The purpose of the forthcoming verbal spew is to describe what separates FCP Euro from other companies—against all other companies.
Editor's note: Don Snyder, FCP Euro's Corporate Comptroller, sent this out as an email to the company. I thought it should be shared with those outside it, too. - M.R.
I gave a company presentation a few months back and wanted to hinge it on a singular theme: "What is the FCP Euro secret sauce?" Now, most of us have a "prepared" answer that describes the connection of all our departments, starting with catalog, ending with service and distribution, and touching every department in between. But the true secret sauce is hard to describe in words. It's something that's better experienced in person.
When I think about the true answer to our secret sauce, I start with the feeling anyone will get when they come through our doors. The "anyone" can be a customer, supplier, vendor or employee. It doesn't matter who the "anyone" is because everyone we come in contact with is a "stakeholder". The experience that stakeholders feel when coming through our doors is one that conveys family, success, innovation and most importantly, awe. What our stakeholders do not know is how that secret cause is created.
The true element to the secret sauce is simple: dedication.
Dedication is the foundation of the culture and core values at FCP Euro. Dedication can be described using a two-handed approach. On the left hand is everything you want to do, but you know it's not good for you. On the right hand is everything you do not want to do, but you know is good for you. Which hand are you going to choose?
This a lifetime lesson that is applicable not only in our professional career but also our personal life. All of us will consistently fail to follow this adage but it is the understanding of the approach that drives success. Our dedication at FCP Euro drives us to explore what can be done to improve our successes not purely bask in the limelight. And the real difficult part of dedication is that it is not always fun and often times is extremely labor intensive.
Jocko Willink is a retired navy seal and motivational speaker. Willink believes that dedication is driven by the desire to be better than your opponent and that desire allows you to make advancements when you know the opponent is resting. Dedication drives the process that leads to results and while the steps in that process are not always fun, successful results are! (#patriots).
Ultimately, our secret sauce starts with all stakeholders. Every person that comes in contact with FCP Euro walks away with a similar feeling of support and partnership. Our ability to service that brand and reputation is driven by dedication and will be our key to success in the future. As leaders we must continue to build on our success by embodying the FCP Euro culture and driving for more and more and more. Next time you think something is difficult, think about this "if not you then who and if not now then when."
#dedication
