Putting People 1st

SAN DIEGO — A drastic change is coming to Corporate America. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts that by 2011 the American workforce will experience the worst shortage of skilled workers in U.S. history. As the Baby Boomers retire over the next six years, our economy will lose an estimated 10 million skilled workers. This shortage will create an unprecedented need for organizations to attract and retain their high-performing and loyal employees.

What sort of effect will these numbers have on corporate philosophy?

In the future, the “profits first, people last” culture will no longer attract the best people, according to Jack Lannom, author of People First. “The new business model for high profitability and long-term viability will be a philosophy that puts people first,” Lannom says.

“Every human being needs to know that who they are and what they do in a company has purpose, meaning, and immense significance.”

Lannom developed his philosophy after spending 30 years in the industry and working in the trenches with top executives from various Fortune 500 companies like Citibank, AT&T, and Blockbuster Video. Lannom noticed that America’s core business philosophy was denigrating from one of character and wisdom to one based wholly on profits first. “The outcome of this philosophy is the Enron’s and the Worldcom’s of the world where earnings became paramount without any ethics,” says Lannom. “Once a company loses its soul, it sacrifices long-term, trust-based relationships on the altar of short-term gain.”

Based on age-old wisdom and truths, Lannom’s People First outlines a 5-step philosophy designed to spark a major shift in business ethics. In the tradition of the international best-seller Who Moved My Cheese, Lannom has written People First to not only appeal to business professionals, but also to husbands, wives, teachers, parents, and students. “Excellence is the inevitable outcome of adopting this philosophy,” says Lannom. “People will work in excellence when they are treated excellently, and with this excellence will come profits.”

By distilling his business philosophy into clear, practical, easily learned principles, Lannom hopes to equip people with timeless secrets and tips for building lives and passing on a legacy. People First focuses on teaching people to empower themselves through the systemic building of interpersonal relationships. “If you want your profits to grow,” says Lannom, “you must grow people first.” Through the teachings in his book, he hopes to help those who really want to truly make a difference in people’s lives.

For a review copy of the book or to set up an interview with Jack Lannom for a story, please contact Jay Wilke at 727-443-7115, ext. 223.