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May 5, 2009
Dear Jack,
I want to personally thank you for the introduction of People First to Kimberly-Clark Professional. Your enthusiastic approach to leadership development and the awakening of the human spirit is contagious. We found the entire program to be valuable both in the workplace and at home.
We all search for heightened business results, but when within your search you can truly impact and make a difference in the lives of your employees you have accomplished far more than can be reflected on a P&L statement.
Since our certification on February 23, 2009 we have launched People First within our Customer Service Organization, our Partnership Products division, our Marketing Services group, and in April to our Administrative Assistant team. We are capitalizing on our momentum, and seizing the opportunity to reinforce People First® principles every day.
I thank you for your time, your talent and for PJ Bouchard. PJ was instrumental in setting the high energy tone each and every week. She connected with our team, and through her sincerity and strong conviction to People First, was able to pique the interest and lay the foundation for commitment in our leadership team. The two of you make quite a dynamic team – and a team that KCP will always celebrate our connection to.
Sincerely,
Richard Thorne
Vice President
KCP North America
This article written by: David St. Hilaire
Director of Sales Channel Development KIMBERLY-CLARK PROFESSIONAL*
For: United Stationers Magazine – June 2009
says it BEST:
Top Priority: People
What would corporate life be like if people came first, diversity was celebrated and everyone felt their work and ideas were appreciated? Would profits evaporate? Or would business performance actually improve?
The radical idea of "people before profits" actually results in healthier companies that perform better, according to People First® from Lannom Worldwide. This is definitely not just another motivational program. As our KIMBERLY-CLARK PROFESSIONAL* Sales & Marketing group found during thecertification process, People First® involves approaching business from a different perspective.
We often get so caught up in brands, processes and profit projections that we lose sight of the fact that our people are our company. They're also the "face" of our company to customers, prospects and everyone else in the world.
People First® reminds us to genuinely value each person as an individual and to put people first - ahead of everything else. That means saying things that we find easy to say to our children but often find difficult to say in the workplace. Things like: Yes. Thank you. I need you. I believe in you. I'm proud of you.
As our group went through the 12-session certification, it was amazing to see people open up and respond to simple expressions of acknowledgment and appreciation. The key is that it has to be genuine. People First® philosophy emphasizes truth, wisdom and excellence in all things.
Starting with foundation values, we explored how to bring our values to life in our actions, empower employees to do the same, and create a legacy worth passing on.
Far from hurting profits, this philosophy creates an engaged, high-performance company culture that leverages the potential of every person, and makes it possible to attract and retain the best people. Improved profits are a natural result.
Even in a tough economy, these principles are strengthening our company as well as our business results. We now have energized teams of volunteers who focus on key program areas, and are determined to make People First® a continuing force at our company.
The reason is simple: it works. Today, our focus on people is a key element of our commitment to make KIMBERLY-CLARK PROFESSIONAL* a great place to do business – and a terrific place to work.
Dear Jack, I want to thank you for the introduction of People First to Boston Scientific Miami manufacturing site. We had been working hard at making operational improvements at our site, but heard clearly from our team that our efforts were focusing solely on the business die of things, without sufficient attention to the human side. We knew that we couldn’t get to where we need to go strictly based on physical changes to our systems and process. We knew that in order to truly change how we operate, we needed to capture and engage the hearts and minds of all of our employees. And that’s where People First came in.
When our Management Team met you in November 2008 and listened to what People First was about, and felt your passion and enthusiasm about People First, we knew that it could be a major component of our cultural change efforts. We are proud to be People First certified and are now working to incorporate our learnings about People first into systems and processes and how we work each day. The certification program is over, but People First lives on in Miami!
We also would like to extend our heartfelt thanks to PJ Bouchard, who demonstrated a passion for People First equal to your own. She connected with the management team and kept the momentum going over the 12 week course period. We are honored to have met and worked with both of you.
Sincerely,
Noel Fogarty
VP, Operations
"Since you presented your People First® program to our company, we have seen come amazing results. Our employee retention rates have improved, our earnings have grown and our stock price has more than doubled! Jack, bottom line, is that Republic is a stronger Company because of you and your team."
Will Flower, Vice President – Communications, Republic Services, Inc.
"I really believe this could become a world-wide movement enhancing every person's life."
James O'Connor, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Republic Services
"People ask me why I chose to implement the People First® Certification Program. My reply is simple: I truly wanted to make a difference in the lives of our employees. Now that we have completed the program, the next question might be, did it make a difference? It absolutely did! I have never witnessed such a profound impact with these employees. Their testimonies reveal improved relationships with their spouses and their children, more effective communication skills with each other in the workplace, and healthy business relationships with our customers."
Ray Southern, Division CEO for Balfour Beatty Construction.
"The Castle Group is very proud to be the first People First® Certified Company in the property services industry. I would like to thank you on behalf of the entire leadership team here at Castle. We now have over 90 People First® Certified leaders that are teaching the People First® principles to our 700 employees. We already notice the improved relations with our internal and external customers. Please feel free to use the Castle Group as a reference if anyone else would like to take advantage of this proven People First® philosophy. We look forward to our continued relationship with your company and wish you the best of luck."
James Donnelly, President, Castle Management, Inc.
"In today’s complicated world, it is truly a pleasure to meet an individual and work with his company that has successfully put everything in perspective. When I first met and listened to your explanation of what People First® was about, the insight and enthusiasm that came forth was personally exciting to me. I knew then that we found the answer for our employees personally as well as corporately. We are proud to be People First® certified and look forward to continuing to see the personal growth of our leadership."
Steven J. Watkins, President, Aetna Construction, Inc.
"My wife and I were moved by the People First® book and agreed that People First® was a "must" for Eagle Concrete Systems, Inc. People First® offered a way for our employees to grow, both professionally and personally. Every week you could see the interaction among the employees blossom into a sharing of ideas and mutual respect. An additional positive result, was that one of our Vice Presidents brought each session home to his wife and 5 children, along with their friends and parents, followed the program. This became a Sunday ritual for them. How wonderful to teach children at an early age the value of relationships."
Michael J. and Carmel M. Leannah, President and CFO, Eagle Concrete Systems, Inc.
"The leadership training brought excitement, meaning and celebration to our company that lives on today. Thank you for being so passionate about presenting the best human systems combined with the best business systems. It will forever make a different at Community Engineering Services, Inc. Thank you for giving us awesome, simple tools to live, serve and lead by. We wish you much success to you and to all who read and apply your material."
Mark D. McCleary, PE, PSM, President, Community Engineering Services
"The training we experienced as a company will have far reaching effects by teaching us to place the focus on what is most important in lieu of what is least important. I high recommend Jack Lannom and his enthusiastic approach to leadership and business development. I believe it is an effective way for any organization to build team camaraderie and focused priorities."
Jerald L. Wallace, President, J.L. Wallace, Inc.
"General works benefited greatly from the experience of the People First program. My Purpose Partners learned something’s about themselves along the way that surprised them – as did I."
Lindy Ryan, President, General Works LLC Roofing and Sheet Metal
