Getting better at getting better is what RiseWithDrew is all about.
Monday through Thursday, we explore ideas from authors, thought leaders, and exemplary organizations. On Friday, I share something about myself or what we at PCI are doing in our quest to earn a spot on Fortune magazine’s 100 Best Companies to Work For.
That’s how I’ve started the Friday RiseWithDrew posts for some time now. As you will see below, I will need to modify how I start my Friday posts!
1: It was lunchtime. The year was 1999. I was sitting in my office at PCI eating a BLT and a bag of Cheetos. Back then, I didn’t pay much attention to what I ate. As I flipped through my mail, amongst the various envelopes and postcards was a copy of the latest Fortune magazine.
“The 100 Best Companies to Work For” read the headline on the cover.
“What’s this?” I thought.
The year before, we organized our very first book club at PCI. About a dozen of my colleagues had volunteered to read and discuss Built to Last: Successful Habits of Visionary Companies by Jim Collins and Jerry Porras. One of the key takeaways from the book was that visionary companies like Disney, Nordstrom, and Procter & Gamble all had exceptionally strong workplace cultures.
Having a world-class workplace culture would be awesome, we all agreed.
2: At that time, the workplace culture at PCI was very traditional. Just like my dad. Who had founded Publishing Concepts. We were very much a top-down organization.
Sitting at my desk that day, reading about the 100 Best Companies to Work For, a thought went through my brain.
“One day we are going to be on that list.”
I shared this thought with some of my colleagues. Was this something they would be excited about? Was this something they could get behind?
Yes and yes, were the responses.
3: In 1999, we put forward our long-term vision: One day, PCI would earn a spot on Fortune magazine’s 100 Best Companies to Work for.
For twenty-three years, that has been our vision.
Each Monday morning, I lead a short meeting called the 10@830 (10 minutes at 8:30 am) which we begin by reading the five pillars of our PCI culture. One of which is our vision: “We want to earn a spot on Fortune magazine’s Best Companies to Work For list.”
For 20+ years, we’ve made decisions and hired people we thought would help us achieve this vision.
We told ourselves: One day, we will achieve that vision.
Well, that day is today.
Earlier this month, we learned that Fortune magazine had named PCI as the #55 Best Medium Workplace.
Vision accomplished.
More next week!
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Reflection: What is one of my long-term goals? Why is that goal important to me? What would it mean to me to achieve it?
Action: Journal about my answers to the questions above.
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