in your way of making the Internet people-centric? Listen to yourself, Bill, you sound silly!”
“Oh, real funny, Laura,” Bill said with a reluctant chuckle. Put that way, he did see the absurdity of his statement. A concession was not forthcoming, however.
He took a sip of his beer and continued his attack from a different angle. “I'm trying to build a company here, Laura, not a daycare center. Remember what Peter Lynch said? ‘You should invest in a company that even a fool can run, because someday a fool probably will.’”
“Oh God, Bill, that’s on how to invest in a company, not run one.”
“Well, I want to build a company that is fool proof.”
Laura rolled her eyes and hoped that a fool wasn't already running it.
“Don't look at me like that, Laura” Bill said with a grin. “I know exactly what you're thinking.”
“Oh you do, do you?” She knew she’d been caught.
“I most certainly do. I'm no fool! I just want to create a company that can survive in case the next CEO is. You’re next in line, aren't you?”
Laura raised her glass, “Touché.”
She put her glass down and continued her attempt at building a case. “Seriously, Bill, you can't will this vision of yours into reality. If we stay the course we're on we will fail. Do you understand that?”
“I will not fail, Laura!” Bill snapped. He was haunted by the possibility that he would not prevail. In the past, when faced with pressure to achieve, Bill would simply work harder, as he was now. But it wasn’t working this time. He was learning that in building a company, his personal work ethic went only so far. This frustrated him and made him feel out of control. He knew that his style of leadership was viewed by some as management through terror, but he had to keep going, stepping over everything and everyone in his path, doing whatever it took. He would not let anything or anyone stop him. He had to succeed.
Neither spoke for a moment. Laura sighed in frustration. Bill knew he was pushing her away and he didn't want that.
So this time he did concede, albeit reluctantly. “So what do you suggest we do, Laura?”
“Well, while I was running today I got a flash of inspiration,” Laura answered.
“Oh?”
“Yes. Go see Tom Crawford!”
Tom Crawford was the founder and CEO of Shopper's Emporium, the world's largest retailer. He was the current Corporate America poster-boy. He had brilliantly turned his old-line retailer into an e-commerce superpower. His corporate transformation had become the model for the application of Internet technologies and was being studied at all of the nation's top business schools. Fortune magazine had just named him “Business Leader of the Decade” and Money magazine had recently ranked Shopper's Emporium the “#1 Best Place to Work in America;” and to make Laura’s idea even better, its national headquarters was located in Boston, just a two-minute walk from RelationshipPro's office.
A year earlier, Crawford had given a speech to Bill and Laura's class at the Sloan School. He talked about what he called “The Profession of Leadership.” He defined leaders as people who have clear visions of a better future and are able to inspire others to work toward creating that future. He outlined the disciplines one must practice in order to master the craft of leadership, the commitments to people one must make and the core philosophies one must hold in order to successfully lead others. It was a refreshing approach, a spiritual approach to leadership. Bill ate it up. He was especially inspired by what Crawford had said about how seriously such a leader regards each and every relationship, similarly to the way a good professional honors the sanctity of relationships with clients. Crawford had referred to these relationships as moral contracts, sacred covenants between people. It was from this speech that Bill was inspired to create a business around the utilization of the Internet as a tool to build such relationships. It was indeed ironic that Bill was now having relationship problems of his own.
“Tom Crawford?” Bill asked, taken aback.
“Sure,” Laura said. “He inspired you once. Maybe he can inspire you again.”
“To do what? I need money. I have to talk to venture capitalists. What could Tom Crawford do for me?”
“Maybe he has an idea or two that can get us rockin'. I don't know, just ask him for help.”
“Why would he even talk to me?”
“Why wouldn't he? Don't you remember how in his speech he said that after we enter the business world we should contact him to share our experiences? He said hearing about new business ventures created by young people keeps him young.”
“Yeah, I guess so, but I don’t have the time to talk about anything but money,” Bill said unconvinced.
“Please, please, please,” Laura begged with her hands folded prayer-like. “Just contact him. Who knows what can happen? You know, Bill, not all people are stupid.”
Bill laughed and took a deep breath. I guess it couldn't hurt to just contact the guy, he thought, but I can't waste any time right now, I just can't.
Laura saw Bill's hesitation and immediately added, “I'll make a deal with you, Bill.”
“I'm listening,”
“Meet with him—I'm sure he'll meet with you—and when you get back I'll work with you 24/7 to raise money.” Laura didn't know why she felt so strongly that Bill should meet with Tom Crawford, but the man was a master with people and in her gut Laura felt that some of that was bound to rub off on Bill.
Laura extended her hand out to Bill. “Deal?”
Bill didn’t like being put on the spot, but it wasn't often that Laura pushed him so hard. He also knew that Laura would walk over hot coals for him and it was probably about time he did something for her. What the hell, he thought and shook Laura's hand. “OK, it’s a deal.”
“Excellent! Thank you!” Then Laura ordered another pitcher of beer. This was worth a celebration.
The next morning Bill e-mailed Tom Crawford. Almost immediately, he got a reply, directly from Crawford, inviting him to his office the following Monday. Now excited to know he would be sitting with a business legend, Bill e-mailed his response: I'm there.
“It's the People, Stupid!”
As they shook hands, Bill took a measure of Tom Crawford. The older man was dressed in a navy blue suit, white shirt and a red tie. He was silver-haired, elegant and gracious. His body language spoke of dignity and self-confidence. Presidential, Bill thought. Crawford led Bill into his Spartan but comfortably appointed office. Immediately Bill took in the numerous photographs that defined the room and its occupant. Where another man in Tom Crawford’s position would have walls adorned with expensive artwork, letters of endorsement or certificates of honor, he instead exhibited a magnificent tapestry of photographs hung around the four walls like a necklace. The pictures, obviously taken all over the world, were of Tom Crawford with his family, with employees in Shopper's Emporium stores, with teams of people doing adventurous things like rock climbing and auto racing, hot air ballooning and water skiing. Bill quickly calculated that the sum of the people in the pictures had to be in the hundreds.
Crawford took Bill around the room and started telling him the stories behind the photographs. He talked about how he looked at the world as one huge classroom and how every one of these people, each in a different way, were his teachers. He referred to them as “kinsmen”, and his face lit up as he spoke of them.
Bill felt a comforting energy of pure gratitude and happiness emanating from Crawford. It consumed him, and for the first time in a long time Bill felt soothed and relaxed. This unsettled him and as almost a protective reflex he found himself straightening out his tie and buttoning his charcoal gray suit jacket, making sure he looked the no-nonsense professional he considered himself.
Crawford led Bill to his sitting area and invited him to sit in what Bill would have bet was Crawford’s own chair. It was a regal, high-backed, Italian glove-leather executive chair. Crawford removed his suit jacket and sat across from Bill on a couch that looked as if it should be in a log cabin. In fact, it was from the Shopper's Emporium Paul Bunyan Collection.
“I love this couch,” Crawford said. “I have the entire Paul Bunyan Collection in my lake house in New Hampshire. Would you prefer to sit here? It's very comfortable.”
“No, thank you. I'm fine.”
“We have the Paul Bunyan Collection made for us in South Carolina at a wonderful factory with great people, real craftsmen." Crawford said. "It's a popular and successful product line. That chair you're sitting on is from our Executive Collection, also a big seller, especially in our downtown stores.”
“Oh,” was all Bill could say. He wasn’t big on small talk and Tom Crawford's disarming manner had a powerful effect on him . He was taken aback by the business titan’s down-home sincerity and felt a bit unnerved in the shadow of the man’s utter humility.
“So,” Crawford said, quickly sensing Bill's desire to get down to business. “How can I help you?”
“Well,” Bill said, “I'm not sure. My colleague, Laura Drago, suggested you could help me with my new company, RelationshipPro.”
“Interesting name. Relationships sure are the rage nowadays. Why would Laura Drago think this? And who is Laura Drago?”
“Laura is my Chief Operating Officer. She was also a classmate of mine at the Sloan School, and we both attended the speech you gave there last year.”
“Right, my ‘The Profession of Leadership’ talk. I'm glad you remembered it. I have just added it to a book I’m putting together. It's titled 21st Century Business Leadership.”
“I more than remember it. That speech was the inspiration for my company,” Bill said. “Now I’m having trouble raising capital and Laura reminded me that you had invited us to contact you. I’m not sure how you can help, honestly. I really should be talking to venture capitalists. I need money. My apologies. I may be wasting your time, but I promised Laura I'd meet with you.”
“Thank you for your honesty, but let's leave the jury out for a bit as to whether or not this is a waste of my time. For now, tell me about this Laura Drago. She sure does seem to be a smart lady. I like her already," Tom Crawford said with an easy smile. "Tell me this, has she made any other suggestions to you that you have discounted or rejected before trying?”
Whoa, Bill thought, he certainly cuts to the chase!
“Well, she has been harassing me about the way I run over people.” Bill blurted out quickly without thinking, surprised at his own candor and lack of concern in showing weakness and vulnerability.
“Hmm, that's pretty ironic since you are in the relationship business.”
“She says that, too, Mr. Crawford,” Bill said with a grin.
“See, I told you this woman's smart.” Tom Crawford laughed. “What else has Laura been telling you? And please, call me Tom.”
“She thinks we need people, not money. And she says that venture capitalists won't invest in us until we build a stronger team.”
“I see.” Tom said and paused. “And I take it you disagree with that?”
“I do,” Bill said. “What I need now is money. I can hire a team later.”
“And you have no doubt that will be a successful strategy?” Tom asked.
“Well, no one's writing any checks, so doubt is starting to penetrate my ‘hard-headed stubbornness’ as Laura calls it.”
They both laughed.
Bill then reached into his briefcase, took out his business plan and handed it to Tom. “Here. Tell me what you think.”
Tom quickly glanced at the first few pages outlining Bill's vision for RelationshipPro then almost immediately went to the "Management Team" section, which he took considerable time reading.
“Interesting,” he said as he put the document on the coffee table between them. “So tell me about the way you ‘run over people.’”
Bill was annoyed that Tom didn't praise his plan. Perhaps he was wasting his time. If Crawford were anyone else he might have engaged him at this point, and not too kindly. But Crawford was an icon and Bill respected that. He took a breath and answered, “Laura feels that I don't take the time to explain to people what I'm thinking and why I'm thinking it. She says that people need those explanations and one-to-one discussions if I want them to do their best work.”
“And that doesn't make sense to you?”
“Frankly, I don't have the time, Tom. They should trust me and just do it. If we don't execute my plan quickly we expose ourselves to the risk of somebody coming to market before us with a similar plan. My people should act like adults and do their best work all the time, whether they’re stroked or not!”
“I see.”
Bill clenched his hands into fists. "It’s so annoying. Everyone wants long-winded explanations, from employees to venture capitalists. My God! This isn't the way you build something great. These people are all speed bumps in my way. They just aren't getting it! They don't know a good thing when they see it! People can be so stupid!" He paused and took a deep breath. “I'm sorry.” He slumped in his chair, for a moment feeling unfit to occupy one of Tom Crawford's Executive Collection favorites.
Tom knew that the passion Bill had was exactly what was needed by an entrepreneur intent on changing the world. And the frustration Bill was feeling, Tom also knew, was a classic part of the process.
Bill continued. “It's just that I refuse to be a baby-sitter, Tom. Everyone has stock options. What more do they want? I can't be distracted by nonsense. I've got things coming at me from every direction. If I pull this off, everyone will be rich. I know this sounds insensitive, but why should I let these people slow me down?”
“I don't know, Bill, only you can answer that. But I do know this, you clearly have a people problem. Laura is right. Without the commitment and engagement of a company's people, not just at the top, but throughout the company, no strategy, system, process, technology, innovation, marketing plan, or whatever, can succeed. The power of any vision is expressed and manifested only through people.” He pointed to the business plan on the table. “And it's important that you have the right people.” He paused and allowed what he said to hang in the air. Then he added, “I've been around a long time, Bill, and I can truly say that there has never been a problem I've faced that could not be solved by someone somewhere. Any success I've had is because of my ability to find that someone.”
“Laura has pretty much said the same thing,” Bill said.
“She’s right. You probably ought to listen to her more often,” Tom said with playful sarcasm.
Bill was warming to Tom. He noted Tom’s skill in putting him at ease, a skill he knew he sorely lacked. Of course, the fact that he really didn’t care about the ease of others escaped him.
Tom continued. “Whenever I'm in the midst of a problem involving any aspect of Shopper's Emporium…” He paused. “Actually, whenever I run into any of life's challenges, I repeat to myself four words.”
“And they are?”
“It's the People, Stupid!”
Bill laughed.
“I'm not kidding, Bill. Business is people. If you want to learn something that will guarantee success in any endeavor, then learn about people. Those four words are the result of many years of study and experience. And running a company the size of Shopper’s Emporium, I find myself saying them quite often.”
He's serious! Bill realized that the photographs hanging around the room were evidence of these four words. Bill got serious too. If the Tom Crawford could reduce all of his experience and knowledge to four words, then those four words were worth taking a look at.
“What's your philosophy of people, Bill?”
“Huh?” The question blind-sided him. “I don't know. I didn't think I needed one.”
“Well, whether you think you need one or not, you have one, and everything you do or say regarding people is a reflection of that philosophy. Perhaps, then, it would be worthwhile to articulate the philosophy you now hold and see if it's working for you. And if it isn't, then you can change it. You should look at this, don't you think?”
“I…uh…I guess so.”
“Don't guess. Do you want to explore this or not?”
Over the years, Tom had dealt with many people like Bill: strong-willed entrepreneurs with grand visions, intense focus, genius, and often, unfortunately, insensitivity toward others. Usually they emanated a self-assurance bordering on arrogance and were quick to alienate anyone who didn’t see things their way. Bill certainly fit the profile. Tom took great interest in people like Bill. He loved their intellects and passions, and he loved the wondrous things they accomplished. When they crossed his path, he would do anything in his power to help them along. He also knew that in dealing with them you don't sugar-coat anything. You don't beat around the bush. Not if you desire their respect and want them to listen to you. He knew that if you didn't get right to the point, they would chew you up and spit you out. He often thought of these budding geniuses as dragons. Without warning, they breathe a wrathful flame that torches everything and everyone around them, and then, just as quickly, abandon their scorn, wondering how the fire started and why everyone is burnt.
These were also the type of people who, if they did not change their volatile treatment of others, would end up a mere footnote in their company's history. The story of the corporate visionary losing his company because of his inability to become a “leader” is so common it's almost a cliché. Tom had successfully made this transformation himself at Shopper’s Emporium and considered himself a student of what it took to do so. Throughout his career he did his best to help young entrepreneurs accomplish the transition from entrepreneurial zealot to competent leader. He got a big kick out of being a part of their successes. It made him feel like he was giving something back. And it frustrated him when promising young visionaries couldn't make that leap. When they failed, he considered it his failure. He wondered if Bill could do it.
“I…uh…sure…yes, yes, I do. I do want to explore it, yes,” Bill stammered, finding himself meekly responding to the assertive force of a man whose personality was clearly more powerful than his own.
“Good,” Tom said with a smile as he got up and walked over to his desk calendar, spent a few moments looking it over, looked up at Bill and asked, “Can you spend the rest of the day here?”
Bill was surprised by the question. Why would he do this for me? For a moment he hesitated as he calculated how many venture capitalists he could be contacting while chatting about “people” philosophies. He quickly did a reality check, however, and realized that this legendary businessman was offering him his time. How could he refuse?
“Of course,” he said, “But why would you…”
Tom put up his hand to stop him. “There's a great big secret in this world, Bill. Us old CEO's are more accessible than anyone thinks. Sitting down with people like you is like drinking from the fountain of youth. You have the potential of being one of my ‘kinsmen’ and teachers. You may even make my photo gallery here.” He smiled.
Bill was surprised by this as well. It sounded surreal, corny, even. Big executives aren’t supposed to be like this. Bill felt like he was in a dream, placed in the temple of a mystical oracle. Better still, he felt like Dorothy in the Wizard of Oz. Yet he wasn’t sure if Tom was the Good Witch of the North, Glinda—sincere in his desire and ability to help—or the Wizard—a fraud, an empty suit, hidden behind a curtain of good intentions. Whatever was going on, though, it certainly was strange. He was prepared at any moment to wake up to the grave reality of his real life, Oz’s tornado-wrecked Kansas. Whatever! It was what it was, and for the time being, as long as the dream continued, he decided he would play it for all it was worth, so he accepted Tom’s invitation with a crooked smile.
“I just have to make some calls to change things around and address a couple of business matters,” Bill said.
“Yes, certainly. Let’s take a break so we can both tend to our CEO duties, Okay?”
“Sure.”
“Before we break, though,” Tom continued. “I'd like to establish something. Can we say that the philosophy you currently hold is People are Stupid! and the results you've gotten with such a philosophy so far have been somewhat less than stellar? Is that fair?”
Bill fidgeted in his seat. “I guess that is fair,” he admitted reluctantly, remembering using those very words in jest with Laura just a few days earlier. "I don't know what to say." He was embarrassed.
“Acknowledging the problem is half-way toward solving it,” Tom said.
“I'm ashamed of myself. I never realized…you're right. My God! But believe me, I do love people. It's just that I'm trying to…”
“I understand. Don't worry about it. You can change.”
“I want to.”
“Good. Then you will.” Tom paused and let Bill swim in his guilt. Then he continued. “Just keep reminding yourself: It's the People, Bill. It's an effective way to approach any business problem. It works.”
So Laura has been right all along. She’s going to torture me when I tell her she has been preaching the same gospel as Tom Crawford.
“Why don't we take another break, then come back here and talk about relationships,” Tom said. “My assistant will show you to an office you can use. Anything you need that's not there, just let her know.”
“Great,” Bill said.
Bill sat in the office Tom Crawford's assistant graciously provided him. His first call was to Laura, who said "I told you so" only four times as he filled her in, far less than he expected. Laura, however, said she was a magnanimous woman and didn't want to stick his nose in it. Yeah, right! After Bill had a few laughs with Laura, conferred with her on a couple of corporate issues and listened to her chant to him 'It's the People, Stupid!' as her newly adopted motto, Bill sat back and tried to make sense of what had transpired in Tom Crawford’s office.
His mind was going a hundred miles an hour. People philosophies, People are Stupid!,
It’s the People, Stupid! People, people, people. What about money? He kept returning to the same question, how could any of this help him raise money for RelationshipPro? Hmm, we’ll see. He then found himself clicking his heels and was almost surprised to see that he still sat in the same spot at the same desk. Oh well, it’s off to the Yellow Brick Road!
Relationship Management
The Bottom Line
Back in Tom’s office Bill again sat in the Executive Collection chair while Tom rummaged through his desk drawer. He found what he was looking for—a beat-up spiral notebook filled with his management ideas, notes, quotes, and assorted papers regarding the philosophies he lived by. He then re-joined Bill.
Without hesitation, Bill asked, “What about money, Tom? It seems to me like the business world is run by the philosophy of 'It's the Money, Stupid!' I can't seem to escape that fact.”
“I know exactly what you mean, Bill,” Tom said. “But we'll get into that later. Right now I’d like to explore the roots of RelationshipPro. Philosophical principles are the foundation of any business, whether you're conscious of them or not.”
Tom saw in Bill's face that he wasn't buying it, so he tried a different approach. “If talking about philosophy doesn’t sound appealing, for the sake of this discussion consider that we're creating a strategic plan for your company.” Bill’s face still showed skepticism, so Tom added, “Which ultimately will include the funding of your business plan.”
Bill certainly liked that. He sat back and no longer looked like he was just pretending to listen.
“I suspect that you've learned by now that contrary to popular opinion, your power as a CEO is not absolute,” Tom continued.
Bill nodded. “That’s for sure.”
Tom smiled, knowing that the limitations of Chief Executive power was usually a surprise for a new CEO. “Every CEO has a number of constituencies that he or she must answer to or satisfy,” he said. “And each group has its own idiosyncrasies and concerns.”
“Unfortunately, I’m learning more about that concept every day,” Bill said with a hint of disgust in his voice. Dealing with the idiosyncrasies and concerns of others was not one of Bill’s better skills.
Tom added, “Let's talk about your constituencies. What are some of the groups of people you have relationships with in your business?”
“Do you mean like customers and employees?”
“Yes.”
“OK. There are customers, employees, investors, directors, vendors, partners, various professionals like venture capitalists, Wall Street pros, bankers, lawyers, accountants, public relations and advertising people.” Bill thought a moment, “Eventually, I'm sure I'll also be dealing with the business press, and I’ll probably be talking to politicians as well.”
“Excellent. Plus, don't forget, as your business grows and you open multiple offices you’ll also be involved with the different communities where you're located—all with people of diverse backgrounds and interests. Each of these constituencies have needs unique to them, and each person within them has different personal goals and desires as well, but they all have one thing in common, one thing we can always count on.”
“Which is?”
“They're all people. Right?”
Bill smiled. “I would hope!”
“And with each one of them there is the potential of your establishing a one-to-one relationship.”
“Right.”
“So, as the CEO of RelationshipPro, an exploration of the nature of relationships would be useful to you, would it not?” Tom asked.
“Oh, I think so,” Bill answered with playful sarcasm.
Tom noticed Bill open his laptop, boot it up, and quickly type something. He took that as a sign that perhaps Bill was willing to make the connection between the talk of philosophy and his role as CEO, or at least was open to it. In actuality, however, Bill was typing the name of a venture capitalist that he wanted to contact at their next break. In Bill’s current state of mind, the only relationships of value that needed improvement were those with potential investors. If Tom’s philosophy could help there then he was all ears. If it couldn’t, well…
Tom continued, “Always pay attention to people and relationships. People are business. They are the common denominator in any and every business. This fact is the Holy Grail of business. It’s that simple.”
Bill sighed. He was trying to be open to these ideas but impatience gnawed at him.
“I'm aware of that, Tom.” Bill said with a bit of an edge to his voice. “That's why I started RelationshipPro. I intend on bringing social networking technology and all its power to individual professionals. I will build communities of professionals and clients, and establish and secure relationships. That’s my vision. But right now I need to raise money. Can this stuff get me cash…?”
Tom held up his hand to stop him and as he did so his intercom buzzed and his executive assistant told him there was a call on the line. Tom’s priority at the moment, however, was to help Bill through a critical philosophical impasse. “No calls, please,” he said into the intercom.
Tom was not unaware of Bill's agitation, he just purposely ignored it. He had been in this state of mind himself at several points in his own career and had seen it in countless entrepreneurs. It was an obsession with money at the expense of all else, and he knew that it was a position that needed shifting if Bill were to succeed.
In the best of times, Tom found that talking philosophy with business people was not easy. In times of crisis it was even more difficult. But to get to the organizational excellence he desired he knew it was necessary. In his own business, Shopper’s Emporium, it was only after he had successfully sold his management team on the significance of foundational philosophical principles that it began its rise to become the nation's premier retailer. So, in spite of reluctant audiences, he persevered, as he now did with Bill.
“Forget money for now, Bill,” he said, again attempting to command Bill’s attention. “Here’s my core business philosophy: everything that establishes, builds, enhances and maintains optimal relationships does so through the application of philosophical virtues; anything that destroys relationships is due to a disregard of such virtues.
“Launching a Customer Relationship Management program for a company or for an individual professional without understanding the basics of relationships,” Tom continued, “is like struggling to climb a ladder placed against the wrong wall. Every step taken just gets you to the wrong place faster. Understanding relationships and operating out of a solid relationship philosophy assures a leader that the ladder is against the right wall, and that what is being done should be done. It was management guru, Peter Drucker, who said that ‘Nothing is less productive than to make more efficient what should not be done at all.’
“Keep in mind that when you operate out of a conscious philosophy, there is no discipline needed in controlling your behavior. Your beliefs automatically kick in when any decision has to be made, and your decisions and subsequent actions will be a product of those beliefs. We built Shopper's Emporium using a people-focused philosophy—not just with customers, but with all business constituencies. If such a philosophy can build the largest retailer in the world, then I think it can help you accomplish what you want, including raising money. But don’t take my word for it. You'll soon know if it's worthy of your time and attention."
“Okay,” Bill said, biting his tongue, swearing to himself that he would stop thinking about money, and listen.
“Good. Let's explore first what I believe is the best relationship model in business.”
“The best?”
“The best.”
“And it is…?”
“The Professional/Client Relationship.”
Bill typed quickly. This he found interesting. In effect, Tom was affirming the essence of Bill’s business.
“You may not know this, Bill, but prior to starting Shopper's Emporium, I was a stockbroker with Merrill Lynch. I know what it's like to serve clients as a professional. And in doing so I noticed something that amazed me. I found that there existed an almost universal ‘client’ mindset that when understood changed everything. That mindset became the catalyst for the exploration and formation of my philosophy.”
“What was it?” Bill interrupted as he moved forward on his seat.
“Well, have you ever noticed how people say, ‘All lawyers are sharks, but not mine, he's the best?’ Or ask them to refer you to a stockbroker and you'll get, ‘All stockbrokers are crooks, but not mine, she's outstanding!’ There's a total disconnect between how people view certain professions and their own relationships with individuals within them. There's something magical that happens between a real pro and his or her clients. The magic originates with the professional. It's what they say. It's the way they behave. It's who they are. And it results in some sort of sacred bond. It's fascinating!”
Bill thought about it. “That's true,” he said.
“These professionals are relentless in their attention to the details of their work. They are zealous in serving client needs and fulfilling promises made. They always put their clients' interests ahead of their own. Their dedication and commitment to their clients is sacred, the cultivation of the relationships with their clients a hallowed duty. These are the prime attributes of what I call the Professional/Client Relationship Model. And the more I studied it, the more I found that the relationships between the best professionals and their clients should be the model for all business relationships.” Tom paused and watched Bill nod his head. It appeared that Tom was finally getting through to him.
He continued, “I found that inherent in these professional/client relationships were universal virtues like honor and duty, a trust that promises made would be kept, that responsibilities committed to would be fulfilled, and a personal accountability for the results of advice given and actions taken. An unspoken, sacred bond is formed between good professionals and their clients—I call it THE COVENANT. The Professional/Client Relationship and THE COVENANT that binds it is not only the most effective model for optimal business relationships but is just as effective for every relationship in our lives, such as those with family and friends. Over the next day or two, I would like to share with you how you can be a professional in all your relationships and treat all people like clients according to THE 7 COVENANT PRINCIPLES . I will reveal to you THE COVENANT SECRET, which will change your outlook forever. It will show you how, with one viewpoint shift, you will be vastly more spiritually in tune with yourself and your creator, more efficient and effective in your work, and able to more positively impact people’s lives. Live THE COVENANT and fully understand THE COVENANT SECRET and I guarantee you will accomplish more than you ever imagined—which includes, by the way, making more money.” Tom took a breath and asked, “Does any of this interest you?”
“A little!”
They both laughed.
Tom continued, “I promise you that before we are through you'll understand what keeps clients loyal to their professionals and vice versa. You'll know the true and deeper meaning of what it takes to be what I call a Relationship Professional, and you'll understand how to establish and enhance such relationships with all your business constituencies, family and friends.”
“Sounds good to me. Let's do it!” Bill, for the first time, showed enthusiasm.
“I hope you're not one of those people who shudder when the word ‘spiritual’ comes up in conversation,” Tom said.
“No, not at all.”
Though it was hard to believe based on the way he treated people, Bill actually was a great believer in matters that affected the spirit. He considered this an essential part of his ability to accomplish his goals. It was just that sometimes his intensity for attaining his goals clouded the spiritual aspect of his life. He focused so much on non-stop action that he didn’t take the time to reflect on the consequences of what he was doing.
“Okay. Let's first understand what a covenant is. The foundation of a covenant is an oath. An oath, in itself, is very powerful. It binds a person to his or her word beyond mere legality. A covenant, however, transcends even an oath. It is much more serious. It is a holy commitment made before God.”
Bill was nodding, capturing the levity of a covenant versus other commitments or promises. He recognized that the concept of “covenant” was pretty much what the Bible was all about, both the Old Testament and the New. He was aware of the covenants between God and Abraham, God and Moses, and Jesus’ new blood covenant with mankind.
“Now let's look at what we can consider the spiritual foundation of THE COVENANT,” Tom said. “We’ll start with ‘love your neighbor as yourself,’ and its natural extension, ‘The Golden Rule: Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.’ It might sound like a hokey way to begin a discussion about business philosophy and business relationships, but not when you operate from the premise that people are what business is all about. This is especially true if you desire to create the mutual loyalty that I'm talking about, the one inherent in THE COVENANT that binds the Professional/Client Relationship .”
“That makes sense. But there are contradictions to this, Tom. Some people love their lawyer because he's a shark or a vicious litigator. How can you say that such a professional's ways are spiritually sound?”
“Good question. Understand we are not making a judgment on the professional's tactics in carrying out his professional duties; we're talking about the relationship between the professional and the client. If the lawyer you speak about is a shark or is vicious toward his client, then you don’t have a good Professional/Client Relationship. But if he's vicious in his process of litigating against, for example, corporate executives who told his client to buy stock while they sold their own, or toward a spouse who beats his client, then it's okay. The lawyer is protecting his client, acting on behalf of his client and fulfilling the Professional/Client Relationship covenant. And, I might add, such a lawyer is not operating out of viciousness. He would consider his tenacity or ruthlessness in defending his client not only his ethical responsibility in an adversary-based legal system, but his sacred duty. His motivation is certainly spiritually sound.”
“I can buy that.”
“The Golden Rule is the foundation of my philosophy. You really can't get any more basic than treating people the way you yourself would like to be treated.”
Bill had a flash of the meeting he recently had with his CFO, Maxine Carmichael. He was mortified to think about how he had treated her. He would have to fix that.
He typed a note regarding Maxine into his laptop and got back to Tom's point. “The Golden Rule I'm used to in business is 'He who has the gold rules!' or ‘Do unto others before they do unto you!’”
Tom laughed and then continued. “The Golden Rule is often misunderstood. There is a key to understanding it and THE COVENANT SECRET reveals that key. Knowing THE COVENANT SECRET takes the Golden Rule to a whole new level of comprehension. Learn it and you will know why the Golden Rule is the greatest rule to live by and why it’s been given so much weight throughout the centuries of its existence. Once you grasp THE COVENANT SECRET you will see why the Golden Rule is truly golden. As a matter of fact, I like to say that THE COVENANT SECRET is the ‘gold’ in the Golden Rule. Once you know THE COVENANT SECRET you will see that it is the foundation of every Biblical covenant and every spiritual truth.”
“Wow! That’s quite a claim!” Bill said, now remembering other Biblical covenants like God’s covenants with Noah, Joshua, and David. The weight of Tom’s claim was extraordinary, to say the least. Bill was getting the sense that his meeting with Tom could have a greater impact on him than Laura had imagined.
“What is the secret, Tom?” he asked.
“If I tell it to you now, you won’t appreciate its true value, Bill. Although THE COVENANT SECRET is simple, it holds many levels of understanding and must be embraced in gradient steps. It is very powerful. In Star Wars terms, it is ‘the force.’ In Chinese philosophy terms, it is the Tao. As a step-by-step process designed to have one experience its significance and capture its weight I came up with THE 7 COVENANT PRINCIPLES. They gradually take you to where you are not only able to understand THE COVENANT SECRET but are able to live it.”
Bill was very intrigued.
Tom was making the introduction of THE COVENANT SECRET purposefully dramatic because he knew that it warranted it. “The wall of understanding will be built by THE 7 COVENANT PRINCIPLES brick by brick. Absorbing their lessons will get you to a complete appreciation of THE COVENANT SECRET. Let’s begin. Here is the first COVENANT PRINCIPLE. I believe it summarizes the core 'commandment' for conducting oneself as a spiritual business leader, as a Relationship Professional.
COVENANT PRINCIPLE #1
For sustained relationship success, DO and SAY to others what you like having done or said to you and DO NOT DO or SAY to others what you DO NOT like having done or said to you."
“As you can see,” Tom said, “it’s a little different than the Golden Rule. It’s more explicit in its instruction.”
Bill nodded his head and said, “It seems simple enough.”
“Easy, right?" Tom grinned. He knew the diligence necessary to live by this principle. "It's always instructive to reflect on how you treat people, how you have been treated by people and what your response was to such treatment. You should also look at what makes you either what Ken Blanchard would call a Raving Fan of certain individuals or Raving Mad at them.”
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