Top 3 Lessons from P&G Employees in 2024

2024 brought much to celebrate. Awards. Olympic fanfare. And a Gillette manufacturing hub. As the year comes to a close, three P&G employees at different stages of their careers shared their work milestones, what they’ve learned about themselves and where they go next.

Paola — We Can Make Anything Happen

One year into her very first job, Paola, Corporate Communications Manager for P&G Spain, spent eight days at the 2024 Paris Olympics.

From day one on the Olympics project, Paola joined the P&G Europe communications team and worked directly with senior leaders. She thought the environment would be very formal. Instead, the team was friendly, accessible and collaborative, and she felt welcomed and empowered. Highlights of the project included seeing years of planning come to life and bringing to life the stories of elite athletes and our superior-performing brands.

“I love getting out of my comfort zone every day. I walk into the office, and I have different projects, different people to work with, from different cultures and different perspectives,” she said.

The biggest lesson she learned this year was how to cultivate self-confidence. Paola, who has a disability, has often been made to feel different throughout her life. But that hasn’t happened at P&G. This experience has helped her shift her mindset.

“P&G has taught me in my life that you can make anything happen. When I started here, I looked at my goals and my Impact Plan, and thought, ‘How am I going to achieve that?’ Now, thanks to the trainings and coaching at P&G, I have the confidence that I can achieve it,” she said.

As Paola looks to the future, she would like to work more closely with P&G’s brands and better understand what consumers want to help make their lives’ easier.

Miriam — Building Trust Helps Everyone Thrive

As a P&G CEO Award winner, Miriam, HR for the P&G Geneva Business Center, has a lot to celebrate in 2024. The award is given each year to top-performing employees who have made a significant impact on the business. Miriam was recognized for the work in her role and leading an important benefits initiative in Switzerland designed to better meet employee needs so they can better serve consumers.

“It was an exhilarating experience,” said Miriam of receiving the award. “It really validated the hard work and dedication.” The award is just one of several milestones Miriam marked in 2024, including celebrating 15 years at P&G and a milestone birthday.

Leading such an important initiative challenged Miriam in new ways. Having the trust and support of her leaders was humbling and inspiring.

Building trust is one of the most valuable lessons Miriam is taking away. “When you trust in your own abilities and decisions, it becomes easier to earn the trust of those around you. This mutual confidence creates a foundation where everyone can thrive,” she said.

Another learning Miriam is eager to share is the importance of “nurturing your own garden.” She said, “You look at what’s around and you compare it to others, but actually if you nurture what you have, you can bring magnificent elements out.”

Miriam is most proud of the incredible partnerships her team built throughout the year and being able to leverage each other’s strengths. As she steps into next year, Miriam feels a renewed sense of motivation to continue pushing boundaries and driving innovation, while building on her newfound confidence.

Jeff — How to Be the Leader People Need

One day Jeff, Senior Director, Shave Care and Beauty Care North America Manufacturing, was walking the production floor at the Andover, Massachusetts, plant he manages. An employee who had been out on disability for months stopped him to say thank you because of the care Jeff and his team had shown. But it was more than thank you.

The employee had planned to retire but instead was going to stay longer than expected because he was “just happy here.”

Jeff knows, “Fully empowered people and fully motivated people are our best assets.”

In his 18th year at P&G, Jeff admits 2024 presented some unique but rewarding challenges. In late 2023, P&G announced the Andover plant would become P&G Gillette’s primary manufacturing hub in the United States – producing a wide range of grooming products for consumers across North America. Of all the investments the site has been making, he is most proud of efforts to improve the employee experience, such as a mother’s room and a new office area and break room.

While Jeff is focused on the impact 2024 has had on employees at Andover, he recognizes how much he has personally grown from the new responsibilities and opportunities a large organizational change brings.

“What I've had to really learn is there is no one-size-fits-all leadership model,” he said. “You have to dedicate the time to be engaged and meet people where they are and then help usher them through change with different styles of leadership. And it's really hard. But that’s also what makes it exciting.”

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