Why We Joined Principles Over People

Posted on by T.J. Pressley

Core Belief

At DPX, we’ve always embraced the concept of focusing on principles and using “true north” to guide our decisions.  That’s why we chose the logo of a compass.  We’re big fans of Stephen R. Covey’s principle-based leadership philosophy.  Over the years we’ve seen how short-term tactics can make a mess of companies and people.  Better to take the high road and suffer short-term consequences than to take the low road and suffer long-term consequences.

Principle Based Decision Making

One of our favorite books is Getting to Yes by Roger Fisher and William Ury based on the work of the Harvard Negotiation Project.  We love the “Principled Negotiation” model promoted by the authors.  Rather than relying on the “positional bargaining” and “hard bargaining” seen in Wall Street movies and used car dealerships, the authors argue the most efficient way to get a wise agreement while improving (or at least not damaging) the relationship between the parties involved is to take a principled approach:

  1. Separate the people from the problem.  People are messy and complex and emotional.  Do your best to disentangle the “people problem” from the problem at hand.  The parties at the negotiation table should see themselves working side by side attacking the problem rather than each other.
  2. Focus on interests, not positions.  Rather than arguing about what each side wants, focus on why each side wants what they want.  
  3. Invent multiple options looking for mutual gains before deciding what to do.  Beware of binary thinking that says there are only 2 options.  Write down your preferred solution, but then go on and brainstorm other options.
  4. Insist that the result be based on some objective standard.  Look for fair standards like market value and expert opinions.  Also look for fair procedures like “one cuts the other chooses.”

Principles Over People

Given our background and values, it’s easy to see why we chose to join forces with an organization committed to ending hatred by embracing the core principles of wisdom, justice, courage, self-control, love, integrity, optimism, humility, gratitude, hard-work, and liberty.  “Principles over People does not mean people don’t matter. It means you are committed to a standard that treats everyone the same regardless of who they are, what they believe, or where they have come from.”  We invite you to join the movement at https://poverp.org/ 

T.J. Pressley

T.J. has spent over 24 years in the transportation industry where he has led many departments, teams, and business units. While working for one of the nation’s largest and most successful transportation and logistics companies, T.J. has acquired a wide array of knowledge and leadership experience.