Dave Packard's 11 Timeless Rules!

2 weeks ago, my company asked us to stay back after work to attend a seminar. Well, of course a lot of us lamented about it. We were so drai...

2 weeks ago, my company asked us to stay back after work to attend a seminar. Well, of course a lot of us lamented about it. We were so drained back then, and we complained that our bosses should have given us a breather. I remembered lucidly that I could barely open my eyelids. It was Wednesday. I was so hungry, but still I had to drag my body into the large air-conditioned, ancient-China styled hall. Ha :D But once I entered the grand hall, all the tiredness disappeared into thin air. I was so thrilled to meet so many people...the atmosphere was so special.

So sleepy...

But my euphoria was short-lived...I was asked to sit in the first row because the other seats were all snatched up. 15 minutes later the seminar began. There he was, standing right in front of me. With his thick white beard sticking out, this old man began to gave his speech. Barely 5 minutes elapsed, I started to feel sleepy again. No, it's not his fault. It's just that I was too tired that day. That was why I didn't want to be in the front row, because I was nodding off again and again in front of this speaker. How embarrassing. :(

Pai~seh! I was caught nodding off!

The speech lasted for about 2 hours. I could listen that the speaker is full of wisdom. All his words are like gems, but the most interesting part was when he introduced to us about Dave Packard's 11 Simple Rules. Apparently this elegant and timeless rules were introduced exactly 51 years ago (1958) by Dave Packard at HP's second Annual Management conference. I am so awed by this rules...so much so I feel that every companies in this world should have applied it. These rules are based on the simple belief of, "More We, Less Me!" Here are the late Dave Packard's 11 Simple Rules:

He is brilliant!

1. Think first of the other fellow. This is THE foundation — the first requisite — for getting along with others. And it is the one truly difficult accomplishment you must make. Gaining this, the rest will be "a breeze."

2. Build up the other person's sense of importance. When we make the other person seem less important, we frustrate one of his deepest urges. Allow him to feel equality or superiority, and we can easily get along with him.

3. Respect the other man's personality rights. Respect as something sacred the other fellow's right to be different from you. No two personalities are ever molded by precisely the same forces.

4. Give sincere appreciation. If we think someone has done a thing well, we should never hesitate to let him know it. WARNING: This does not mean promiscuous use of obvious flattery. Flattery with most intelligent people gets exactly the reaction it deserves — contempt for the egotistical "phony" who stoops to it.

5. Eliminate the negative. Criticism seldom does what its user intends, for it invariably causes resentment. The tiniest bit of disapproval can sometimes cause a resentment which will rankle — to your disadvantage — for years.

6. Avoid openly trying to reform people. Every man knows he is imperfect, but he doesn't want someone else trying to correct his faults. If you want to improve a person, help him to embrace a higher working goal — a standard, an ideal — and he will do his own "making over" far more effectively than you can do it for him.

7. Try to understand the other person. How would you react to similar circumstances? When you begin to see the "whys" of him you can't help but get along better with him.

8. Check first impressions. We are especially prone to dislike some people on first sight because of some vague resemblance (of which we are usually unaware) to someone else whom we have had reason to dislike. Follow Abraham Lincoln's famous self-instruction: "I do not like that man; therefore I shall get to know him better."

9. Take care with the little details. Watch your smile, your tone of voice, how you use your eyes, the way you greet people, the use of nicknames and remembering faces, names and dates. Little things add polish to your skill in dealing with people. Constantly, deliberately think of them until they become a natural part of your personality.

10. Develop genuine interest in people. You cannot successfully apply the foregoing suggestions unless you have a sincere desire to like, respect and be helpful to others. Conversely, you cannot build genuine interest in people until you have experienced the pleasure of working with them in an atmosphere characterized by mutual liking and respect.

11. Keep it up. That's all — just keep it up!

How do you find it? Honestly if all the companies could implement it, I believe our working place would be a much happier place. Don't you agree folks? No wonder HP is currently the world No1# computer vendor. I wanna make these my principles too. Well...that's all for today. It's time to work. *yawn* :O

~First Commenter~