Page 56 - How to Drive the Bottom Line with People

Built to Serve

People-centered organizations faithfully represent
their mission 100 percent of the time. It is the simple

idea of doing the right thing, which is the Golden Rule
restated. For example, at United, we frame the Golden
Rule in these terms: Do unto others as you would have

your children done unto. That fulfills the human spirit
and allows for connecting with people on a deeper
level.
Moreover, when people connect emotionally, a high
level of trust is developed. The responsibility for set-

ting the tone in this area starts with the leader. Despite
the simplicity of this thought, the American business
32
= culture typically scoffs at such idealistic thinking. It is

far more fashionable to cast aside such universal
truths as sentimental or hokey.
Consider this example from a 1995 United Super-
markets ad. We produced a 60-second television com-
mercial saluting the American farmer. The spot

chronicled a day in the life of one Texas farming fam-
ily—father, mother, and two children. It did not men-
tion any specific item that was on sale or give any

information about deeply discounted prices—there
was just a simple comment at the end of the commer-
cial that said, “United Supermarkets salutes the Amer-
ican farmer.”