So, we had the CEO of our $5 Billion dollar company visit us this week for a full day.
We had more "build up" for his visit than for any other visitor we've ever had at our company. In part, because the CEO for North America, my new manager, was also coming and she wanted to make sure that the day went well.
Everyone was excited to meet our new global leader. We cleaned up around the office, We all, breaking standards, wore ties that day. We brought in special food. We made tea in addition to coffee. We discussed our presentations ahead of time.
It was a big deal... and, it was the first time that we were presenting our company with our full executive team together.
The eve of his visit, I got an email from my manager's assistant... "Are you getting Didier a gift?"
The thought hadn't crossed my mind. I am not really a good gift giver, and my mind had been distracted on about 1,000 other things, but regardless... "I hadn't planned to, but what did you have in mind?" I responded.
"I don't know, maybe a bottle of wine or a bottle of champagne." She suggested.
hmmm... I am not bold enough to give our CEO, a French man, a bottle of wine... "We'll take care of it. Thanks!"
So, I asked our team and we while preparing and finishing up presentations and carrying on with our daily work, we talked about what our GIFT would be...
"No wine, maybe Bourbon"
"hmmm... there is a local distillery."
"Let's make him a basket of Maryland products"
"Local Bourbon, old bay seasoning"
"How about some cookies - the Maryland ones with all the icing?"
"I don't like a basket"
"how about a bottle of Maryland wine and those things"
"ok,,, ok,,, Thanks for the feedback folks... I will take it from here" I suggested.
"ok - but don't forget the Utz Crab Chips..."
So, my lovely and gracious wife made a mad dash to the store while I was at the office and I kept texting here...
"and old bay"
"and chips" ;-)
She was amused and happy to help.
So, I am driving home at night trying to figure out how and when to buy the actual bourbon because I have two dinner meetings that night... and, my boss calls...
"We had an AMAZING day today" (they were visiting the other acquisition that our company had done in the area 4 months ago). "So the reason I suggested a gift was because as a surprise the CEO started the meeting by giving DIdier a beautiful set of cufflinks ..."
I didn't hear the rest, but it was something about the cufflinks having some special kind of meaning and DIdier loving them and the gesture.
I thought to myself... I cant give this guy "potato chips and cookies" as a gift.. it will be a bust - a BIG BUST!
WHAT THE HELL DO I DO???
I truly breathed deeply and said - ok - let's focus on the "IS" and figure out something more meaningful...
I racked my brain and thought... "I think I have a second signed Blue Ocean Strategy book".
(SO - three years ago, when EMG bought QPM, the executive team came together for the first time and spent several days crafting our strategy and our plan. At the time we were a $58 Million dollar company. I had leveraged the concepts of the book, so at the end of the three days, I had asked each member of the Executive Team (about 16 of us at the time) to sign the book in pre-congratulations to each other... I thought it was a good idea as a gesture of becoming one, and stepping confidently to start our journey toward our mountain).
I was pretty sure, I had a signed copy on my desk and one on my shelves at home. Somehow, we had signed an extra one and I had kept it. But, I wasn't sure there were two and that I hadnt actually moved it from one place to the other and thought it was two.
So, I crossed my fingers and hoped to find one at home. I knew I had one in the office. Maybe worst case I give him my copy... or I just go with the chips and cookies.
I got home at night and found the book. Sweet! Then I realized, I have the second version of the book "Blue Ocean Shift" also - and I could give him the book and then we could sign the next version of that book with our new expanded Executive team that was also attending the meeting. And, set off on a new journey).
So, I had a plan and was completely bouncing between give him one book or give him two?
I kept thinking I should ask someone for their suggestion but for some reason I wanted to own the decision.
I am known for giving out books in the company - and some people think its silly - so I didnt want to get into the "you are giving Didier a BOOK???" conversation.
"I don't need to make this decision until the last minute", I thought. So, I won't. I brought both books with me...
The morning started off great, the office looked amazing... we were all dressed up... everyone got there on time... Natalia, my boss, welcomed the crew and gave us the high level strategy for North America... "and now Nestor, it's all you."
So.... here I go...
I grab my little bag and stand up...
"Didier, I heard that yesterday you were given a nice token of appreciation from my colleague down South, and we wanted to give you something also to say Thank You!. Just over three years ago, the Executive Team who welcomes you today came together for the first time and drafted our strategy, our mountain for the future. In a gesture of solidarity and confidence, we dedicated the book to each other and wrote a few words in the cover and signed it..."
I opened the inside cover and showed all the signatures...
"Our goal was to craft a great strategy, to become one company and to lead us from $58 Million to $100 million by 2018, and to find the right buyer to take us forward from there." (I forgot to say - which I had intended to - and now we join BV at shy of $700 million and are committed to taking it to 1 Billion by 2020).
"It all starts with a great team and a great strategy... and anything is possible. On that day we signed for some reason, an extra book, which I kept. And, I thought it most appropriate that it should be yours - as the new leader of our team and for helping to make our dreams come true. And, we now continue our journey toward a higher and more exciting mountain."
"I signed the book again" I turned the page... "Didier, Thank you for believing in us, in our strategy, and in our company... let's continue on our journey and make more dreams come true!"
I walked forward - gave him the book - and we had a nice exchange.
Literally as I walked toward him, I thought - NO SECOND BOOK right now (so I left it at my desk).
The gift worked out well. Not only Didier, but both the rest of the executives from BV as well as our team from EMG thought it was the perfect gift...
We had an amazing day. The presentations went extremely well, and it was clear that he and everyone were very impressed and excited to have us on board. In many ways, I was prouder and happier yesterday than I was on the day the transaction happened. I was so very proud of who we were, what we had built, and the recognition we had received.
He mentioned that he sees many companies and that he has seen almost no company our size with as thought out, deliberate and impactful strategy and team as ours... and he loved the openness, the diversity, and most of all the energy that he found in our team in our office...
It was an amazing day...
I realized and felt deeply the power of harmony... and the massive hand that it has played in all that we've done... I realize how deeply it plays into every situation I consider, every decision I make.... and into who I am...
Nestor
I share this story for so many reasons, on a grand scale... the impact of harmony on our company, on our trajectory, on our success...
and, in the moment... in my realization that no decision, no action is part of my "IS" until it actually happens... which means I can hesitate and wait until the IS demands that I make the decision (when I actually give the gift). Until that moment - I can choose not to give a gift, to give something different.. etc.
Introducing a second book - tied the story together with the future, engaged the rest of the team, would have made the 14 new people in the room feel included in the moment in a different way... it would have created a new IS... but my "want" in the moment was to show "gratitude" and to give "meaning and significance to the gift and the value of it".
As I was presenting - it felt so clear that introducing a second book - while it made sense, would take away value from the previous book - and would for many feel like "too much" emotion and confuse what the gift was about...
No decision was "right" or "wrong"... but I wanted to evaluate the IS of that moment as clearly as possible and move it toward my WANT... I wanted Didier to know we were thoughtful and grateful... I wanted it to feel and be authentic...
I felt bad that I had made Susy run around buying the chips and cookies, but I knew that we would enjoy them and I served them up at lunch...
I see people want to "make" decisions so that they can move on... I get that - and there is real value to that... but some decisions are worth lingering on...
I knew that in the moment - I would know what to do - and I was grateful that I had remembered the book...
The second book will have its moment, and it will be more meaningful in that next moment because it will leverage the meaning of the past.
It was an amazing day...
for me, for our team... and hopefully for our new leaders and teammates...
We are standing on top of our mountain... continuing our journey toward the peak in the horizon...
and, I think to myself...
the greatest gift I hope to give him, is the greatest gift that I have ever received and known...
HARMONY!
;-)