The Platinum Rule

Hey everybody. Drew McLellan here from Agency Management Institute, this week coming to you again from the beautiful Walt Disney World where we are down here teaching some workshops. You know, I'm reading a book about leadership and mentorship, and one of the points that the author made was, I think, a really good point for us to think about. The author talks about the difference between sort of approaching people from our perspective, so the golden rule, do unto others as you would want done unto you, and the platinum rule, which is do unto others in the way that is best suited and customized for them and how they gain or grow or receive feedback, input, support. You know, it's really easy to assume that everybody is wired the way we are but the truth of the matter is that is just not the case. And as managers and leaders, I think sometimes we lean on, "Well, I would want more money", or "I would want an extra week of vacation", or "I would want feedback in this certain way", when the reality is the best managers, the best leaders, the best business owners, ask the question, "Hey, important employee of mine." "Hey, important team member of mine." "How do you want input and feedback?" "How do you want to be rewarded?" "What makes you feel appreciated?" And then goes out of their way to sort of use their love language, if you will, when you communicate with them and so as we go into this new year and we forge both new relationships and we strengthen the relationships we already have, just a reminder that the golden rule is not quite enough, it's a little too us-centric. The platinum rule is the way to go and it's a super easy conversation to have. And when you really understand how people want to be communicated with, how they want to be appreciated, how they want to be reprimanded, all of those kind of conversations, when you understand how you can intrinsically and sort of natively talk to them in a way that sort of just seeps right in, there are no barriers to communication, I think what you're going to find is the communication is stronger, it takes hold faster, and it lasts longer. All really great goals. So, not golden rule, platinum rule. All right? See you next week.