People-To-People: A Few Thoughts

People-to-People is about people. To be more accurate: everything is about people, and people are what everything is about.

We tend to underestimate people. We often make them means to an end, rather than understanding that they are the end.

When I take on interns, one of the first lessons I teach them is about containment – the idea that you don’t have to be able to do everything, you just need to know the people who can do it for you. Then I teach them the real and more valuable lesson: that knowing that person is in fact the real joy. Because our tasks and goals always change, but relationships can stand for a lifetime.

People-to-People is both public and private. We need both. Private contact creates intimacy, depth and a wealth of synergy that can then be used in a public arena to add value to others.

One of my favourite quotes on this subject is from Ronald Reagan:

There is no limit to what a man can do or where he can go if he doesn’t mind who gets the credit.

People-to-People is about building, not bulldozing. It’s easy to point fingers and bulldoze in the open, but it’s hard to build in private where no one can see to praise you. The deeper the foundation, the taller and longer lasting the building.

And finally, People-to-People has purpose. It’s not about the money – it’s about the purpose.