Charlie Rose Science Series
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04/23/2008
A.G. Lafley
A conversation with A.G. Lafley
Keywords:
A conversation with A.G. Lafley, Chairman and CEO, Procter & Gamble.
DVD
Charlie Rose DVDs on Amazon.
Charlie Rose DVDs on Amazon.
Audio
Audio available through Audible.com.
Audio available through Audible.com.
Transcripts
Transcripts available through Voxant.
Transcripts available through Voxant.
P&G is one of the most environmentally active and sensative companies on the planet. They need to do more, but I know from my dealings with them that it is a very high priority. I will tell you that they are very very impressive.
A.G. Lafley came across as such a nice well spoken man. What a pity he is not more environmentally conscious. To me what is absolutely vital and cannot be compromised any longer is a healthy planet. A system that can be made to function in balance with nature and that every product (and the materials they are contained in) be made non-toxic, biodegradable, all-natural and organic. And that the government release all suppressed clean energy technologies of course!
Funny---All through the interview, Mr. Lafley was commenting on 'working with innovators'---so I emailed the company through their website stating that I had a well thought out 'idea' that would save them money and make some their products more convenient for the customers. I told them that I don't believe the 'idea' was 'patentable', but it is still a good innovation. Guess what--I got an email back from someone at their "Connect & Develop Review Team" that unless my idea was 'patentable'--they WEREN'T interested!! Direct quote: "Unfortunately we do not accept ideas for review." So, Mr. Lafley, even though you may 'state' that your company wants to 'partner' with its customers, apparently, your employees don't.
UTAH?
I am trying to get AG Lafley's interview on dvd, But it seems impossible. First I get German language and then I can watch it again live. But this is not what I want. Can you help? Amazon is no help either.
Why is it that when you go to buy the video the language is in German?
Charlie -- not one question about the eco responsibility of corporations when it comes to ''innovating'' toxic chemicals, manufacturing's carbon footprint or disposable diapers that don't decompose ever! Why not?
Doesn't anyone take notice and think, when a CEO like Lafley speaks about the P&G culture which seeks workers to put in 60, 70, and 80 hours a week? Sounds like a great quality of life organization.
When asked by Charlie why P&G chose Utah for the new manufacturing plant, Mr. Lafley didn't mention to Charlie that the financial incentives (tax incentives) the state of Utah acknowledges it gave to P&G for locating the manufacturing plant. Those amount to about $85 million.
Heard most of the conversation with A. G. Lafley. His comment hit home, if I quote him right, that the most important area of economic development is the workforce. He also outlined what economic development looks for in a workforce - skill levels, completers, well trained people, etc. He asks customers what they want. Gets back to what someone said "if you can't help me with a problem, what good are you to me?" The reverse is true also. He strikes me as primarily a big issues supervisor, which seems to succeed. Companies aren't in business to create jobs - jobs are the product of a company that is successful. Americans say the economy, and within that jobs, are one of the 2 or 3 major issues now. Lafley's points about the workforce are central to improving the economy.
Charlie you whimped out !! I didnâ??t hear the conversation about P&Gâ??s environmental role in the world, change, and real leadership, instead of just pacification. I watched and realized you were not an active member in the conversation . There is forgiveness, but keep trying,â?¦â?¦ and Thank You G.M.G
Very much enjoyed watching interview with Mr. Lafley, regardless of P&G, another large corporation. His ideas about leadership were very inspirational and reminded me of listening to a quieter version of Tom Peters, management guru. Then I went to Wikipedia to look up Mr. Lafley and found that we share exact birthdays!
Re innovation: Curious if Mr. Lafley or his staff have ever worked with Paul Plsek? Incredibly masterful instructor & facilitator of innovation techniques. His approach & tools are trademarked under 'Directed Creativity.' Powerful in terms of harnessing power of front lines; have studied under him in combination with using kaizen across the organization for waste reduction and streamlining. Thanks.
P&G is too pricey on balance. A culture of economical products for hard times would be a patriotism for a nation entering recession. Slimmer margins, more volume.
I don't know about innovation, but since P&G products nose-dived a few years ago for what seemed to me to be entirely a matter of consumer boredom, they have flooded the market with more slightly different variations on basically the same thing: different smell, color, etc., what professionals call product differentiation. P&G has always used something of this sort as a strategy, so that their products under different names take up more shelf-space than anyone else's. It seems to me that they have yet to make up the ground they lost, but I sure don't buy $5/tube toothpaste nor the smell of Tide anymore.