Page 27 - Everything I Know About Business I Learned

Introduction

do it big. Ray Kroc, who opened his first store in 1955, along
with his first grill man, Fred Turner, who still remains active
behind the scenes, taught us all that we are equals in the organ-
ization. Everyone is on a first-name basis, all of us are passion-
ate about what we do, always striving to do it better. It was
evident throughout the convention that this culture still prevailed.
As I walked the floor of the exhibit area, meeting and chat-
ting with many longtime friends and operators, I was again
struck by the power of many of the principles I describe in this
book. At one point, a very successful operator and his wife
approached me, and in the course of the conversation, the wife
admitted that she had saved “the blouse I wore when you first
brought us into the system.” And her husband countered with
the fact that he still has the piece of paper that we had sent with
the directions to get to the regional office. This, 17 years later!
Talk about the power of recognition. In another instance, an
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operator shared with me how much he valued our retreats at the
corporate ski lodge, where operators and staff had the chance
to get away from the office and store, and reconnect with their
passion for the system. He validated the importance of com-
munications and relationships. How great I felt that I could have
helped him in some small way. I share that, because all of us in
management have the ability to touch and positively influence
those whom we work with. It’s a great perk of the job, but one
that needs to be remembered and respected as well.
Communications, relationships, recognition. These are just
some of the principles I include in the book. Others include stan-
dards, honesty and integrity, courage, and leading by example.
Together, these seven principles are, to my mind, what helped
McDonald’s grow into the organization it is today. And my
premise has been validated by everyone I interviewed for this
book, though they often had their own perspective on these
seven principles. Together, these principles are the sum of the