07/08/06 Guiding Principles or Hypocrisy?

I was reading a book on business that says that all successful businesses have a set of guiding principles. I think that is probably true.  However, they went on to say that it is necessary to discuss those principles frequently, have them posted, etc. I am not so sure I agree with that. I think our guiding principles are pretty clear - we are about improving life in disadvantaged communities, paying people a decent wage, allowing employees autonomy and the opportunity to grow and developing products that get consistently better and better. In short, do good work, make money and don't be a jerk. I don't know that I see the necessity for shouting those principles from the rooftops, especially because it seems like some of the companies that do that the most are the most hypocritical. For example, I once worked at a company that constantly bragged about how the technical staff was the greatest resource of the company and so on, but managers would stand outside our offices and ask us if we could write computer programs faster. The worst example was the time we all had to skip lunch to go watch a video on motivation and having fun at work!

I guess their point was that the bigger your company grows, the fewer people know what your guiding principles are. I noticed that TMCC has a set of principles literally carved in stone as you walk up the entry way. So.... maybe it is a good idea. If the rest of our staff all think it is important, I am willing to start carving (figuratively, that is).