Marketing Lessons From All I Really Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten

In 1986, Robert Fulghum published a book that turned into a classic: All I Really Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten. The lessons in the book are the good, common sense lessons that people of all eras and cultures share in common- truths that transcend time and cultural divides.

They are also truths that transcends occupational distinctions as well. As marketers, we can do good by looking at these basic lessons and meditating on how we can apply them in our marketing activities. Without belaboring each point in the book, here they are.

• Share everything.
  
  
• Play fair.
  
  
• Don't hit people.
  
  
• Put things back where you found them.
  
  
• Clean up your own mess.
  
  
• Don't take things that aren't yours.
  
  
• Say you're sorry when you hurt somebody.
  
  
• Wash your hands before you eat.
  
  
• Flush.
  
  
• Warm cookies and cold milk are good for you.
  
  
• Live a balanced life - learn some and think some and draw and paint and sing and dance and play and work every day some.
  
  
• Take a nap every afternoon.
  
  
• When you go out into the world, watch out for traffic, hold hands, and stick together.
  
  
• Be aware of wonder. Remember the little seed in the styrofoam cup: The roots go down and the plant goes up and nobody really knows how or why, but we are all like that.
  
  
• Goldfish and hamsters and white mice and even the little seed in the Styrofoam cup - they all die. So do we.
  
  
• And then remember the Dick-and-Jane books and the first word you learned - the biggest word of all - LOOK.
  

If I may simmer them down as lessons for us as we engage in marketing activities:

We can do more by working together than working alone. When we interact publicly, or with the public, we need to be nice. We need to realize that everyone makes mistakes, including us. Never quit learning, but don't forget to play, and rest, as well. We all need to recharge our batteries from time to time.

It was good for me to think about these ancient truths wrapped in a modern application. I hope reading them has also helped you today as well.

Tony Eldridge