Spying, Security and the Psychology of Secrets

Posted on October 23, 2008

A Fortune 100 director willingly passes confidential board room chatter to the press; a CEO slips into using any means available to plug the leak; private eyes are seduced from keyhole peeking into alleged criminal impersonations hoping to impress a big client, and a phone company clerk is flustered or pressured into releasing confidential call records.

What were they thinking?

The actors in the unfortunate events at Hewlett-Packard most likely weren\’t thinking at all, and in fact may have been acting under the direction of their hard-wired personality preferences - traits which, in the absence of discipline or policy redirection, and in the presence of a personality-driven and divisive environment, hijacked the director\’s recognition of his fiduciary responsibilities and common sense. The devil didnt make them do it, their psyches did. It could happen to anyone.

It should be noted the authors have no special knowledge of the people and events that have taken place at Hewlett-Packard since May of 2005. We are simply observing, as is the rest of the business community, and expressing those observations as an expert in corporate intelligence gathering with 15 years\’ experience, and a psychologist with 30 years of clinical and forensic profiling experience in the criminal justice and intelligence realms. What we do know from our collective experience is that hundreds of companies operate every day under the same forces we see playing out in the H-P case. Where a company employs humans, human behaviors follow. The illustrations and lessons learned become clear by parsing out the events and the personalities involved. This paper introduces the idea that there were more factors at work, in and out of the H-P boardroom, than simple ego, frustration, competitive anxiety or mean spiritedness.

The first question goes to the root of the matter. What compels a corporate director, or any employee entrusted with company secrets, to discuss confidential business topics with outsiders, or at the very least, feel it is permissible to do so? We are going to focus on this point because without that breach of security, the misjudgments, misbehavior and potentially career-ending events that followed might never have occurred.

Understanding the answer requires a brief introduction to psychological profiling of humans in general and executives in particular.

There are recognized behavioral characteristics that everyone has. Knowledge of profiling methods as used in the intelligence and law enforcement realms simply allows analysts to take what would appear to be innocuous traits of a subject and extrapolate behaviors. If we know that a particular executive displays particular traits, that individuals responses in various scenarios are, to a degree variable with the number of data points, predictable.

The Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) is the most familiar instrument for measurement of universal traits involving basic preferences. It has been in use for more than 35 years and is the tool most accessible to non-psychologists. Simple, non-intrusive questions like Would you rather go to a party early and leave early or arrive late and stay late? help the analyst understand how a person prefers to organize his life. In a business setting those preferences point directly to the importance of such things as interactions with others or the degree of detail an individual requires to be comfortable in his communications.

When asked by skilled researchers, MBTI questions can be posed directly to the subject in the course of a regular interview or conversation over a meal. Interviews are also often conducted \”remotely\”; that is, with individuals who have or had close contact with the subject. With enough information from those who know the subject, the results are nearly as accurate as if subjects blackened the boxes of a questionnaire themselves.

Personality preferences in the MBTI are articulated as four universal areas of preferences, captured as four pairs of dyads. Although conceived by Meyers and Briggs as mutually exclusive, these pairs can be understood as polar opposites along a continuum. The more strongly an individual scores in his preference type, the more likely it is that the specific preference will exert a strong influence over his behavior, whether recognized or not. The four sets of dyads are Introvert (I) vs. Extrovert (E) ; Sensing (S) vs. intuitive (N); Thinking (T) vs. Feeling (F) and Judging (J) vs. Perceiving (P). This is the origin of the cocktail party chatter one might hear that sounds like, \”I\’m an ESFP.\”

Re-energizing Preference; I or E? The first pair, bounded by Introvert (I) and Extrovert (E), describes how an individual mentally recharges and refreshes himself. Does he refuel from the outside world of people, activities and things, or does he recharge in his inner world of ideas, emotions and impressions? Picture going to a bar after a long, exhausting day. The bar is full of other people relaxing and chatting over a glass before heading home. Are you glad to join them (Extrovert) or disappointed there are no quiet tables in a corner? (Introvert)

Receiving Information Preference; S or N? The second pair is bounded by preferences termed Sensing and iNtuitive. (The N is capitalized to differentiate from the capital I for Introvert.) This set describes an individuals stylistic preference for taking in information. The Sensing types use their five senses to derive what is actual, real and specific. The iNtuitive or N-types use their sixth sense, and prefer to focus on the big picture or what might be, from a global perspective. When you last asked someone for directions did you become impatient when they described in detail the number of streets, the buildings and stores you\’d pass, the angle of the intersection and so forth (N); or did you appreciate each bit of detail as reassurance you would find your way? (S)

Decision-Making Preference: T or F? The choice of Thinking vs. Feeling describes the subject\’s preference for decision making. Thinking preference types are apt to organize information according to logic and honored, unchanging principles (Think justice.) while Feeling preference types will rank the decision they have to make against their sense of values in terms of the human impact specific to the case at hand. (Think mercy.) Anyone in a tight business climate who has had to decide on which members of his or her immediate team to lay off, knows where they are on this preference pair.\r Organizing Daily Life Preference: J or P? Finally, the preference pair termed Judging vs. Perceiving points to how individuals generally prefer to organize their daily lives. The former, the J, seeks order, a schedule and principally closure; the latter, the P preference type, tends toward spontaneity, keeping his options open from day to day or even minute to minute, not needing to drive toward closure with one action or decision before taking up others.. \r But how do these different personality types generally approach secrecy and the guarding of confidential information?

Extroverts ( E types) , value open and free-ranging interaction. They tend to view communication as intrinsically more valuable than do their opposites, the I-types. This personality feature has several implications, both positive and negative: E-types tend to receive more information, more easily than do I-types, unless the latter are highly focused on the enterprise. Extroverts\’ also give out more information in the course of the day. Because of the volume in and out, E\’s have to pay stricter attention to sources, recipients and details of information. And if Extroverts deal in sensitive information, they have to expend energy watching the need-to-know aspect of their communications; energy they may not have at a particular point in time when additional caution is most needed. They have to operate quite distinctly and consciously from their instinctive and comfortable habits. Picture squinting to read each word of this paragraph or reading it aloud at, say, one word per second. Tiring, isn\’t it?

Introverts, the I-types generally have an easier time holding information, for they tend to be more purposeful about the content of their disclosures, as well as instinctively, simply less productive, communication-wise. In some sense, retaining rather than revealing information is the Introverts default position. While they can be expected to be good at keeping secrets, generally, they can also be vulnerable to those very few people in whom they will confide. Introverts handling confidential information must make refined judgments about the reliability of their confidants and their sources, something the Introvert is rarely skilled through experience to do. Without specific training, I-types also often give greater clues via body language when they are withholding, calculating or otherwise strategizing in their communications. They simply do not have the fluency more often enjoyed by E-types.

Extroverts who are also S, Sensing, types tend to feel a need to deal in detailed specifics in both giving and receiving information. Without self-awareness of this trait, they can be more susceptible to disclosure. To some extent, Introverts who are also S-types are similarly vulnerable once they have decided that disclosure is necessary. On the other hand, iNuitive, N types tend to feel a need to provide the big picture to others, just as they, themselves, prefer getting a global, over the horizon perspective. This leads to the possibility of disclosing general landscapes of information even while withholding specifics. As noted, in general, those types that instinctively value communication as well as information are going to be less likely to value secrecy, or even caution in disclosing ..

All the personality preference types, however, are entirely capable of deciding to establish and maintain secrecy, ad hoc, and in doing so the question for any individual is how far from his habitual, preferred behavior he has to move, in order to succeed. Self-awareness and discipline, reinforcement and support are the keys to success in this realm. When we encourage companies in our training classes to include a little printed reminder of the need for information containment in employee airline tickets, this is the kind of reinforcement and support that bolsters self -discipline.

We are not suggesting a mass psychological screening of every employee to determine who can and who cannot be trusted with the employers confidential information. The fact is that every employee from receptionist to CEO has access to different types of information that would be valued by competitors, or pique the interest of the press, investors or regulators. From the perspective of awareness of one\’s own traits, the solution is much simpler. A useful level of operational mastery of the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator is eminently teachable to anyone who manages people inside or outside the company but particularly to sales forces, customer service people, managers, and team leaders, - basically anyone who must negotiate or influence other people in order to succeed themselves. The value of employee training in task-related psychological skills is widely and increasingly acknowledged in the corporate sector. What the HP fiasco points to is the need to recognize that directors, though highly accomplished, are subject to the same human characteristics, especially with respect to basic and universal preferences, and need the same self awareness and discipline that training can provide

The above discussion should make it clear that a standardized policy regarding information protection and confidentiality, such as Hewlett-Packard no doubt has in place , is a good first step. But we suggest that its management - indeed, most managements - do not understand that each employees will react differently situationally, as he or she approaches the line toward disclosure of information with which they have been entrusted. At some point the need to protect what they know for many will come in conflict with other, more basic and more powerful influences than \”company policy.\”

Profiling also draws on the insights provided by other psychological assessment instruments whose perspectives have been adapted to remote gathering of information. For example the FIRO-B test, measuring several dimensions of social needs, would suggest that those who need social connection with others, close affiliations and emotional warmth are rather less likely to see or experience the need for secrecy, as a matter of habit, than those with low needs in those areas. Without training, such individuals are also somewhat less likely to succeed in maintaining secrecy against any social pressure to disclose. They can be expected to experience conflict between competing personality needs. The characteristic ways in which executives approach decisions carry large implications for information-control. Collaborative decision-makers tend to disclose more information, as a practical matter, in the process of decision making and have to consciously focus on tactics aimed at maintaining secrecy if they are so motivated. According to another tool, the Executive Decision Style, (EDS) decision-makers described as Maximizers those who prefer to amass all possible information before making decisions - have to deal with similar issues of strategic and tactical information control.

Finally, Motivational Drivers, as measured by the Weber Motivational Index (WMI) , also play a large role in determining an individual\’s stance toward the need to establish and maintain secrecy. An individual who places a high priority on acceptance or risk-avoidance, for instance, will approach the issues surrounding secrecy and disclosure very distinctively from one who highly values recognition as a successful maverick and risk-taker. There are a number of other elements of personality that can be relevant in any specific case. In general, the issues for any individual turn on perception, world-view, history, habit and instinctive preferences, as well as self-awareness, discipline and skills that are brought to bear.

Experienced intelligence officers know how to spot and exploit the personal traits discussed in this paper when recruiting a source to reveal vital information. Practiced in the H-P case, it is highly likely that in the right circumstance and with the right form of inquiry, the leaking director would have exposed himself, obviating the need for a botched, ethically and legally compromised and hugely counterproductive investigation. To be sure such an inquiry may have taken more time, with remote profiling of each director and then establishing the most conducive social or business situation for each to be casually queried. It should be clear, however, that the risk-reward ratios for the latter option, are vastly superior.

Long before an investigation becomes necessary, however, policies and practices should be in place so that that no matter what the rank or personality type of an employee, or director each knows which information he or she must keep confidential, they recognize their vulnerability by personality trails or position, and they understand that the company will do all it can to protect its interests.

Awareness of vulnerability is no more effective by itself than any \”Thou Shalt Not\” policy buried in a manual and visited only upon new employees.

Effective processes to implement sound policies must follow. A semi-annual security briefing for all employees should be mandatory, requiring that they acknowledge by signature their awareness of the policy and recognition of their employer\’s right to investigate suspected misappropriation of information.

Highly sensitive information should be compartmented. That is, a need-to-know culture should be instilled in order that the smallest number of people has all of the information on confidential situations. This can be instilled in a positive and friendly way: It is not that your company doesn\’t trust you. There are people and practices out there, like \”pretexting\”, that can trip up the most wary employee. If you don\’t know, you can\’t tell. And that\’s a good thing for everyone\’s comfort, confidence, morale and stock options.

At this writing the Hewlett-Packard story is still unfolding. There are hundreds if not thousands of business situations, however, where the dominoes have not yet started to fall, causing career-ending embarrassment, turmoil and expense, even if legal penalties are not the ultimate outcome. Combining self awareness, which most companies don\’t, with common sense policies, which most do have helps ensure those dominoes never even teeter.

George Dennis is one of the most sought after speakers and trainers on corporate competitive intelligence and analysis. George Dennis Associates specializes in training and supporting clients to develop an effective intelligence process for themselves, as well as providing field support in trade show operations, psychological profiling of opposition executives and custom intelligence projects

Marta Weber is a psychologist who has applied thirty years of clinical and forensic expertise to the intelligence domain. She pioneered in the development of remote personality profiling and is an internationally recognized authority in this highly specialized field. Dr. Weber founded and heads Applied Behavioral Sciences, an intelligence consultancy specializing in human source intelligence and focused in profiling and related research, consultation and training.

To contact George Dennis or Dr. Weber, use info@geodennisassociates.com or 303-679-6515

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Making a Profit or Giving it Away-Humankind and Philosophy in the Balance

Posted on October 23, 2008

Whizzing in perpetual motion the minds of those in the Online Think Tank never stop considering all sides to all issues in their quest to come up with the best decisions and solutions for mankind. Recently a topic came up which pits capitalism against socialism in the ultimate challenge as one gentleman who worked 30 years in an R and D research project is now giving it all away.

Thus he stated that giving it away is best for humanity. Well yes in a way it is pretty nice of him. I agree that if you have an idea or concept that giving it is better for humanity and yet there is nothing wrong with making a profit either. I also believe that Bill Gates did give away much of what he produced if you will recall. In fact he did so well the government told him to stop it. No free browsers with the operating systems said FTC.

William Gates III continues to give away gifts to the world; he and Warren Buffet. Indeed, I give away lots of information, concepts and stuff as well. Before retirement we gave away our services often as well and carefully to the right people too. Much of the information I put out to the World now is simply to do the right thing and I have seen the World make good use of it.

I completely live up to my words and we always give to the community and we always have. Yet many say that most businesses are full of rhetoric and only PR their good deeds. That is unfortunate and sometimes it makes me wish I hadn\’t when I read the horrific things people say about entrepreneurs. If you condemn entrepreneurs then do not take this personally, as everyone does this, because they do not understand.

It is unfortunate that socialist are so quick to condemn me, as an entrepreneur. But to me it proves that they do not have all the facts, are not observant in their observations and thus their rhetoric comment are best saved for their mirrors. I hope this article is hard-hitting and makes you think in your quest to be the best in 2007.

\”Lance Winslow\” - Online Think Tank forum board. If you have innovative thoughts and unique perspectives, come think with Lance; http://www.WorldThinkTank.net/. Lance is a guest writer for Our Spokane Magazine in Spokane, Washington

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Shaking Hands Throughout History And Around The World

Posted on October 22, 2008

\”You can\’t shake hands with a clenched fist.\”
\r - Indira Gandhi

The most significant gesture in business and in life is a handshake. In many cultures it is the unspoken message that accompanies our words. A handshake often takes place when you meet someone new, when you are greeting someone you haven\’t seen in a while, when you leave a party or meeting, when you offer congratulations or when you agree on a contract or working arrangement.

Historians agree that the handshake was most likely developed several hundred years ago in England as a method to communicate that you were empty-handed and unarmed during a meeting. Weapons were often concealed in the left sleeve so shaking was done with the left hand. As more people began to travel without weapons it became common to shake with the right hand. Certain historical figures took liberty with shaking hands and created their own custom. George Washington decided that shaking hands was for the common people so he bowed when greeting people in public.

The intent in shaking hands is to make contact \”web-to-web\” with the other person\’s hand. The web of your hand is that part between your thumb and forefinger. Extend your hand with your fingers together, in a vertical position, with the thumb up and slightly to the side. Once you make contact with the web of the other person\’s hand, close your thumb over the back of the hand and give a slight squeeze with your fingertips. Here\’s where so many people go wrong. Some move in for the kill and give a bone-crushing handshake that brings tears to the eyes of the other person. Then there are those who stop at the first hint of contact and never add the little squeeze that indicates there is life and energy in the body. The result is the \”wimpy\” or \”limp\” handshake, sometimes referred to as the \”dead fish.\”

Every country in the world has its own customs for meeting and greeting. Most cultures encourage handshaking more often than the United States. As always, you need to do your research on meeting and greeting before you embark on an overseas trip. If you are a woman, this is critically important since certain cultures do not allow women to touch a man who is not related to them.

Here are some of the most common handshaking rituals around the world:

* In Japan it is normal to shake hands frequently. Sometimes a bow is included or substituted.
\r * In Europe you shake hands whenever you meet someone even if you know them well.
\r * Russians tend to shake hands frequently but never while wearing gloves.
\r * A strong handshake and good grip are appreciated in South Africa.
\r * A vigorous, pumping handshake is normal for the Chinese.
\r * Men in Arabian cultures encourage a long and limp handshake along with a specific verbal greeting.
\r * People in Panama greet each other with eye contact combined with shaking hands.
\r * The French always shake hands in business meetings but all other greetings involve kissing the cheeks.
\r * In Kuwait shaking hands is only used for male strangers who meet the first time. Shaking hands with an unrelated female is considered inappropriate.
\r * Residents of Indian and Pakistan shake hands by grasping your hand in both of their hands and holding your hand briefly.

It is considered impolite to refuse to shake hands but be prepared in case you meet someone who says \”No\” to handshakes because of arthritis, joint problems or a communicable illness such as a cold. The person who is unable to shake hands should always offer an apology and a brief explanation so that the other person does not feel shunned.

You may occasionally encounter someone who does not respond in any way to your outstretched hand. When that happens, simply withdraw your hand and ignore the snub. It\’s the other person\’s problem, not yours.

Knowing when and how to shake hands is an important business skill whether you are working in your own office or if you are traveling to a meeting 5,000 miles away. Always give the impression of someone who is polite and confident by cultivating a firm, but not crushing, grip and always offer your hand when appropriate.

Lydia Ramsey is a business etiquette expert, professional speaker, corporate trainer and author. Learn from Lydia by using her four LIVE business etiquette broadcasts on DVD or by reading her newest book \”Lydia Ramsey\’s Little Book of Table Manners\”. You can purchase these business etiquette tools at http://www.mannersthatsell.com/tms/index.html.

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Oil and Monks Don\’t Mix! (Part 3 of 3)

Posted on October 22, 2008

Soon, drilling and fracking rigs were running up and down the newly cut-in roads, popping in wells every couple of acres. Janet and I helped where we could, but were more interested in digging up a large plot of ground by the trailer for the one hundred tomato plants we were nursing in their little boxes. We gathered red mulch from inside rotting logs in the forest, loaded it on our little three-wheeler\’s trailer, and used it as fertilizer.

The first three wells went in within one hundred yards of each other close to the mobile home. Only later did we learn that pump jacks are giant lightening rods! And we were in for it since we lived on a hill! Although lightening never hit the trailer, it regularly hit the pump jacks next to it, which made the severe storms that frequent Northwest Pennsylvania interesting to say the least.

Once a well was drilled, steel pipe casing was run down the hole and then pressure was introduced by the huge fracking rigs, shattering the rock strata below, and allowing the oil mixed with salt water to seep from the formations where it would be subsequently pumped to the surface. Rods with seals were lowered into the casing to act as a pump, and pump jacks were built above the well (looking like giant grasshoppers), to move the rods up and down.

After a well was outfitted, underground plastic piping and electrical lines were run. The piping ran from the wells to large storage tanks in the middle of the property where the oil and salt water was separated. The oil was stored in the tanks until a local distributor picked it up, while next to the tanks a large, deep pit was dug and sealed with plastic sheeting to hold the salt water until it could evaporate.

The salt water was produced at a greater volume than I expected, however, and I had a bad feeling about it. As the wells were completed, my job was to pump them making sure that each well was pumping twice a day for the appropriate amount of time so that it wouldn\’t pump dry. This involved all kinds of electrical and mechanical maintenance and repairs on pump jacks that were regularly damaged by lightening.

Janets brother-in-law was already in the process of drilling more wells in other fields, but when the price of oil dropped and legislators ended the cozy tax shelters connected to oil wells, it wasn\’t long before the oil boom . . . went bust.

One day I looked at the creek that ran through the property and noticed that everything in it, all the frogs and fish and water spiders, were dead. The salt water had leaked out of the holding pond and contaminated the ground water, coloring it a telltale red. The land was beginning to erode as well, with many of the trees now gone, and the pump jacks were rusting away. Our little hill was not the same.

Janet and I became disheartened. Things that initially endeared us to the property were changing, as all things do, and sadness was creeping in. I found myself becoming emotional quite often, feeling as if I was standing on a tarmac tearfully waving goodbye to a dear friend that I knew I would never see again. Perhaps this was a sign that my practice was deepening. I wasn\’t sure, and although the pain was melancholy, it was painful nonetheless. Now I understood why I had always been afraid to attach to things too tightly; it just hurts too much to let them go. But go they must, as all things seem to do in time.

Whenever Janet and I surrendered supports that we relied upon, we usually found ourselves navigating through turbulent waters. Giving up both the heaven we had counted on so desperately, and the world as well, was difficult without feeling a crushing loss. This always left us no foothold, but maybe this spiritual poverty was exactly what we needed in order to slide down that mountain we had created and have been struggling to climb. If need be, we were more than willing to live in both the poverties - material and spiritual.

This was a dark time for me. I was restless and began to doubt myself; perhaps my whole life had been for naught. Life had lost its appeal and I was depressed, and even though I always had Janet, I began to feel alone and abandoned. It was if I was waiting for something . . . and there was nothing I could do, except wait.

A shot rings out, a deer falls, the universe is diminished. After being exposed to two hunting seasons on the hill, it was time to leave, and like two rivulets of rain running into a stream that is happily returning to its Source, we ended up at the Zen Center in San Francisco. I thought that I had conquered any meditation related illnesses that developed at the Abbey, and threw myself into the practice, but I was about to learn that what I thought was of little consequence.

******************************************************************

E. Raymond Rock of Fort Myers, Florida is cofounder and principal teacher at the Southwest Florida Insight Center, http://www.SouthwestFloridaInsightCenter.com His twenty-eight years of meditation experience has taken him across four continents, including two stopovers in Thailand where he practiced in the remote northeast forests as an ordained Theravada Buddhist monk. His book, A Year to Enlightenment (Career Press/New Page Books) is now available at major bookstores and online retailers. Visit http://www.AYearToEnlightenment.com

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Some of Today\’s Decision Makers Need to Wash Their Mouth Out with Soap

Posted on October 22, 2008

What are the ethics of re-writing and repeating, as a journalist, columnist or business man? How often are we told to work at our topics and subjects - improve our products and merchandise - until they are the best that we have to offer.

We want people to read what we have to say and teach when we believe it has genuine importance and significance - and we want people to buy our product, always of course believing that its value matches its price.

Ethics and morality in business is a tricky matter these days. I find myself in situations where the words which flow from certain women and men would make many customers run a mile if they were aware of what was being said in the boardrooms and other decision making centres.

Some folks find this out sooner than others and others are found out sooner or later. We are answerable for the words which come from our mouths.

Even at the very highest levels, and when conversations are being recorded, there are those who come out with the most unfortunate words and what is in their heart is exposed, because what is in our heart sooner or later flows out via our lips.

Not a lot people understand that!

Recently I was asked to speak to a hundred and twenty young people on \’Bad Mouthing\’, and then this problem was subsequently raised in a radio interview. There is a lot careless talk and many are totally unaware of the affect this can have on the lives of those around us. These young folk listened most attentively and it can only be hoped that what was said made each individual take time to think.

The words we speak can have an immense influence upon people - away beyond what we could ever imagine.

Teachers or parents, in particular, can squash potential by saying - \”You will never make anything of life. You will never get anywhere.\”

The tongue has the power of life and death. Our tongue is likened to the rudder of a ship. It is small, and can steer you to safety, or run you aground on dangerous rocks. Our tongue can be a spark, which sets a forest on fire.

How often do we hear - \”O I did not mean that!\”?

The tongue is powerful. That is why we are urged to use it with great care.

Friends can be lost in a moment by saying something which is later regretted.

Jesus Christ warns that one day we will be answerable for every careless word. There will be no point in saying, \”I didn\’t intend to say what slipped out of my mouth on that occasion.\” That is why God put it in His Word. He wants to teach us. He wants us to be informed. He does not want us to remain ignorant regarding this important area of life.

Jesus also teaches that what comes out of a man\’s mouth can make him unclean, as the mouth is the overflow of what is in the heart. Many are unaware that it is what come out of their mouth that indicates what type of character they are. Now, this is serious.

Caution is sounded when it comes to obscene foolish talk and coarse joking.

These are just out of place - no matter the company, or time of day. That can be when the speakers need to be told to go and wash out their mouth with soap!

There is no watershed when it comes to sinful talk. In Scotland, the television authorities consider it all right to use foul filthy language after what is called the 9pm watershed. With God there is no watershed. If there is, then show me it in His Holy Perfect Word.

How many leaders wish they had exercised more care when it came to the words they used when they thought they were not being overheard or recorded? Then, one day someone exposes everything and careless words result in such embarrassment.

It would be difficult to overemphasise the importance of the words we use - when people are listening, and when we think no one hears. Let no-one think he can get away with it! Especially in the business world!

Sandy Shaw

Sandy Shaw is Pastor of Nairn Christian Fellowship, Chaplain at Inverness Prison, and Nairn Academy, and serves on The Children\’s Panel in Scotland, and has travelled extensively over these past years teaching, speaking, in America, Canada, South Africa, Australia, making 12 visits to Israel conducting Tours and Pilgrimages, and most recently in Uganda and Kenya, ministering at Pastors and Leaders Seminars, in the poor areas surrounding Kampala, Nairobi, Mombasa and Kisumu.

He broadcasts regularly on WSHO radio out of New Orleans, and writes a weekly commentary at http://www.studylight.org entitled \”Word from Scotland\” on various biblical themes, as well as a weekly newspaper column.

His M.A. and B.D. degrees are from The University of Edinburgh, and he continues to run and exercise regularly to maintain a level of physical fitness.

Sandy Shaw
\r sandyshaw63@yahoo.com

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A Lack Of Accountability Is One Of Corporate America\’s Biggest Challenges

Posted on October 21, 2008

One of the major challenges facing organizations today is to ensure accountability with its policies, procedures and philosophy. Over the years, I have seen numerous instances where there are rules, standards, expectations and policies that are continuously ignored, sabotaged, and/or broken for any number of reasons by a variety of employees.

As a manager, business owner or executive, ensuring that what you expect is actually happening on a consistent and routine basis is often a difficult, yet necessary, essential and effective task if you want to ensure that your organization operates with integrity and effectiveness.

Some examples where there can be a lack of accountability are:

-favored employees
\r -ego-centered management style
\r -inconsistent discipline for infractions
\r -expecting behavior without taking the time or effort to inspect that the behavior is actually happening
\r -inconsistent treatment of new employees
\r -inconsistent of family members who are employees
\r -varying compensation plans
\r -bonuses that are given with no thought for performance

There are numerous others. Why not ask yourself - Is there any area in my organization or department where there is inconsistent accountability?

You cant manage your organization, department or group from behind your desk. You must circulate, be visible and get to know your people. This takes commitment and time, but will pay positive dividends in the long run.

Perceptions become reality in the minds of employees. It doesnt matter if what they believe is true or not. If they believe it in their minds, it is true.

One of the best ways to determine the prevailing perceptions and attitudes throughout your organization is to conduct an employee perception and attitude audit. To be truly accurate and effective, I recommend you retain an outside organization to conduct it. It should also be confidential. The employees must feel free to share reality without the fear of retribution or punishment for delivering bad news.

There are four premises for your consideration when it comes to accountability.

One, expecting different results from repeated behavior is a mild form of insanity.

Two, you get the behavior you reward in your organization. If you want to change behavior, you must change the reward system that is in place.

Three, all culture flows top-down. You cant change an organization from the bottom-up.

Four, when there is inconsistent accountability there will be inconsistent performance.

If your organization lacks accountability I will guarantee that you have some morale challenges. Ignore these to your peril.

Tim Connor, CSP is an internationally renowned sales, management and leadership speaker, trainer and best selling author. Since 1981 he has given over 3500 presentations in 21 countries on a variety of sales, management, leadership and relationship topics. He is the best selling author of over 60 books including; Soft Sell, Thats Life, Peace Of Mind, 81 Challenges Managers Face and Your First Year In Sales. He is also the CEO of Sales Clubs Of America. He can be reached at tim@timconnor.com, 704-895-1230 or visit his websites at http://www.timconnor.com or http://www.SalesClubsOfAmerica.com

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Ethics In The Workplace

Posted on October 21, 2008

Workplace Ethics is a subject that we have all heard of. In fact, the subject of Ethics in general is something that most people are familiar with. And, what is commonly understood about ethics is there are ethics and then there are workplace ethics. What most people dont realize, however, is that there is no such thing as workplace ethics; ethics are the same, (or, should be) whether in the workplace or in personal life.

WHAT ITS ABOUT

Ethics are about making choices that may not always feel good or seem like they benefit you but are the right choices to make. They are the choices that are examples of model citizens and examples of the golden rules. Weve all heard the golden rules: Dont hurt, dont steal, dont lie, or one of the most famous: Do unto others as you would have done to you. These are not just catchy phrases; these are words of wisdom that any productive member of society should strive to live by.

In our personal lives, most people try to do exactly that. Ethics are thought of by many people as something that is related to the private side of life and not to the business side. In many businesses, having ethics is frowned upon or thought of as a negative subject. This is because business is usually about doing whats best for number one, not about whats really the right thing to do. You probably are already feeling uneasy just reading this.

A GOOD EXAMPLE

Take ENRON, for example. Were the actions of ENRONs CEOs a good example of ethics? No. But, what they WERE was a CLASSIC example of was two things: One, those actions displayed how ethics were not used in any way. Two, their actions painted a grim and realistic picture of what can happen when ethics are neglected. Had ethics been considered in the first place by the leaders of the company, there would have been no scandal. If ethics were used on a daily basis in every company, there would never be scandals.

Martha Stewart comes to mind when speaking of ethics. Again, there is a feeling of uneasiness when dealing with this topic. But, why is it like that? Ethics are supposed to improve our lives and invoke good feelings. Perhaps the reason ethics is such a sore subject is because they are so often poorly used, if used at all.

A NEW WAY

Ethics are making a comeback. To begin with, more and more corporations and businessmen and woman are now realizing that ethics arent checked at the door when entering the workplace. Ethics have every bit as much a place in the public as they do the private. How is it there should be separate sets of ethics, depending upon whether it is your personal life or your work life? The answer is that there shouldnt be a separate set and in light of recent events that we see on our television sets as of late, more and more companies are realizing this fact.

Some companies are incorporating ethics into their training. It is s subject that can go hand-in-hand with business and when employees and CEOs alike understand what ethics are about, business can improve. Not only will the community take note of the ethical nature of a business but also so will customers.

Periodic reevaluations are suggested in ethics training as well, since times change many things that some would never consider ethical or non-ethical. For instance, when the first computer hacker to send a work into a university computer system crippled the entire network that the system was a part of, including that of public utilities simply because he could do it a question of ethics is hard to pose. Computers were new, at the time. And, no one had ever been able to do such a thing before. With new times comes new technology and new ways of doing things. Ethics will still play a part of it all and refreshing ethics training only re-strengthens what has already been learned, when new ages come about.

In the end, its all about what a person understands about ethics. Many university curriculums are now heavily applying the teaching of Ethics and for good reason. Young minds will take this information into the workforce and understand that ethics need to be applied there as well as in the private sector. Corporations will be able to avoid embarrassing scandals that are presented all over national news. Small business will be able to keep and attract more clients and customers. Negotiations between businesses could be accomplished with more consideration for the other company in mind, which would only help both.

Above all, a high level of ethics in your business should be in place at least for the customers. If anything, it is the customer that should be considered the most when it comes to ethical business practices. In the long run, a company will reap great profits from a customer base that feels it is being treated fairly and truthfully.

About The Author

Myron Curry is President and CEO of BusinessTrainingMedia.com a leading provider of workforce and business development training programs designed exclusively for corporate deployment. Myron has over 20 years of successful management experience with leading fortune 500 companies and has written numerous articles about workforce management issues. You can contact Myron at: myron@business-marketing.com or visit his company\’s website http://www.businesstrainingmedia.com

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Handling Ethics With Employees

Posted on October 20, 2008

How do small business owners deal with the real world situation when employees suddenly up and quit their posts? It frequently happens with little or no explanation. This can be troublesome to employers, because a great deal of time and expense goes into hiring and training staff. Fortunately, this can be handled through investigative technique and a willingness to communicate in a supportive way with an employee.

In every business organization, no matter the size, it is immensely beneficial to have a designated ethics officer. It is this person\’s responsibly to handle communication breakdowns and unethical conduct. When an employee gives notice that they are intending to quit their job, it would be up to the ethics office to investigate why they are quitting and take measures to attempt to resolve any issues surrounding that decision. Often, once the issues are resolved, the employee determines not to quit after all and goes on to contribute a high rate of productivity to the company.

Ethics officers have been trained in the knowledge that:

- People are basically good.
\r - A staff member will attempt to protect a benefactor (small business owner) from damage caused by unethical behavior.
\r - A staff member will eventually quit his post if he is the perpetrator of the unethical conduct.

For example, if an employee has been going home every Friday at clock out time with a box full of paper clips, pens and other office sundries that belong to the company with a justification of any sort for doing so, he is a perfect candidate for quitting the company. Because an employee is basically good and ultimately does not wish to hurt his benefactor, he would rather quit the company than continue to steal from it. The ethics division, in gathering data for a case, would take steps to determine what unethical conduct the employee had undertaken. If it was revealed as having happened, then the ethics officer would further investigate to discover reasons for the employee\’s conduct in the first place. In handling and resolving the unethical conduct, the ethics officer would have the employee list:

- Details of the act his or her unethical behavior.
\r - Exact time and location of the act.
\r - The effect those actions had on other employees, departments and all else involved.

The ethics officer would proceed then to discover any communication breaks that had affected the employee\’s state of well being and productivity. The officer would seek to understand if the employee:

- Understood company policy that affected his or her post.
\r - Had thorough understanding of the requirements of his or her post.
\r - Had been correctly handed off the responsibility for handling his or her post.
\r - Knew the company system for communicating with other posts and departments.

In any area where the employee lacked information or understanding, he would promptly be trained and upgraded. Following this basic system of handling ethics has proven to be effective for small business owners in reducing employee attrition rates. As an aside - when an employee requests an unscheduled raise in pay, make your decision based on their current pay rate compared with their productivity. If they don\’t meet the productivity requirements for the raise they are requesting, take the time to help them determine how they can increase their productivity to warrant the additional pay.

Robbi Gunter is a staff writer for Strong Business Credit, a free educational web resource for small business owners and businesses seeking to obtain business financing and credit cards.

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Ramadan To Be Hanged: Good Work Boys!

Posted on October 20, 2008

Ramadan to be hanged: Good work boys!

Im not sure why, how and when the UN came up with a policy to not kill, killers, or to save killers, or to preserve them for posterity in prison cells, but it is a bad policy. And so thinks the Iraqi government, or legal process:Iraq\’s High Tribunal has sentenced Saddam Hussein\’s former vice-president Taha Yassin Ramadan to be hanged. He was tried alongside the former Iraqi leader over the killing of 148 Shias in the village of Dujail in the 1980s. Now anyone in their right mind knows this high ranking devil of Iraq had his hands bloodier than simply killing only 148 Shias, which is a lot in itself, perhaps he should take credit for the mass murders across Iraq during his whole term in office. In any case, I think the UN, as I have often said, is the devils playground for world disorder.

America seems to need it for a platform to speak I guess, but at such a price. The Iraq judge paid little attention, as has Israel, and the US and Russia, and China to the UN, when it comes to self interests, and perhaps with good reason, it is the devils backyard, as I repeat myself. So good for the judging and sentencing and the good men of Iraq, who do not want to pay taxes to feed fat killers like Ramadan. Good work boys. You saved the nation a headache. Plus Im sure if you would have let him live he would have boasted between his cell mates, how brave he was in killing this person and that person, and so forth and so on (or having them killed). He was indeed, a deadly cockroach.

Now if only we could get the rest of the world behind this policy wed get rid of a lot of trash, save money, and give a good message to the worlds future legal assassins.

See Dennis\’ web site: http://dennissiluk.tripod.com

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The Importance of Company Values

Posted on October 19, 2008

1. Company Values Should Reflect Staff Values

Company values are more important that we think as they create the cultural context in which we work, define how we interact with other employees and the attitudes we adopt towards customers. Company values are often perceived as being imposed by the organisation but an effective organisational culture enables a two way process to occur where employees help to influence the direction of the corporate values system, through their individual beliefs and approaches they adopt. An organisation that doesn\’t adjust to reflect changing values will quickly become stagnant and obsolete.

2. Company Values Define How Employees Behave

Company values are essential for the day to day approach that employees adopt in the workplace. Different organisations may foster different behaviours in their staff through their company values. For example an organisation that has clearly defined policies on employee conduct and behaviour is likely to create a culture in which respect for other staff and clients or customers is high on the agenda.

Alternatively, an organisation that has few formal policies pertaining to staff behaviour in the workplace leaves the individual employee to define their own sense of what is and isn\’t appropriate. This can lead to conflicts with other staff as one individual\’s concept of what is acceptable behaviour can differ wildly from another colleague.

3. Company Values Bring Stability

Employees like to work in a stable and secure workplace. Company values create order and enable the working environment to operate more smoothly. Without company values there would be no uniform process of achieving goals or dealing with situations that arise, which would leave staff feeling exposed and vulnerable. When company values exist, they provide employees with a clearly defined approach to work life.

4. Company Values Are Important To Customers

Company values are not only important to employees but also to customers. Some customers choose to use the services of one company over another because of the values base that they have chosen to pursue. Those organisations that adopt ethical approaches to their business dealings through offering fair trade agreements or who are perceived as less exploitative, often benefit more in the long term from customer loyalty than those who are just out to make a quick buck at any cost.

Nowhere is this being more acutely highlighted than within Chinese companies, which for the past five years have produced billions of dollars of cheap goods with little or no regard for employee welfare, the effect their resources stripping is having on other countries and the lack of respect for health and safety guidelines.

It is only recently that Western consumers are realising that the company values of many, but not all, of these Chinese companies, are profit rather than safety orientated.

5. Company Values Provide a Standard Approach

Customers also like to know what they are getting and company values often play a significant role in this process. Take for example a company like MacDonald\’s. They have clear values about how they interact with customers and their approach to business is almost identical across the world. You know that if you walk into a MacDonald\’s restaurant in Russia, The UK, Australia, The US or anywhere around the world, you are likely to be dealt with in the same manner. Customer\’s like this because they like to know what they are getting and company values are important in delivering this.

Summary

Finally we must remember that a company is only as good as its constituent parts, in this case its employees. If the employees didn\’t come to work then the company wouldn\’t exist. As such a company is not an entity in itself, it can\’t think or act for itself and therefore its values are in fact only a reflection of what its employees deem to be important. As such organisational culture or values, need to constantly change to accommodate the many diverse needs of its staff.

Having worked in the recruitment industry for over five years, I now write extensively on the subject of job search, interview tips, Resume and CV advice. Feel free to ask as many questions as you like and get it answered online. Visit my comprehensive blog dedicated to the Job Search process The Jobsearch Expert Blog

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