The Platinum Rule on people

You have heard of the golden rule " Do unto others what you would have them do to you" That's good! Here is another one that is like it but different! Have you heard of the Platinum rule?

It is a rule that comes out of Dr. Roger Birkman's famed The Birkman Method®. For over 50 years, corporate human resources professionals, independent consultants, executive coaches, educational institutions and other not-for-profit organizations have used The Birkman Method® with over 2.5 million individuals. The Birkman Method® accurately measures productive behaviors, stress behaviors, underlying needs, motivations and organizational orientation. An important part of the The Birkman Method® method is measuring what people need compared to their usual socialized behaviour that does not reveal their needs. Roger Birkman's concept of needs and its importance to each one of us sets The Birkman Method® apart from all other assessment instruments! Here is the Platinum rule. Tell me what you think about it!

"Do unto others as they need to have done unto them"

It means we make it a priority to understand individuals, their deeper motivations and the way they prefer to be treated and not the way we assume they want to be treated based on their usual behavior. Both my sons are totally different and they don't receive direction in the same way nor are they motivated by the same rewards. "How we perceive ourselves and others will motivate how we act and behave" says Dr. Roger Birkman.

Remember - "Don't assume that what motivates you is the same internal motivator for others!"


What if we all made a concerted effort to understand the way people like to be treated. Some people like you to be frank and unevasive while others prefer you to be diplomatic with them even though their usual style of communication is opposite to what they need!

Pick a person. Do some research by asking them what they need and what motivates them and also observing them carefully. We have got two eyes, two ears and one mouth for a reason. Hint - use the eyes and ears a lot!

Then, start treating them the way they need to be treated. Let me know about the results.

Let's see what happens when we engage the platinum rule!