Breaking Trust

Someone very close to me recently did something that violated the trust I had in them and put an almost fourteen year relationship in grave jeopardy.

In the overall scheme of things, the actual act – petty theft in legal terms – was not an earth-shaking crime. What is so bad is that they crossed a line I never thought they would cross.

And it's shaken me.

It's made me question how many other times it's happened, and how many other things they've done that I never thought they would do. It's changed how I feel about them and it's changed how I treat them...and how they treat me. And knowing myself as I do, I'm pretty sure this incident will color my relationship with this person for the rest of both our lives.

And the funny thing is that when I look at the situation dispassionately (which took me quite some bit of time to be able to do), the fact that it happened is not all that shocking. I knew they had a tendency to take things, but it had always been little things and for some reason which now completely eludes me (and which would probably seem ludicrously illogical if I ever do remember it), I left the stolen item easily accessible, despite my awareness of their problem.

Some of it was laziness. I didn't want to have to unlock and re-lock the file cabinet each time I needed to access this thing.

Some of it was that I simply wanted to believe the best about this person - something I'm not sure I'll ever want to do again.

And some of it, I suppose was just plain stupidity – ignoring the facts that were right in front of me.  Something I'm not usually prone to do.

I suppose by this point most of you are wondering just what purpose, other than allowing me to vent, this little story could possibly serve you, a business professional.

Well here it is. Any security officer will tell you that most thefts, most information leaks, and most security breaches are crimes of opportunity. The thief is given an easy, ready opportunity to commit the crime.

Many times, these individuals see the opportunity early, but resist the temptation a number of times before they give in. The simple act of finding the cabinet locked, the door shut, the papers filed away or the password activated on the screen saver is enough to stop them.

So, I suppose the point of today's blog is this: take the time to safeguard your “stuff”. It can save you time, money, aggravation and maybe most importantly, it can help others be their “better selves”.

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I'd love to hear what you think. Feel free to leave a comment here or e-mail me at: TomFawls@Council4SmallBiz.com.

How Can My Manager “Manage” Me If She's Never Done My job?

I suspect this question has been asked by employees, contractors, indentured servants and slaves since the dawn of time.

Despite the fact that it's usually asked just after we've been directed to do something we see as a huge waste of time, it's actually a valid question. And one that can be argued from either side.

On the one hand, it is argued that the more a manager (or supervisor) knows about the operations she manages, the better she will be at managing that operation.

This argument seems to hold up most consistently at the supervisory level. Here, we are dealing with relatively unskilled work where the manager will be expected to train the employees he or she manages in the jobs they are expected to do. In this case, it is imperative that the manager fully understand each job and master all the tasks his subordinates will be expected to do. Additionally, it's helpful if the manager is capable of effectively transmitting that knowledge to his or her subordinates. 

On the other hand, it is argued that management is a distinct profession with specific skills, a specific base of knowledge and specific tools separate and distinct from the people, projects and things being managed.

This argument seems to hold up most consistently in situations where the manager is dealing with skilled workers doing jobs the manager may never be qualified to do the work the people he or she is managing are expected to do. A good example of this is a manager running an engineering development or R and D (Research and Development) project. Here, the manager may be expected to plan and control the work of people considered experts in their field who are eminently more qualified in their fields than she can ever hope to be. This doesn't mean that she'll be ineffective as a manager, it just means that she won't be the one designing the new product or conducting the research.

And this is as it should be. As a manager, she has been hired to plan, organize, schedule, and manage the effort. Her job is to make sure that the experts on her team have the tools they need to get the job done and to shield her team from as much “administrative crap” as possible.

Of course, this doesn't mean that a supervisor can't be effective simply because he hasn't mastered every job of every person working for him. Nor does it mean that a manager won't get the job done simply because she also happens to be the lead researcher on the project.

Personally, I think that the more a manger knows about the work to be done, the more effective he or she will be at making sure the team has the right tools, resources and time to get the job done.

Of course, I could be wrong. 

 What do you think?

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I'd love to hear what you think. Feel free to leave a comment here or e-mail me at: TomFawls@Council4SmallBiz.com.

Vacation

Vacation.

I was going to write a whole long treatise on how valuable vacations can be to reducing stress in the office. How making your people take and use their vacation time can pay dividends for the company in the long run. I was going to mention that even though most folks have trouble getting back to work, the break from routine can help improve creativity in the long run.

I was going to write a great blog entry.

But then I looked up from my screen and saw the blue waves crashing onto the beach; the other folks relaxing on the sand, the families building sand castles and I said to myself:

“What the hell am I doing working while I'm on vacation?!?!?”

Have a great week. I'm gonna shut down and relax.

If you need help with anything this week, leave a comment here or e-mail me at: mailto:TomFawls@Council4SmallBiz.com">TomFawls@Council4SmallBiz.com and I'll get to it on Monday. I can help.

A Contract Is a Tool. Use It Like One.

A contract is a is a tool. Like any other tool, the contract is only effective when it's used and maintained.

Over the years I've worked with a lot of companies who spend a lot of time, money and energy negotiating complex, complicated contracts that spell out in excruciating detail every little task that needs to be done, every little right that needs to be respected and every little punishment for failing to perform. They have big signing ceremonies where both Parties get to hand out gold pens and slap each other on the back, congratulating themselves for a job well done! Everybody is happy. Everybody is sure that the hard part is over now, the contract is signed. All is right with the world.

Then they print out two copies of that contract, put it into two sets of beautiful binders (because, of course, a single binder won't hold a contract that large), one for each side, and then each side places their binders in a place of honor on a high shelf in the main conference room and then...

Nothing.

That's it. That's all they do with that contract; they let it sit on that shelf, allowing the pretty binders to add an air of prosperity and professionalism to the conference room and, I suppose, to the whole company.

But that's it.

Of course they show the pretty binders to important clients and vendors. And the C-level's use them as a backdrop for all those semi-annual “see-what-a-great-leader-I-am” webcasts that so inspire “the troops”. Yup, everybody's proud of that contract.

Problem is, no one ever actually looks at the contract. Most of the folks responsible for performing under the contract will never see it. Few will ever open it, even fewer will ever read it; and virtually none will ever think to use it for the purpose it was intended – as a framework for success in planning, managing and doing the actual day-to-day work.

And then the unthinkable happens.

Disagreements between the folks doing the work. Problems arise on the manufacturing floor. Work slows.

Feelings get hurt. People start to take sides.

More problems arise. More feelings get hurt. It's “Us” against “Them”, now. Critical designs can't be agreed upon. Critical parts don't fit and don't work right. Money stops.

Now people get angry. Each side now fully focused on the blame game. Work stops altogether. Both sides now are more intent on pointing fingers and placing blame than in actually doing any work.

Eventually, of course, some smart person (usually the lawyers who, by this time, are all up in the middle of the finger pointing fight) remembers that there's a contract somewhere that might help us “get those guys”.

So now they decide to use the contract. Once again, it's a tool they can use. Unfortunately, now the only way any of the folks already involved in the fray can think to use it is as a bludgeon. So they flail around, dragging each other into court, swinging their contractual bludgeon.

And the work the contract was intended to describe? Well, it never actually gets done. The money all gets spent – on lawyers and courtrooms, incomplete designs, useless parts and the like – but nothing useful ever comes from the debacle. It's too bad, too, because the idea was a really cool one and the product would have sold millions.

Sound familiar?

It doesn't have to be this way. Written correctly, used regularly and maintained professionally, the contract could have helped both sides work together harmoniously, identifying risks and solving problems as a team.

The moral of the story?

If you're not going to use it, why spend the time, money and aggravation negotiating a contract?

If your contracts are ineffective or your projects end in disaster more often that not, leave a comment here or e-mail me at: mailto:TomFawls@Council4SmallBiz.com">TomFawls@Council4SmallBiz.com. I can help.

Little Errors, Big Distractions. Six Tips to Help Improve Your Business Writing!

Writing for business is a tough thing to do. You've got to come across as intelligent, interesting and rational even when you're writing about the most mundane things. I've assembled 6 tips to help add some polish to your next weekly status report.

If there's a “First”, there's at least got to be a “Second”...

...and if possible, a “Third”, a “Fourth”, etc. I'm not saying the reading public is simple minded or anything, but, if you forget to include at least a “Second” point, the majority of readers will shift focus to finding the “missing” points, rather trying to understand the ideas you are trying to convey. While many will only go off track for a moment or two, even that slight break in flow can have a big impact on how effective your words are.

Proofread the darned thing!

If you're expecting your readers to spend their valuable time to wade through your pearls of wisdom, have the common courtesy to take your valuable time to wade through it first to at least find and correct any grammar, usage, and punctuation errors!

If it's worth taking the time to put it on paper (or into an electronic file), then it's worth taking the time to write it correctly! And that includes, e-mails, text messages, Facebook and LinkedIn messages and every other business communication.

I find that when I force myself to read aloud each word that's on the screen, it's easier to identify issues, clarify confusing expressions and greatly improve the flow and emotional impact of my writing. It you can get someone else to read or listen to you read) your work, that can be a great help, too.

Cut The Cute!

Cute might sell to little girls and Mommies, but it's annoying as hell in business communications unprofessional, too.

If you want your peers to think you're a joke, your boss to ignore you and your customers to think you're a flake and spineless push-over, just start adding an emoticon to every paragraph, dot every “i” with a heart, and include links to sparkly pictures of unicorns, fairies or fuzzy little animals in your signature block.

Cut The Words.

Although it's not always true in fashion, in business communications, brief is beautiful.

I'm a verbose guy – just ask my wife and kids. Knowing this, however, I force myself to do a lot of cutting before I release even a first draft for other folks to read. It's a good idea if you do the same.

You're not a lawyer, don't write like one.

Most lawyers can't even write like a lawyer (should), so what hope is there for you? Big words don't make you look smarter, they make you look pompous and ridiculously out of touch with the real world.

In business communications, write the way you talk, (unless, of course, you talk like a hillbilly, a gansta, or a seven year old girl (see “cut the cute” above). Use correct, “plain” English (or whatever language they're written in).

And if “legalese” is absolutely required, call a lawyer, that's what they're paid to do.

Write Like You've “Got A Pair”.

Take a stand when you write. Be positive and confident. State your case clearly, concisely and right at the beginning! Then support your position with appropriate facts, figures and “expert” opinions.

And remember, there's a difference between confident and arrogant. Don't be arrogant (or obnoxious, or annoying, or even abrasive!).

Follow these tips and you'll be amazed at how much moire effective your writing will be! Remember, though, well written crap is still crap.

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If you need help writing better crap, leave a comment here or e-mail me at: TomFawls@Council4SmallBiz.com.

Performance Evaluations - Making The Grade More Palatable

In addition to being a (world class) business consultant and contract negotiator,  I am an educator. A teacher. A college professor, to be exact.

I tell you this not to brag (well, not entirely!), but because being a teacher means that I spend a lot of time analyzing, evaluating, critiquing and rating (grading) other people's work. It's not my favorite part of the job, but it is, unfortunately, a part of the job.

And, as will happen with anything one does for more than 20 years, over the years I've been teaching, I've learned a few things. And one of the least obvious, but most important things I've learned is that for many people, receiving an “objective” performance score (grade) on performance quality standards that include some subjectivity, is a real distraction.

Folks tend to focus first (and longest) on the number you “gave them” and the “points I lost”, rather than on the "points they earned" or the actual quality of their work. They quibble over the minutia of a point or two; ignoring the larger underlying performance issues.  I am more likely to hear “Why did you give me an 84 and not an 86?”, rather than “What do I need to do to earn an “A” next time?”

I've found this is true not only in academic grading systems, but in employee evaluation systems, as well.

It seems the more “objective” we try to make our evaluation systems, the more temptation there is for the student / employee to focus on “the number” rather than the performance underlying the number.

So how do we fix this?  How do we get folks to quit worrying about a point or two and focus on the bigger picture?

That's a good question.  And here are a few things we as individual evaluators can do to help, regardless of the performance evaluation system(s) we're working with:

First, a face-to-face meeting where you can take time to explain the evaluation, to identify specific strengths and discuss areas for improvement before giving the “score” is the most effective way I've found. It's critical here to make sure your verbal comments agree with and support your written comments and that both are consistent with the performance score.

Second, giving them time to read the written evaluation and ask questions / voice disagreements after you've verbally explained the evaluation is critical as well. In the best case, they'll have time to review it immediately following the verbal discussion.

And finally, listen to objections and complaints with an open mind, and be willing to change the evaluation comments or adjust the score when there is a valid reason to do do. None of us is perfect.

And finally, always, always, always make sure that you take the above actions before the evaluation is completed and formally entered into the grading / performance evaluation system. This will go a long way toward letting your students/employees know you're doing your best to be fair and unbiased in your assessments...and that is the biggest thing we can do to get their focus off the minutia and on to the larger issues we need them working on!

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If you need help getting your evaluation system more effective, let me help. Either leave a comment here or e-mail me at: TomFawls@Council4SmallBiz.com.