At P&G, we have an unwavering commitment to help our people learn and grow. Developing our people to their full potential is so important that it is one of the four vectors of our employee value equation, P&G + Me = Mutual Success.
“We are proud of our legacy of leadership development,” said Chief Learning Officer Ann Schulte. “We believe our approach to learning and development is a point of differentiation at P&G.”
And she’s not the only one. A recent story from the Cincinnati Business Courier cited P&G as a “breeding ground for entrepreneurs,” spotlighting four former P&Gers who now run their own businesses.
“P&G is the best place in the world to learn how to run a business,” one former P&Ger said.
Like many companies, we follow the 70-20-10 model of learning, with 70% happening on the job, 20% from colleagues and 10% from training and curriculums. What makes P&G’s environment so unique, Ann says, is that at P&G , employees can have multiple careers or jobs within a career.
“We get to move around and have different experiences within the same Company, learning new and different skills with each assignment,” she said.
“What’s more, employees get to do meaningful work – take on large levels of responsibility no matter the level. When you put those things together – lots of responsibility and the ability to work in a variety of roles – that’s very powerful for facilitating growth. “
Mentorship Goes Virtual During Pandemic
P&G leaders are also committed to mentoring and coaching to develop the next generation of talent.
Corner Cube: This virtual leadership advice series started during the pandemic when mentors and mentees couldn’t meet face-to-face. Watch P&G’s social channels – LinkedIn, Twitter, and Instagram – for these tips from P&G leaders.
One small example of our commitment to helping our people learn and grow – called Corner Cube – started during the pandemic. The leadership advice series was created by Jason Duff, P&G Vice President, Oral Care Ventures.
Pre-pandemic, leaders would typically share their advice and lessons learned during 1:1 coffee conversations with their mentees and colleagues. But the pandemic made it more difficult for P&G leaders to travel or connect in person with team members who wanted their advice.
That’s when Jason found another way and asked senior leaders to give their answers to the top 10 questions mentors are often asked. He then shared their responses broadly within the Company.
The initiative proved a good way to support our unwavering commitment to help our people learn and grow, even when we can’t always be face-to-face.
“Less time in the office means less time to create authentic new connections,” Duff says. “Of course, this isn’t a replacement for having a mentor, but I hope this can help democratize mentorship advice, even if just a bit.