dispatches from the new world of work

The Engineer Runs Amok!
Again!

Engineers love equations. I have an entire section in my new book which tries to reduce implementation to a set of equations. Two days ago I posted an equation that several in TwitterWorld seemed to have found useful:

K = R = P
(Kindness = Repeat Business = Profit.)

It is so clean that I should probably leave well enough alone.
But I can't.

So here's a set of three:

K = R = P
K + Q = R = P+
K + Q + W = R + N = P++

Kindness = Repeat Business = Profit.
Kindness + Quality = Repeat Business = Profit Plus.
Kindness + Quality + Wow! = Repeat Business + New Business = Profit Plus Plus.

And then, just to confuse things:

K(I) > K(O)
(Kindness to employees is more important than kindness to customers because kindness to employees is the best way to maximize long-term kindness to customers.)

Tom Peters posted this on 05/06/10.

Comments

Love it!
This will be a shameless interference in your equation but...
From engineer to engineer, how about?:

n(K+Q+W) = nR + Nn = Pn

being n the number of employees wowing customers one at a time through kindness and quality and, as such, the multiplying effect in Nn and pn.

Posted by Joaquin at May 6, 2010 8:55 AM

(N)n and (P)n, (N by itself n times and P by itself n times, that is)

Posted by Joaquin at May 6, 2010 9:01 AM

Joaquin rules!

Posted by tom peters at May 6, 2010 10:16 AM

Tom,
Thanks for the lyrics,but engineers need to work on rhyming! The employees are now searching out a rousing melody (probably a march) to sing them to as they parade through the cubicles! ;-)

Posted by Randy Bosch at May 6, 2010 12:02 PM

Tom,

This is great. One of the great things about the internet age is that it is making it harder for bad businesses (that ignore the KRP formula) to thrive, and making it easier for good businesses that deliver kindness and value to expand...50 years ago huge untouchable corporate behemoths were untouchable (kind or not!).

Dan

Posted by Dan Martin at May 13, 2010 9:19 AM