The $75 Gift Card that Changed Everything

Pat Murphy, a seasoned advertising executive and founder of global consultancy MurphyCobb Associates (MCA), shared his journey of understanding what value he creates and how it affects his career. He recalled working at Procter & Gamble in the late 1990s as global advertising production manager for its beauty business.

During his time at P&G, Murphy realized that advertising production was just one piece of a larger commercial jigsaw. He worked hard to save the company tens of millions of dollars by handling production insurance differently, but his reward was a $75 gift card to spend in the company shop.

The experience made him understand that organizations have systems and structures that can make it difficult for individuals to receive fair compensation or recognition for their contributions. Murphy learned that he had to take responsibility for understanding his own value and making conscious choices about what he valued in return.

He realized that creating value is not the same as working hard, and that sometimes people may not recognize or reward an individual's efforts. However, he also emphasized the importance of recognizing the value of good people who can open doors for you and help you grow professionally.