Management: Do you sacrifice PC for faster P?

In the book, 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, Stephen Covey, mentions about a formula “P/PC” or “P divided by PC”.

Where P is the production of our desires or the desired outcomes – the results we seek.

PC is the assets and resources that help us achieve the P.

For example in the story of golden egg laying goose. P is the golden egg and PC is the goose that lays it.

Now most people only care about the P, not the PC. As a result, we don’t do anything to maintain our upgrade the PC. We only focus on pushing the PC to deliver more P. Then one fine day we destroy the PC, resulting in no more P.

This is relevant in our business and personal life.

In our business P can be the products we produce (that gives us revenue and profits). PC is the machinery that does the production. If we focus only on producing more and more, without caring to stop to repair and maintain the machinery, then one day the machinery will break down stopping the flow of produced good completely.

On a personal level, our P can be a happy life that we have with our family or friends. And PC can be the family or friends. But if we don’t do anything to improve and up grade your relationship with your family or friends, then the P (happy family) will suffer in long run.

So never sacrifices PC for faster gratification of P. Then you will end up like the man who killed his gold laying goose to get all the gold at once.

So what is your P and how are you treating your PC? Share your comments, opinions and experiences below.