Today, I decided to read the small (80 pages) book by Dina Dwyer-Owens, the owner of the large conglomerate Dwyer Group, which includes the Wisconsin-based Harmon Solutions Group, the company that gave me my first job in the U.S. for minimum wage, of course. I haven’t met Dina in person, since their main office is in Texas. However, as a new employee, I received this small book from Dina, which contains various stories directly related to the core values of the Dwyer Group. Since Dina is not some detached businessperson I don’t know, but rather, you could say, my former “big boss,” even though she inherited the company from her very talented father and didn’t really do anything herself to build such a huge business, she has managed it quite successfully since her father’s death. So, I thought she might have something valuable to tell me.
It’s worth noting that after reading influential figures like Jack Canfield, Dina’s book seems a bit dull. Of course, it’s primarily written for the company’s employees (managers), but it’s also useful for everyone else to read. In my opinion, it reads a bit like an “internal” book, as if it’s not meant for the general public (and that’s true), which is a shame. The same material could have been structured and presented in a way that would appeal to those who have no idea what Dwyer Group is. However, literary criticism is not my main task in talking about this book.
In the evening, I read two-thirds of it, though quickly, scanning the pages until I found something that grabbed my attention. Once something caught my eye, I read those interesting fragments carefully.
As I said, the book is mostly about the company’s values and core goals. The four principles of the company (as one of the backstories describes, this was not intentional) are Respect – Integrity – Customer Focus – Having Fun: R.I.C.H. (the backstory mentions that originally “I” came first, and someone suggested switching the letters to form RICH).
These principles are described in detail with examples and statements, and reading about them was very useful. I marked several interesting parts with a highlighter that I will revisit when creating the list of values and goals for my own future company.
I think I’ll finish reading the book in the last hour before bed and mark a few more spots. Overall, I have a lot of respect for this woman. I’m glad I came across this little book. For those interested, Dina’s blog is: http://dinadwyerowens.blogspot.com/. It was last updated at the beginning of this month. Highly recommended. 🙂
Highlighted Fragments
Code of Values
….success is the result of clear, cooperative, positive thinking
….challenges should be used as learning experiences
….we must re-earn our position every day in every way.
Integrity
….making only agreements we are willing, able, and intend to keep
….communicating any potentially broken agreements at the first appropriate opportunity to all parties concerned
….looking to the system for correction and proposing all possible solutions if something is not working
….operating in a responsible manner, “above the line”
….communicating honestly and with purpose
….asking clarifying questions if we disagree or do not understand
….never saying anything about anyone that we would not say to him or her
Respect
….treating others as we would like to be treated
….listening with the intent to understand what is being said and acknowledging that what is said is important to the speaker
….responding in a timely fashion
….speaking calmly and respectfully, without profanity or sarcasm
….acknowledging everyone as right from their own perspective
Customer Focus
….continuously striving to maximize internal and external customer loyalty
….making our best effort to understand and appreciate the customer’s needs in every situation
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