A Book Well Worth Reading
September 15, 2004 - by Robert E.
Stevens,
GENESIS II (The Second Beginning) E-Mail: views@aol.com
While exploring the aisles of my local library, I came across an eye
catching title, Winning
with the P&G 99 (99 Principles and
Practices of Procter & Gamble's Success) written by Charles
Decker
a former P&G Brand Manager.
I took it out, started reading it and by the end of the first chapter I
knew
I had to have a personal copy.
For anyone interested in what has made P&G one of the most
successful companies of our time, you can obtain a copy for as little
as $2.77 from Amazon.com.
I highly recommend this book. It delves deeply into the corporate
structure,
decision making principles and the guiding principles of the company.
Some
of P&G's unique principles are as follows.
1. The consumer is queen. Nothing
relating to a brand happens without
the consumer's approval.
2. The best is never good enough. That is why P&G brands seem to
last forever. They are constantly being improved and up-dated.
3. Nothing happens without it first being put on paper. It is said that
if you can learn how to write a P&G memo, you can learn how to
think.
4. Opinions don't count. A saying by R.R. Dupree, former P&G CEO,
puts opinions in a better perspective. He said "An opinion isn't worth
a damn if facts can be
ascertained." Decisions are always data based.
5. Think sideways. Product innovations, new ideas, and new ways
of
doing things can come from lateral thinking and reapplying lessons
learned in other areas. Consider P&G's 19 brands of liquid and
granule laundry detergents. The study of calcium in water for laundry
detergents led to fluoride in toothpaste and then a treatment for
osteoporosis.
6. Be your own best enemy. If someone is going to try to eat your
lunch, better it be someone in your own family than an enemy. If there
is room for more than one brand in a category, it is better to compete
against one of your own brands than a brand of another company.
These are just 6 of the 99 principles. Mr. Decker covers a broad range
of topics including corporate beliefs, culture, and the criteria for
success within P&G. Mr.
Decker's perspective is from the Brand
Management position while mine is from R&D. However our experiences
are similar but Mr. Decker's covers areas of the company that I had
only encountered as a member of the Category Management Team.
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