Читать книгу Voices of Design Leadership - Ken Sanders - Страница 22

Out of clutter, find simplicity.

– Albert Einstein

The Four R’s is an extended version of a framework developed by my friend and mentor Ted Hall, a former Principal and Director of the global management consulting firm McKinsey & Company. At one of the world’s most demanding professional service partnerships, Ted was the youngest Principal, youngest Director, and one of the youngest Office Managers ever elected at McKinsey. He co-founded McKinsey Global Institute (MGI) and later served as its Chairman.

As a consultant to Gensler in the 1990s, Ted also helped define the firm’s studio structure and one-firm-firm philosophy, both of which remain key components of its cultural foundation to this day. He later served for many years as an outside advisor to Gensler’s Board of Directors.

During that time, Ted shared with us a leadership model he described as The Three R’s. He explained that early in their career, service professionals are primarily focused on Results: meeting deadlines, keeping promises, and earning the trust of their colleagues and clients as a reliable individual. Over time, they begin to build a network of Relationships with colleagues, partners, and clients – a “relationship tree,” as Gensler co-CEO Andy Cohen describes it – that brings work in the door and helps grow the firm. Over time, as relationships are developed and a strong track record is established, Reputations are earned by the individual and the firm.

Although reputation is often used interchangeably with brand, from my perspective they are different. Brand is essential for selling products that are inherently difficult to differentiate in the minds of buyers. Think of beverages, toothpaste, or laundry detergent. These types of commodity products depend much more heavily on brand to influence purchasing decisions.

In the world of professional services, however, the word reputation seems more appropriate. Can a design firm enhance their brand through social media, marketing, and public relations? Yes. But professional reputation is more important. It is directly influenced by the day-to-day behavior of design leaders and the memorable experiences they provide to their colleagues, partners, and clients.

What damages a reputation? Unreliable delivery is one way. Poor design is another. But individual reputations are also damaged by personal behavior contrary to the values held by the firm they represent, including unethical or illegal behavior that becomes known to the public.⁴ Reputations take a long time to develop and are also very fragile.