I will always remember the rebellious wisdom of Gilles Gagnon, the founder of Créacor, who with a bit of humor said that in management, you must go against the Golden Rule, a precept that can be traced back to ancient Egypt all the way to eastern and western religions. This rule stipulates: “Treat others as you would want to be treated.”
This counter-current wisdom reminds us that the manager should not act as they would want to be acted with. Indeed, a manager certified to our approach would acutely understand that what they like, what makes them a good manager… is not necessarily what represents the need or the deeper value of their employee!
For example, sailing in the higher echelons of abstraction and innovation is one of the manager’s primary motivations. Their employees, such as project managers, can however be fueled by more tangible and down-to-earth motivations, like concrete advancement of projects and the achievement of measurable objectives.
Similarly, many managers are highly stimulated by competition and battles leading to new solutions, but employees may be terribly allergic to confrontations and organizational brawls.
Otherwise, a manager with a generalist trait will be a proud supporter of the freedom, without too many norms, from strict protocols or framing structures, while employees of a specialist trait could feel lost, or even in a state of heightened anxiety if they do not have access to clear, guiding markers, and well-defined protocols.
This is why at CRÉACOR, the Golden Rule of MPO’s Psychometry Approach is rather: “Treat the other as they would like to be treated.”
In short, remember Gilles Gagnon’s rebellious wink when it comes to ancestral teachings! This reversal of philosophy will intelligently guide you in the taming of dissimilarities to better your methods of communication and management in business!
Daniel Huot, president of Créacor Group
