November 2007
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Every entrepreneur should have a business mentorsomeone whos been through everything that theyre going through and can share their wisdom. Whether he knows it or not, my business mentor is none other than former Enron Executive Ken Lay. For many, he might not make the most obvious choice of a mentor, with his track record of lying, cheating, and stealing his way to success, but that is precisely why this choice is so appealing to me.
As his first duty as my business mentor, Ken (Mr. Lay to the rest of you) can grow my social network. This guy knows everybodylikely because hes paid most of them off at one point or another. He can introduce me to people who will come in handy when I need to get out of felony conspiracy charges. This is just one of the many valuable aspects of our business mentoring relationship.
I can trust Ken to be my business mentor, because he knows that if he makes one false move the government will be on him like white on rice. Much like the old saying that the safest time to fly is the day after a crash, I feel like the safest day to have Ken as my business mentor is right after a huge financial scandal that covers the television, newspaper and radio waves for years, and gets used as water cooler fodder even now.
Furthermore, hell be my business mentor for freeunlike many online services that try to charge for business mentoring services, Ken just got away with the biggest scandal in business history. Thus, he doesnt really need my money, because we all know that he has a few million stashed in a bank somewhere overseas. I get a free business mentor, and he gets to pretend that hes still somebody specialits a true symbiotic relationship.
But, one of the most important reasons that I choose Ken as my business mentor: hes already made every mistake in the book, so I can utilize his expertise in steering me away from potential business disasterslike billion-dollar financial scandals, or particularly creative bookkeeping practices. Also, as my business mentorshould the need arise, Ken can point me in the direction of a good lawyer to get me out of any particularly sticky situations.
Since Ken doesnt have anything better to do right now than be my business mentor, I cant see any reason why hed decline the request. After all, its not like hell ever be hired at another company worth a hill of beans, so be may as well use his spare time to promote entrepreneurship in the global community. By being my business mentor, Ken can pay off his debt to society, one lie at a time, all the while keeping me from heading to prison.
So, its easy to see why Ken Lay makes the best business mentor everI dont even see any other choices. So, over the course of our business mentoring relationship, Ill expect him to help me with some creative math, then help me to tuck that creative math away where no pesky FBI agents can find it. Like I saida true symbiotic relationship.
Ben Jordan an Austin, TX based x-Fortune 500 Marketing Consultant, now a rogue direct response internet marketer. His true love is helping small business owners, not become a 90% statistic that will fail historically. To receive for FREE “The Science of Getting Rich” e-book, please visit http://www.mymillionairementor.com
To Blame or Not To BlameA man can fall many times, but he isnt a failure until he begins to blame somebody else. (John Burroughs)Fire her, she set me up! John yelled quite loudly. He was incredibly angry and for good reason. However, he was really angry at the wrong person. What he was really saying was […]
Written by info on November 28th, 2007 with comments disabled.
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Youre buying coffee. One label says this roasted mountain-fresh Colombian coffee is ideal for all coffee makers. But is it ideal for the coffee beans maker, the farmer? Your choice is empowering. When you choose fair trade, you get more than coffee; you get the opportunity to enrich someones life.
What Is Fair Trade?
Fair trade is an international alternative trading system designed to empower disadvantaged farmers, artisans, and labourers. The movement began 50 years ago when international aid organizations worked to help farmers and labourers in Africa break free from oppressive trading practices. These inequitable trading practices still exist today.
Farmers and artisans in developing countries rely on intermediaries for market information and trade. These middlemen usually pay less than market price and keep the producers trapped in a cycle of poverty. Small-scale farmers cant afford to produce the crop. They cant afford the overhead or their financings interest rates. They abandon their farms, or, in the case of some cocoa producers, they employ unpaid workers, often children.
Through fair trade, farmers and artisans deal directly with members of fair trade organizations, bypassing the middleman and receiving a fair and sustainable wage for their work. According to the Fair Trade Federation, the goal of a member organization is to benefit the artisans they work with, not maximize profits. By reducing the number of middlemen and minimizing overhead costs, FTOs (fair trade organizations) return up to 40 percent of the retail price of an item to the producer. Producers receive a fair wage for their product, children are not exploited, and long-term relationships are encouraged to provide continuity in trading. Fair trade considers the enduring well-being of the person behind the product.
Who Decides Whats Fair?
In Canada, the Fair Trade Certified logo is managed by TransFair Canada, a nonprofit organization that belongs to the international Fairtrade Labeling Organization (FLO). Use of the logo comes with very strict rules and terms, to which all members are bound by contract.
The Canadian Fair Trade Certified logo is applied to product-specific items only, meaning that the product, not the company, is certified as fair trade. On the other hand, the Fair Trade Federation logo identifies the company as a certified member. Two of the largest members in the US are Ten Thousand Villages and SERRV International.
The Fair Trade Federation and FLO monitor their producers and members. They ensure that the playing field of trade is level and fair. For the consumer, these logos assure that the goods are produced in environmentally responsible conditions and that the cultures and communities of the worker are respected and sustained.
Is It Working?
Yes. According to the Fair Trade Federation, sales for Ten Thousand Villages in the US and Canada between 1985 and 1998 increased by nearly $15 million, creating over 12,000 full-time jobs for artisans and farmers.
As more consumers use their purchasing power for social justice, large corporations consider the fair trade alternative. Currently, there are 117 Canadian fair trade licensees, and 44 source countries are registered with the FLO. Todays fair trade products include crafts, coffee, tea, chocolate, soaps, cosmetics, sugar, and fruit. Coming soon are wines, nuts, oils, and more.
A consumer in Canada buys fair trade and a child in Colombia goes to school.
Thats a strong cup of coffee.
Catherine Jones has focused her writing and editing career on health and safety. She is a regular contributor to alive magazine. Visit http://www.alive.com for related articles.
To Blame or Not To BlameA man can fall many times, but he isnt a failure until he begins to blame somebody else. (John Burroughs)Fire her, she set me up! John yelled quite loudly. He was incredibly angry and for good reason. However, he was really angry at the wrong person. What he was really saying was […]
Written by info on November 28th, 2007 with comments disabled.
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Everyone in business will eventually face a real crisis of conscience at some point or points in his or her career. Before you face that critical choice, I believe most people would say it is easy to think that they will act ethically, no matter what the personal cost. However, what will you really do when you are faced with the personal cost of losing the job you love (or desperately need) and placing your familys welfare and your own self worth in jeopardy?
How confident are you that you will act ethically? How valuable are your ethics to you? Does your salary buy blind loyalty? What is your price to keep quiet or look the other way? These are all questions you must ask yourself when faced with an ethical dilemma in your business.
Is your personal respect and integrity negotiable? It is probably safe to say that all or certainly most of us have encountered situations where there was a bending of the rules; the special person, client or coworker who gets special consideration; the dishonest deal; the telling of a blatant untruth; and so on. Do you have an ethical compass in good working order to guide you in resolving these ethical dilemmas?
There are numerous examples I could give to illustrate an ethical dilemma. I chose one that occurred in my local community where a magazine publisher skipped town without publishing a promised issue of her magazine, but had her staff out selling advertisement with the staffs knowledge that the issue they were selling advertising for would not be published. What would you do if, as an employee, you were asked to sell advertising for a publication that you knew would never be published? Would you still sell the advertising? If yes, that says something about the value of ethics to you. What would you do if you, as someone else inside or outside the organization, knew that someone was doing just that? If you do not speak up and tell someone, this says something about your price to keep quiet.
What will you do the next time you are faced with an ethical dilemma? Perhaps the following selected quotations about ethics in business and society can provide some guidance or at least some food for thought.
+ We will not lie, steal or cheat, nor tolerate among us anyone who does.” (from the U.S. Air Force Academy code of conduct)
+ Honor is better than honors.” (President Abraham Lincoln)
+ “A man who wants to lead the orchestra must turn his back on the crowd.” (Max Lucado)
+ “It has become dramatically clear that the foundation of corporate integrity is personal integrity.” (DiPiazza, Sam, CEO of PriceWaterhouseCoopers)
+ “A people that values its privileges above its principles soon loses both.” (Dwight D. Eisenhower)
+ “To sin by silence when they should protest makes cowards of men.”
(Abraham Lincoln)
+ To see what is right and not to do it is want of courage. (Confucius)
+ If ethics are poor at the top, that behavior is copied down through the organization. (Robert Noyce, inventor of the silicon chip)
In my opinion, American businesses and business people are at a crossroads in their governance and risk management processes. I also believe that the best of the best, the truly world class companies of the future will have business ethics and personal integrity as their top goal. I believe this because if ethics and integrity are second, then ethics and integrity will be subject to compromise and sacrifice where and when a choice must be made. My challenge to every business person, and especially business owners and leaders, is to ask yourself How valuable are your ethics or what is your price to compromise your ethics?
If you are interested in learning more about the importance of addressing ethical dilemmas with a solid proactive ethical approach, please contact Glenn Ebersole through his website at http://www.businesscoach4u.com or email Glenn at
jgecoach@aol.com
How Valuable Are Your Ethics or What is Your Price to Compromise Your Ethics?
By: J. Glenn Ebersole, Jr., Chief Executive of J. G. Ebersole Associates and The Renaissance Group
Glenn Ebersole, Jr. is a multi-faceted professional, who is recognized as a visionary, guide and facilitator in the fields of business coaching, marketing, public relations, management, strategic planning and engineering. Glenn is the Founder and Chief Executive of two Lancaster, PA based consulting practices: The Renaissance Group, a creative marketing, public relations, strategic planning and business development consulting firm and J. G. Ebersole Associates, an independent professional engineering, marketing, and management consulting firm. He is a Certified Facilitator and serves as a business coach and a strategic planning facilitator and consultant to a diverse list of clients. Glenn is also the author of a monthly newsletter, Glenns Guiding Lines Thoughts From Your Strategic Thinking Business Coach and has published more than 225 articles on business.
To Blame or Not To BlameA man can fall many times, but he isnt a failure until he begins to blame somebody else. (John Burroughs)Fire her, she set me up! John yelled quite loudly. He was incredibly angry and for good reason. However, he was really angry at the wrong person. What he was really saying was […]
Written by info on November 28th, 2007 with comments disabled.
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“The ethics of a business are whatever the top-dog says they are.”
- Bryce’s Law
INTRODUCTION
We hear a lot these days about the deterioration of ethics in business, e.g., graft,
corruption, cheating, favoritism, skimming money, etc. This has resulted in a public
relations nightmare for business. If consumers do not trust a company, its a matter
of time before it goes out of business. This is supported by recent studies that give
evidence there is a correlation between business performance and ethical practices
(see the Institute of Business Ethics). Basically, the Institute’s study suggests there
are long-term benefits associated with enacting an ethics programs. Such studies
and recent corporate snafus (e.g., Enron) are impetus for companies coming to
grips with ethics in the workplace.
There are essentially two considerations for devising an ethics program in
business; first, knowing what your ethics are, and, second; implementing them
in a consistent manner.
INTERPRETING ETHICS
There is little point in my telling you what is ethically right or wrong. You already
have an interpretation of this. But let us understand what influences our interpretation
of ethics; our interpersonal relations with others, such as our family, friends, neighbors,
fellow workers, as well as the media. Ethics is learned more than it is taught. It is based
on observations of the conduct of others, people we like and respect as opposed to those
we do not. It is then up to each of us to interpret these perceptions from which we will
base our conduct and behavior. The point is, we act on our perceptions, however accurate
or inaccurate they may be. Another influential factor are our own human frailties of
competitiveness, love, greed and ambition. But then again, this goes back to
interpersonal relations.
Let us recognize that ethical behavior is interpreted differently from person to person. What
one person may consider right or wrong may be different for the next person. The objective
in business is to implement a uniform form of behavior thereby instilling consumer
confidence in a company overall.
IMPLEMENTATION
Writing a corporate code of conduct is in vogue today as a means of articulating the
ethics of a business. Such codes are proudly displayed on web sites and in corporate
brochures more for public relations than anything else. True, they are useful for
disciplining an employee for an infraction of the rules, but I do not see them as an
effective way of implementing an ethics program. Understand this, regardless of what
the code of conduct states, the ethics of a business are whatever the top-dog says they
are. Too often I have seen companies say one thing, then act another, e.g.,
Enron.
Printed codes of conduct are nice, but we have to recognize that it is one thing to
enact legislation, quite another to enforce it. As stated earlier, ethical behavior
is based on observations. Regardless of what a code of conduct says in print, ethical
behavior is based on the relationship of superior and subordinate worker
relationships. If a subordinate observes an indiscretion by his superior, in all
likelihood it will be emulated by the subordinate. This phenomenon occurs
top-down in the whole corporate chain of command. If it breaks down anywhere
in the corporate hierarchy, it will become visible to the subordinate layers and
potentially create a “trickle-down” effect. This means the boss has to be a role
model for ethical behavior; they must “walk-the-walk” as well as “talk-the-talk.” If
they do not, it will not go unobserved by their subordinates. Managers, therefore,
should avoid the “do as I say, not do as I do” phenomenon. They must lead by
example. Anything less is sheer hypocrisy and will inevitably lead to changes
in behavior.
It is simply not sufficient to issue platitudes as to what is and what isn’t ethical
behavior. The manager must follow-up and assure ethical behavior is implemented
accordingly. In other words, we shouldn’t just “desire” truth and honesty, we
must “demand” it. If one person gets away with an indiscretion, others will surely
follow. As such, when writing out a code of conduct, be sure to stipulate the
penalties for its violation.
The success of a business ethics program is ultimately measured by how well it
becomes ingrained in the corporate culture. As we have discussed in the past,
corporate culture pertains to the identity and personality of the enterprise. All
companies have a culture; a way they behave and operate. They may be organized
and disciplined or chaotic and unstructured. Either way, this is the culture which
the enterprise has elected to adopt. What is important is that in order for an employee
to function and succeed, they must be able to recognize, accept and adapt to the
culture. If they do not, they will be rejected (people will not work with them).
The intuitive manager understands the corporate culture and how to manipulate
it. Changing the Corporate Culture involves influencing the three elements of the
culture: its Customs, Philosophy and Society. This is not a simple task. It must be
remembered that culture is learned. As such, it can be taught and enforced. For
example, a code of conduct is useful for teaching, as is a system of rewards and
penalties. Designating people to act as watchdogs of the culture can also be useful,
but be careful not to create a climate of paranoia. Ultimately, as a manager, you
want to create a culture that promotes the ethical behavior you desire.
For more information on “Corporate Culture,” see http://www.phmainstreet.com/mba/pride/eespcc.htm
CONCLUSION
We now live in strange socioeconomic times. 40-50 years ago we
normally had one parent staying home to raise the kids. Now it is commonplace
to find families where both the husband and wife are working and paying
less attention to their children, thereby relegating their parenting duties to
teachers and coaches. In other words, the family unit, which is the basic
building block for learning ethical behavior, is becoming severely hampered.
In business today we have a “fast-track” competitive mentality which does not
encourage a spirit of teamwork but, rather, more rugged individualism. Nor
does it promote employee loyalty. Further, we now live in a society that
encourages people to go into debt, thereby causing financial tensions.
Bottom-line, ethics is about people and trust. Consequently, we should be
sharpening our people skills as opposed to avoiding it. We don’t need more
maxims of how we should conduct our lives; we need to lead by example. As
such, we need more role-models and heroes than we do paperwork.
Let me close with one last thought on how ethics impacts business; there
is probably nothing worse in business than being caught in a lie, particularly
by a customer. Any trust that there may have been before disintegrates
immediately and business is lost. In this day and age, there is something
refreshingly honorable about a person where their word is their bond. Ethics
just makes good business sense.
Tim Bryce is the Managing Director of M. Bryce & Associates (MBA)
of Palm Harbor, Florida and has 30 years of experience in the field. He is available for training and consulting on an international basis. He can be contacted at: timb001@phmainstreet.com
Copyright 2006 MBA. All rights reserved.
To Blame or Not To BlameA man can fall many times, but he isnt a failure until he begins to blame somebody else. (John Burroughs)Fire her, she set me up! John yelled quite loudly. He was incredibly angry and for good reason. However, he was really angry at the wrong person. What he was really saying was […]
Written by info on November 27th, 2007 with comments disabled.
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In the past many business opportunity sellers would use industry specific statistics on their Web sites, brochures and even in videos, which they would mail to potential buyers. The Federal Trade Commission looked into this and found that many business opportunity sellers overused these figures to sell their wares.
In the future this tactic of using industry statistics may become illegal and considered fraudulent due to a proposed rule that the Federal Trade Commission is considering which would govern business opportunities. In the rule business opportunity sellers would have to prove and have records to prove that the statistics they use are actual statistics of people who bought their particular business opportunity.
Why is such a rule being considered by the Federal Trade Commission? Well, because there has been fraud in the past uniform of unsubstantiated earnings claims, which has damaged consumers. Below is an excerpt from the rulemaking section report by the Federal Trade Commission on their potential proposed rule;
Proposed section 437.4(c): Industry statistics
As noted above, proposed section 437.4(c) would address a problem that is prevalent among business opportunity sellers: the use of real or purported industry statistics in the marketing of business opportunity ventures. It is common for vending machine promoters, for example, to tout what are purported to be industry-wide vending sales statistics. A matrix of potential earnings based upon an industry-average sliding scale of vends per day is typical. The use of such industry statistics in the promotion of a business opportunity creates the impression that the level of sales or earnings is typical in the industry, and by extrapolation, that the prospective purchaser will achieve similar results.
To prevent this type of deceptive earnings claim, proposed section 437.4(c) would prohibit the use of industry financial, earnings, or performance information unless the seller has written substantiation demonstrating that the information reflects the typical or ordinary financial, earnings, or performance experience of purchasers of the business opportunity being offered for sale. Accordingly, before a seller could use industry statistics, it must be able to measure the performance of existing purchasers and document that the industry statistics reflect the existing purchasers typical performance. For example, a start-up business opportunity with no or very limited prior sales would probably not be able to use industry statistics because it would lack a sufficient basis to demonstrate that the industry statistics reflect the typical or ordinary experience of the start-ups prior purchasers.
If you are a business opportunity seller perhaps you may wish to contact the Federal Trade Commission on this proposed rule and putt in your own comments. For instance you might state do you think the rule is unfair or that it needs to be slightly modified or to be made fair. Perhaps you believe that legitimate industry associations, which put together data and reports should be allowed. But it is time now for you to speak or forever hold your peace. Consider this and 2006.
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To Blame or Not To BlameA man can fall many times, but he isnt a failure until he begins to blame somebody else. (John Burroughs)Fire her, she set me up! John yelled quite loudly. He was incredibly angry and for good reason. However, he was really angry at the wrong person. What he was really saying was […]
Written by info on November 27th, 2007 with comments disabled.
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One definition of Business Ethics is conformance to accepted professional high standards of conduct.
Most businesses have prepared, documented, and published their company policies derived from their basic beliefs and philosophies, and Business Ethics is usually one of them.
We must avoid even the appearance of unethical conduct.
How do Business Ethics apply in the workplace?
One perspective on Business Ethics is what each of us thinks about using the company equipment and information we have access to as we perform our duties:
What we think about making copies of personal (non-business) documents on company provided equipment.
What we think about faxing personal (non-business) documents on company provided equipment.
What we think about making personal (non-business) telephone calls on company provided equipment.
What we think about sending personal (non-business) electronic mail messages on company provided computers and Internet network connections.
Etc.
These and other non-business usages and actions are a drag on company profitability.
Other applications of Business Ethics in the workplace might be:
Do you copy software to take home for personal use?
Do you properly dispose of classified information regardless of media type?
Do you “shoulder-surf” when a colleague is entering his or her password or viewing sensitive data?
Do you ask those who “tailgate” upon entrance to the controlled-access office building to see their ID?
Let’s be sure that our Business Ethics “dip-stick” always reads FULL.
The author, at one time, was an IT Staff Auditor for a Fortune 10 company, and also managed the global Information Security Program for the Information Technology organization that supported a Fortune 10 company.
http://www.sound-business-practices.com
http://www.skeletonstar.com.com
http://www.skeleton-star.com.com
To Blame or Not To BlameA man can fall many times, but he isnt a failure until he begins to blame somebody else. (John Burroughs)Fire her, she set me up! John yelled quite loudly. He was incredibly angry and for good reason. However, he was really angry at the wrong person. What he was really saying was […]
Written by info on November 26th, 2007 with comments disabled.
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From Monday the 21st of August 2006, Royal Mail changed the rates for the postage of letters.
Previously, the cost of postage depended purely on the weight of the letter. But now it has been decided that the price should depend on the size of the letter as well as the weight of the letter.
This means that a single sheet of paper sent in a small envelope would cost just 30p for first class postage. Whilst the same sheet of paper sent in an A4 envelope would cost 42p.
I’ve always believed that the business should make a profit. And also that businesses should have the right to determine their own pricing. But I really can’t believe that this one has been thought through properly.
Our first concern in the office on the morning of Monday 21st August was trying to understand the new system and making certain that our letters were going out with the correct rate of postage. The new system is undoubtedly more complex and has caused us plenty of confusion.
But what really baffles me is that the new system is so easy to manipulate. Instead of sending out documents in an A4 envelope, they can simply be folded in half and put into a smaller envelope which qualifies for the lower rate of postage. A saving of 12p per letter! You have to make certain that the letter does not exceed a certain thickness but most business post would quite easily meet this criteria.
Even more bizarre, you could put your letter into the same large envelope and then simply fold the envelope in half in order to qualify for the lower rate of postage! How nuts is that? And even more bizarre (as if that is possible!) this is exactly the advice being given across the counter at the post office!
When you add to all of this confusion to the cost that must’ve been incurred by notifying every single address within the United Kingdom of the new system (including templates to help users gauge the size of a letter) and the new charge rates, has this really been a successful initiative?
I very rarely criticise a business by name. And I hope that my comments will be taken constructively. But I really do feel that Royal Mail have shot themselves in the foot and have lost a huge amount of consumer confidence. Maybe I will be proved wrong. I hope so.
What do you think?
And I beg you, please take a look at your own systems and make certain that it is easy for customers to buy from you. This is one area in which we cannot afford to make mistakes.
If customers are put off buying from us at the first hurdle we will very rarely get a second opportunity. You may have lost the customer without even knowing that you had them in the first place!
Derek Williams is creator of The WOW! Awards an International Professional Speaker and Chief Executive for the Society of Consumer Affairs Professionals in Europe.
For more information about Derek Williams visit www.MrWow.co.uk
For The WOW! Awards (including access to a FREE customer service newsletter) visit www.TheWowAwards.com
To Blame or Not To BlameA man can fall many times, but he isnt a failure until he begins to blame somebody else. (John Burroughs)Fire her, she set me up! John yelled quite loudly. He was incredibly angry and for good reason. However, he was really angry at the wrong person. What he was really saying was […]
Written by info on November 26th, 2007 with comments disabled.
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The funny thing about mutual respect is that you cant control it. Sure, you can control whether or not you exercise on a regular basis, whether you control your temper, or whether or not you express respect to others, but mutual respect implies that two or more persons have respect for each other, and as unfortunate as it may seem at times, you can never control when and where others decide to show you respect. So, perhaps the question should be: How can I encourage mutual respect?
Read the five tips below and learn what you can do to create an environment that is more conducive to manifestations of mutual respect.
1) Encourage Mutual Respect with Time
Its painfully obvious that we simply dont get along with some personalities, but it is also fairly obvious that the more you get to know someone the more you begin to understand them and in turn, respect them. After those primary bad impressions sizzle off you might even make some surprising friendships.
If you truly want to foster mutual respect with people who may be hard to get along with, you are going to have to buckle down and set aside time to be with that person, work with that person, talk with that person and even play with that person. You might have to grit your teeth now and again but in the end you will gradually start to realize that his or her personality or point of view arent that hard to get along with after all.
2) Encourage Mutual Respect with Patience
Patience, in my opinion, is a combination of empathy and selflessness. In other words, patience is about other people, which is why patience is such a hard virtue to master. After all, who wants to spend time thinking about other people when we are so busy plowing through our own agendas? The truth is that the best people, the smartest people and the most successful people take a good long look at other people and express empathy and selflessness towards the people they associate with. Sincerity of action is also very important. A person who is simply going through the motions of being selfless (i.e. taking more time to talk with someone) will simply appear to be a fake if he or she doesnt show sincerity.
3) Encourage Mutual Respect by Listening
Listening is one of the greatest manifestations of respect. Even if you think the ideas of a co-worker or acquantaince are way off the mark, listen carefully to what he or she is saying and then ask questions that truly make you curious. For instance, if your co-worker wants to raise the marketing budget and you think that is the stupidest idea you have heard during your entire career, dont express your feelings, or your own thoughts regarding the supposed stupidity of the suggestion. Instead, start asking questions like How will the company have enough to pay for the new hires in two months? or What do you think about our current marketing strategies? Do you think we should improve those first? You might find that he or she has some great ideas that were being poorly expressed because no one took the time to analyze them more fully.
4) Encourage Mutual Respect by Laughing
If you laugh with others, you can relax, and when you relax and help others to relax as well, more effective communication takes place every second. Take time to analyze your opponents sense of humor and be patient with him or her. Try to find common interests, or laugh about experiences that youve already had together without using humor that he or she might find offensive.
5) Maintain Mutual Respect with Honesty
Once a person trusts you and starts to show you respect, it doesnt mean you will have his or her respect for a lifetime. In order to maintain mutual respect you have to be honest with that person even when it is extremely uncomfortable to do so, and you have to be honest every day–not just on the days that are convenient for you. A dishonest businessman or professional is truly no businessman or professional at all. If you are honest, you will become better at everything you do and others will crave your mutual respect.
Marci Crane is a web content specialist for Innuity. For more information in regards to instruction of activities and lessons that can help you foster mutual respect in the workplace, please feel free to contact a VitalSmarts representative.
To Blame or Not To BlameA man can fall many times, but he isnt a failure until he begins to blame somebody else. (John Burroughs)Fire her, she set me up! John yelled quite loudly. He was incredibly angry and for good reason. However, he was really angry at the wrong person. What he was really saying was […]
Written by info on November 26th, 2007 with comments disabled.
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Dear committee,
I do not wish to continue the proscribed process as outlined in the action points of the last committee meeting regarding my grievance with Meg. It seems obvious that with Megs abject refusal to even attempt to redress the problem that any process will fail to effect change without putting the museum directly into a potentially destructive process.
Please find the attached document Complaints.rtf, which outlines the processes that are notionally in use, I must stress that this is a draft, and should not be considered anything more than my personal notes on the problem. Please circulate as appropriate.
Because there has not been a coherent effort to document this, until now, what has not been noticed is that this is a system which requires command and control structures that dont, and cant, exist within a totally voluntary organisation. This power vacuum is a natural consequence of the fact that, increasingly, we are all volunteers, thus among other inconsistencies, the required level of perceived authority to execute this style of system where one volunteer has to exert speculative control over others does not exist. This can be seen in the question of ‘ which hat am I wairing’ and the confusion generated where direct reporting and operational lines are combined into one person with two ‘hats’.
To extend the argument, I think since a hierarchical system is failing to manage with grievance and complaints, the idea of a more communal arrangement is worth some consideration, ie there have been two complaints recently, incidentally both of which can be directly linked to Megs interference.
In this communal environment, if a complaint can not be resolved informally, it passes to a committee of the whole house type meeting for all volunteers and management to ask the questions of all concerned and to vote on a consensual solution.
As a by product of this thinking, I would seriously recommend that management committee meetings be opened up to all volunteers, and the formal directors meetings reduced to the circulation of written reports, effectively reverting to a more passive entity, ie as things were before committee members were actively getting involved in operations.
I dont want to teach people how to suck eggs, but my situation doesnt give me much choice in the matter as I have a unique insight into the workings of the museum, and I would hate to think that this painful episode has not produced anything of benefit to anyone.
With kind regards,
———-
Dear committee,
It has been 3 weeks since the last committee meeting at which, as I understand the situation, Meg was asked to informally make some attempt at resolving the personal issues between her and I. Please excuse the excessive use of quotation marks above, my feelings as to the failures of the past should be obvious - that is not important as we look to the future, continuing in the same way. Nothing happened, or even looks like progress, I don’t know what to do now, was hoping for some advice at the opening.
Well, Ive gone out of my way to give Meg reasonable opportunities in which to start what ever process was indicated, including fixing her computer which had malfunctioned the day before the meeting, (heat retention damage to her most recent files) in fact while leaving, that same meeting, she asked my dad if he thought I would help her sort it out.
I sorted out the computer, said that if she had only being using MsWord, instead of Wordpad, she would not have lost her priory exhibition texts, Ive even offered to help her learn how to use all the features of Word while helping to write her reporting responsibilities document, that would have directly resolved the root of the original conflict.
The fact is that she only even talks to me when its convenient for her, ie when she needs something, before her computer issue I dont think she has said more than 3 consecutive words to me since last October.
Even at the opening, there were times when Meg just came over and started talking to whom ever was there, as if I didnt exist, once while talking she moved from where she was standing so as to literally exclude me too.
Anyway, I believe Meg is not ignoring or just not trying but is actively not accepting any problem even existed, I can only assume she is having difficulty as an ex school teacher, but thats no reason to hide her head in the sand. What sort of behaviour is this for an adult women? What sort of an example is this for the younger generation?
I think Meg wants all this to be forgotten, putdown to bad luck and then all will be right again, either that or she believes that she has resolved the problems, maybe since I fixed her computer, it her mind, that counts somehow. 
Well indeed the memory and the emotion fades but the understanding gained will not so easily, enlightenment itself does not not completely. What does this teach me? It teaches me that I am who I was, and will always be, and so will Meg, she didnt even write her final dissertation (she gave notes to her friend who organised and typed it up). Still I wonder about how it is that this terrible and terrifying thing called human society allows the truly stupid, reckless and dangerous to flourish.
So then logically, if I am to survive in this world, in the midst of this society, then I too can just go around floundering helplessly interfering with things I dont understand, aimlessly not knowing or caring for the reason to do so; barking orders & acting unilaterally, just as long as I say what ever is politically convenient at that time so people think Im actually competent!
With kind regards,
——————-
Dear committee,
I see your version of the covering note section on your reasoning is stronger than dads original.
I like it, as you imply that Meg/Sheila didnt know there were other considerations, other than simply a matter of permission fromVestry Hall, and just because they didnt think it would be a problem, that noone else would have anything important to say on the matter & it is not in anyones interest for this to continue.
The sad fact is that, there was debate at ‘ committee level ‘ (you may remember a ‘committee’ ad hoc meeting in our garden last year when I was present, let alone more formal ones where I was not) about the possibilities, including that of a permanent sign, however the point that once we have permission to mount such a sign, there MUST be committee consultation has been (conveniently) lost.
Indeed, at that initial (informal) stage, the details of implementation werent important enough to warrant any real consideration which, sadly, means that Meg/Sheila could argue that they didnt know they needed to know anything else thus due to their limited understanding, they feel no committee consultation was required.
I dont think this works in practise, ignorance should not be a reasonable defence, assuming they generally didnt believe there would be any problems, should volunters be able to act unilaterally?
I think Meg/Sheila could argue that, You unilaterally put up the WVF signs without committee consultation, this is no different.
In the first instance these are temporary signs, erected correctly, by a trained volunteer and not subject to the same requirements. But more to the point, they were erected as part of an overall strategy which was agreed at committee level, where as the question of a perment Museum sign was not.
The question now, which Meg/Sheila could argue is about where we draw the boundary between normal (day-to-day) operations which dont require committee consultation and what things do?
I think anything that someone should reasonably suspect could effect the running/operation of the museum MUST be subject to committee consultation, except to the extent where preexisting general authority has been given - was this ever done for Meg and Sheila?
If so how can they support/justerfy someone who has responsibility for the internal displays therefore having unilateral authority for anything else. Whatever the case, everyone should be alert of such a policy
With kind regards,
———–
Summary:
This is an introduction to some relatively complex areas related to appraisals and evaluations which constitute two processes which can assist volunteer management.
It is only in situations which go drastically wrong that a complaints process needs to come into operation. Most complaints, either by or about volunteers, can usually be dealt with in supervisory sessions or through discussions with a manager. Volunteers need to know who they can approach should they wish to make a complaint and the action which will be taken is certain guidelines and policies are broken by them.
Making such processes as fair and straightforward as possible is important, in unpaid work it becomes all to easy for seemingly minor issues to heighten any pre existing sense of injustice or to crate it a feeling of there being an inner-circle of friends. Many volunteers leave an organisation of their own accord. Volunteers need to be valued and supported through their time of leaving. In this way, volunteers will leave with a positive experience of the organisation and possibly return in the future and of invite others, should the opportunity arise.
Complaints:
There may be occasions when a volunteer has cause to make a complaint about another volunteer, organisations run by volunteers where theres never been a problem and have never had need of measures for such procedures, sometimes import boilerplate grievance and disciplinary procedures from a business environment on the basis that it works for them, so itll work for us.
Grievance and complaints, like the burden of any bureaucracy, could quickly start to over-formalise volunteering thus dampening personal creativity. This administrative approch is clearly not appropriate for every organisation. However, it is important to treat volunteers fairly and without procedures all problems will tend to be tackled on an ad hoc basis which would inexorably result in unequal treatment and will only ever heighten any pre existing people’s sense of injustice or could create it.
It is now generally accepted that guidelines are required specifically for volunteers, if for no other reason than to avoid an over-formalisation of ‘contracts’ or ‘agreements’ between the organisation and its volunteers, which can lead to ambiguities in the status of volunteers.
There are many examples of volunteers clamming protection under employment law, and there is a general perception within committee levels that volunteers are never personally at fault for any damage caused to the organisation, ie any problem is in some way seen as a result of the fault of management instead of the guilty party. This is true of paid employment, as a direct result of employment law but this can not be applied to the voluntary sector for reasons that should be obvious later.
In the event of a complaint by or concerning a volunteer, all involved should always know there is someone - usually a Manager - who is beyond the direct reporting lines of any issue, with whom they can discuss matters of concern. In most circumstances, this manager will be able to resolve problems, by listening to the volunteer(s) concerned. All parties must know who is responsible and that matters in this context will be treated confidentially.
Dealing with Complaints:
If complaints cannot be resolved by discussion, then some suitable framework has be put in place to deal with such situations; the overall affect should be to create a buffer between the personal and private area of involvement. This process should be seen as a last resort, to be implemented only if supervision and support have failed to resolve the situations.
As with other areas of volunteer management, present guidelines recommend that each organisation should formulate their own complaints process surrounding volunteer involvement. A framework for dealing with complaints should include methods whereby there is:
1) A named person for dealing with complaints;
2) A clear policy known to all everyone;
3) Separation and boundaries of confidentiality;
4) A method to withdraw complaints at any time;
5) A process for complaints included in the induction process;
6) Volunteers have the right to appeal.
Complaints by Volunteers:
As already stated, minor matters can be prevented from becoming major issues through good lines of communication, supervision and support. If a matter cannot be resolved through informal discussions, keeping guidelines as straightforward as possible can help ease frustration. Long, drawn out and complicated processes could be seen as a deliberate form of intimidation to prevent issues being reported in the first place and to prevent matters being dealt with swiftly / justly. Building on the framework described above, if volunteers wish to make a complaint, there needs to be:
1) An explanation of the options available in order to make a complaint;
2) A procedure for putting complaints in writing;
3) An acknowledgement that making a complaint against another volunteer will not prejudice their opportunity to continue to volunteer for the organisation.
4) Documentation of the complaint and subsequent meeting/s to resolve the problem and the outcome should be kept on record.
5) The right to withdraw from their involvement with the organisation or be given extra support to continue, whilst the complaint is being dealt with.
If the complaint is of a serious nature, it may require the involvement of a manager, or chair of the management committee.
In situations where a volunteer makes a complaint, he/she should be informed of the outcome.
Complaints against Volunteers:
In most circumstances, concerns about a volunteer’s conduct should be dealt with in supervisory meetings, for example where someone starts interfering with other peoples work. The important point here is that dealing with a complaint at an early stage and in a more informal way is more likely to result in a satisfactory outcome by monitoring and intervention before possible problems are realised is preferable to sorting out problems after the event.
In situations where a volunteer has seriously breached his/her responsibilities, he/she can be asked to leave the organisation. However, these situations need to be specified at the time of induction. They may include, but not limited to, the following:
1) Theft of property;
2) Act of violence;
3) Falsifications of records;
4) Abuse/harassment;
5) Vandalism/damage to property;
6) Unauthorised disclosure of confidential information;
7) Action or inaction putting self or the public at risk
Further to this and depending on the nature of the complaint, the volunteer may be asked to withdraw his/her services on a temporary basis, while the matter is being investigated. Before any action is proposed to deal with a complaint, the complaint itself needs to be verified. The steps which may be taken to rectify a situation would include:
1) Nature of the complaint;
2) Why the behaviour has occurred;
3) Implementing change (additional support, training etc.) within a given time frame.
4) Review of change.
If, no change or insufficient change in attitude or behaviour is observed, in spite of additional support, it may well be necessary to ask the volunteer to leave the organisation if for no other reason then to enable the other volunteers to continue to contribute without feeling duress and or to prevent a feeling of unfairness .
Bearing in mind the concerns expressed above, questions have to be raised as to how far it is possible for an organisation to take action ‘against’ a volunteer, unlike in paid employment there is in fact very little action that can be taken other than removing the disruptive influence. Due to this fact that nothing can be done other than that quite extreme measure, avoiding problems and minimising risks is preferable to trying to resolve problems after the event.
Throughout any process and during the time a volunteer is with an organisation, it needs to be made clear that their services can be withdrawn, without redress, on either side, this is why the issue of volunteer protection under employment law must be avoided at all costs, as these two ideas are totally irreconcilable
Deciding on the best methods of dealing with complaints requires thought, preparation and review. The NAVB suggest that the involvement of volunteers (and other related members of staff) in the formulation in the methods to deal with complaints is often helpful. As the NAVB state, the positive consequences of this are two fold: Firstly, it raises awareness of the process and secondly helps to ensure that volunteers are happy with the decision about such issues that affect them directly, (NAVB, 1995, p.5). Due to the nature of unpaid work, it is important that those effected are consulted and their input is valued and recognised.
As a direct result of an open structure, if a volunteer is asked to leave as a result of a complaint being upheld and not being resolved, it needs to be done firmly but with fairness.
Leaving the Organisation:
Many organisations find volunteer retention difficult and volunteers sometimes seem to leave all too frequently. Nevertheless, this freedom to come and go, without redress, is at the heart of the volunteering experience and a odds with employment law. Some organisations may feel that they require a specified commitment from their volunteers, however, this can prove problematic if in so doing it creates a more formal, legally binding agreement.
At whatever stage a volunteer wishes to leave, it is essential that his/her input is valued and recognised. One way of doing this is to obtain and value their opinion on the work of the organisation and volunteer involvement. Current thinking that in leaving volunteers are given the opportunity to discuss their work and reasons for leaving. Useful questions which may be to ask volunteers who decide to leave the include:
1) What was your role? Did this change over time? If yes, how?
2) What did you best like about volunteering with this organisation?
3) What did you least like about volunteering with us?
4) What improvements would you make for changes or improvements in the organisation’s involvement of volunteers?
5) Would you recommend other people to come and volunteer with this organisation?
From gathering such information as a volunteer leaves, it is possible to build up a picture of volunteering within the organisation and this information could prove invaluable to the organisation as it may be used to contribute to the future retention of other volunteers.
It may be found that several volunteers leave for the same reason; this information will allow the Volunteer Manager to implement any changes considered necessary to aid future retention of volunteers.
Michael Hart.
I am the website administrator of the Wandle industrial museum (http://www.wandle.org). Established in 1983 by local people to ensure that the history of the valley was no longer neglected but enhanced awareness its heritage for the use and benefits of the community.
To Blame or Not To BlameA man can fall many times, but he isnt a failure until he begins to blame somebody else. (John Burroughs)Fire her, she set me up! John yelled quite loudly. He was incredibly angry and for good reason. However, he was really angry at the wrong person. What he was really saying was […]
Written by info on November 25th, 2007 with comments disabled.
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“The time for fixing every essential right on a legal basis is while our rulers are honest and ourselves united. From the conclusion of this war we shall be going down hill. It will not then be necessary to resort every movement to the people for support. They will be forgotten, therefore, and their rights disregarded. They will forget themselves, but in the sole faculty of making money… The shackles, therefore, which shall not be knocked off at the conclusion of this war, will remain on us long, will be made heavier and heavier.” - Thomas Jefferson
Henry Kissinger made a presentation to the Bilderbergs in Evian, France in 1984; wherein he spoke of the need for society to deal with the right wing religious extremists in order to prepare the Earth for acceptance by alien cultures. Although he spoke of the benefit of a common goal for the Nations of the Earth in the advent of the end of the Cold War, it is entirely possible these world leaders are working to a new Revolution like Jefferson was still aware was needed after the end of the American Revolutionary War. It is my sincere hope that this is the case and that they have something like ‘Star Trek’ in mind for us. Here is Jefferson’s letter to another high Mason who helped bring the U.S. into being and who Jefferson had spent a lot of time with when he was Ambassador to France. That was a time when Jefferson received the ‘Great Seal of the United States’ from some unidentified party (as the story goes, it may have been connected with Napoleon’s time in the Great Pyramid).
“I do not believe with the Rochefoucaults and Montaignes, that fourteen of fifteen men are rogue. I believe a great abatement from that proportion may be made in favor of general honesty. But I have always found that rogues would be uppermost, and I do not know that the proportion is to strong for the higher orders… These set out with stealing the people’s good opinion, and then steal from them the right of withdrawing it by contriving laws and associations against the power of the people themselves.”
Since he knew the association of his friends like Franklin, Paine, Hancock and Adams were in control; was he averse to their designs? Would he recognize any kind of government that was contemplated in the founding documents of the U.S. if he were alive today? Most people who read these documents agree that if you were to live according to their intents you would be in jail for treason or some other charges. The current leaders are no less connected and part of this same octopus that grows new heads and expands like a Medusa every few years. They deny they are interested in religion and politics yet they proudly point to the Templars who clearly were. It isn’t just Masons who are part of this octopus as we have seen. In Piatigorsky’s book Who’s Afraid of the Freemasons from 1997 he makes a circuitous attempt to show Mason’s are a kind of religion. They say that all religious denominations are represented in their organization. This is true; there are many hypocrites in religions and they will join whatever makes economic sense or fills some power need, as Jefferson has stated. Shackled at first with such ideas that more money can be had through association with this network, or MORE of prestige, or MORE of anything, many do join. Few are chosen to rise up and become better men without perspiration and perspicacity. They can say all they want about themself but what pray tell do they DO?
I believe I have already shown in other books that they are a religion in the words of Paine, MacDari and others. They are a religion that believes any good person when properly exposed to the truth (their ascending teaching) will do what they think is right. Here is one of the statements that we MUST consider! It is the words of Adam Weishaupt who founded the Illuminati in the 1700’s and whose followers will play an important role in the rest of this book and your life. (Cecil Rhodes who started the Boer War and left his diamond fortune to the Round Table/Committee of 300 is just one of them.)
“By this plan, we shall direct all mankind in this manner. And, by the simplest means, we shall set in motion and in flames. The occupations must be so allotted and contrived that we may, in secret, influence all political transactions.
I will not pretend to give the final answer or try to compete with the likes of Alexis de Toqueville as I open doors to the closets of those in power and their predecessors in this book. I will simply try to make interesting possibilities worth further research become apparent. Some of these possibilities will be too far out or weird to appeal to some readers, but heck what can I say? They often were weird for me too. Here is one seldom heard about a character or three that deserve looking into.
SILAS DEANE: - This is a ‘fella’ who arranged for all the Masonic leaders of Europe to send troops to help the American War for Independence. He worked with Beaumarchais who was a known French monarchist spy (he also wrote the Barber of Seville and other books made into operas) and arms supplier.
I suggest the arms supplier really was Pierre Dupont de Nemours family. He finalized the armistice between Britain and the US and was the gunpowder supplier to both sides. He came to America to live near the Randolphs of Jefferson and the Hapsburgs who are Holy Roman Emperors. He founded the armaments industries referred to in Eisenhower’s exit speech.
1737-89, political leader and diplomat in the American Revolution, b. Groton, Conn. A lawyer and merchant at Wethersfield, Conn., he was elected (1772) to the state assembly and became a leader in the revolutionary cause. He was (1774-76) a delegate to the Continental Congress, which sent (1776) him as diplomatic agent to France. There Deane worked with Pierre de Beaumarchais in securing commercial and military aid for the colonies, obtaining supplies that were of material help in the Saratoga campaign (1777). He recruited a number of foreign officers, such as the Marquis de Lafayette, Casimir Pulaski, Baron von Steuben, and Johann De Kalb. Late in 1776, Congress sent Benjamin Franklin and Arthur Lee to join Deane. Together they arranged (1778) a commercial and military alliance with France. Deane, however, was soon recalled by Congress and was faced with accusations of profiteering made against him by Lee. Embittered, unable to clear himself, and accused as a traitor after publication of some pessimistic private letters, Deane lived the rest of his life in exile. In 1842 Congress voted $37,000 to his heirs as restitution and characterized Lee’s audit of Deane’s accounts a gross injustice.
Bibliography: See C. Isham, ed., The Deane Papers, 1774-1790 (5 vol., 1887-91); biography by G. L. Clark (1913). (2)
But we must not assume these wars are much more than an Orwellian de-population game in some Hegelian play both ends against the middle gambit that ensures certain parties will finance and arm whoever gives them what they want. For example we have the Hessians who had been the only trained standing army at this juncture fighting on the side of the British monarch who also financed the other side. Those Hessians were working with or for Mayer Amschel Rothschild at the castle of William of Hesse who was a founding funding member of Weishaupts version of the Illuminati. The Hesse-Battenberg and Hapsburgs or other Royals always had the likes of Rothschilds or De Medicis who they were involved with in secrets beyond the pale of most peoples imagination.
The Hapsburgs are Merovingians too and here are some notes about the ancestry of the current heir of the Holy Roman Empire or House of Hapsburg that include the wise Quakers who located in Pennsylvania colony and no doubt kept in touch with their ancestry. Yes, the Hapsburgs were very much a part of the region where Pierre Dupont de Nemours came and founded the American armaments businesses after he arranged the end of the Revolutionary War.
The recent marriage of Archduke Karl Thomas of Austria to Baroness Francesca Thyssen-Bornemisza and the birth of their son is of some genealogical interest. Archduke Karl Thomas is, after his father (Crown Prince Otto), first in line to inherit the positions of Head of the House of Hapsburg, claimant to the Austro-Hungarian Monarchy, and principal heir of the Holy Roman Empire.
As is increasingly the case with young titled Europeans, both Archduke Karl Thomas and Baroness Francesca have some American ancestry. Archduke Karl Thomas’s American ancestry has already appeared in print [The American Genealogist, vol 29, p. 139], and will not be reprinted here.
The American ancestry of the Thyssen-Bornemisza family has been referred to, obliquely, over the years, but has never, to my knowledge, been fully explored. The following material, taken primarily from the 1914 Harlan genealogy, should not be considered either exhaustive or definitive, but as a first draft. {They also have connections that will become apparent as the reader goes through this book to Long Island and some shady goings-on there, as we see during the period of the slave trade.}
Author of Diverse Druids, Columnist for The ES Press Magazine, Guest ‘expert’ at World-Mysteries.com
To Blame or Not To BlameA man can fall many times, but he isnt a failure until he begins to blame somebody else. (John Burroughs)Fire her, she set me up! John yelled quite loudly. He was incredibly angry and for good reason. However, he was really angry at the wrong person. What he was really saying was […]
Written by info on November 24th, 2007 with comments disabled.
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