Consider the Cost

In life and in business there are always tradeoffs.  We have to consider the cost of every action we take.  Sometimes the cost is real money, other times it could be time or opportunities.  But, with everything, there is a cost.  This past month I’ve been intrigued by the cost of short-selling our organizations on technology.  Technology is innately a cost center, right?  Or is it?  Sure, it costs a lot of money to create the right infrastructure for our businesses, but at what cost???

21,285... The number of photos stored on my home computer.  10 years of photos from camera's, cell phones, emails and more..  My daughter’s first steps, the anniversary photo's, family reunion snap shots, funny things that my nephews and nieces have done.  I even have pictures from my M.B.A. graduation (if you only knew me back when, you'd appreciate the miracle of these particular photo's)

17TB... The amount of video files stored on a company server.  To give context to this... 17TB is equal to 17,408 GB.  Roughly 35 times larger than your home computer hard drive.   And to make it more real...  If you were recording HD video, you could get about 6 hours of video for every 1GB.  Can you imagine? 100,000 Hours of video lost!!

1  The amount of seconds it takes to lose it all!!!

Over the years I've witnessed "loss" of information/photos/company IP too many times. There is a common thread at the root of each "loss".

Cost!!!

• "It costs too much to buy a backup service"
• "I didn't think it was worth it to spend so much on that hard drive"
• "My computer already cost a fortune, I didn't imagine that this could happen"
• My brother, while in Ireland studying for his Masters, stated, "My laptop was stolen, and I didn't have a backup.  My buddy had his stolen a week later - he was my backup and I was his... It was all stolen

These are just a handful of comments that I have heard.  Each, didn't consider the cost.  Cost isn't always a financial loss.  Consider the first example.  Losing family photos doesn't cost you money, it just costs you a lifetime of memories.

Cost can, however, be completely financial.  Consider example #2.  If your company lost thousands of hours of video files, they would have to be re-created at a cost of hundreds of thousands of dollars.  It could even cost you your business.

To be completely fair, it may not be worth saving certain things and therefore the cost is greater than the risk of loss.  Only you can measure this.

Here is the question you must ask... "If I were to lose [put your valuable data here], what would be the replacement cost?

Now, if the cost is greater than the risk - 

1.     Do I know how to ensure that my data is backed up?

2.     Have I invested in the right solution

3.     Am I willing to "pay" for a solution that may never be "needed"
 

Unlike auto or home insurance, we are not regulated to consider the cost of our personal/company data in most cases.  So, regulate yourself and consider the cost.

DuVall J Laws is Director of Information Technology at Partners In Leadership and a member of HIMSS.  He also earned his MBA in Technology Management

Parable for Success

Frick vs. Frack

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The nick-names Frick and Frack originate from a famous 1930’s comedic ice skating couple from Switzerland.  However, in modern day urban slang, Frick and Frack often refer to a pair of individuals who are generally well known for being ordinary.

Perhaps in an attempt to demonstrate the long-term value of a good education (and patience), my father borrowed these names and wrote a very short story about twin brothers Frick and Frack.  As you would expect, their childhood and adolescent years were very similar.  However, when it came time for college, they chose very different paths, and the long-term ramifications are evident. 

Before you read the story and accuse it of being too stereotypical, consider there are exceptions to any rule.  I have personally met many successful people who never set foot in an educational institution after graduating high school.  Conversely, I have met some who have struggled mightily throughout life, despite numerous educational achievements. 

However, I inherited my father’s firm belief in education.  Though it took him a long while and many attempts to earn his Bachelors degree, he made up for it by earning his PhD in Instructional Design in record time.  He was the first college graduate in his entire family line, and there has already been many in the family who have followed, or are currently following, in his footsteps.  I am grateful for the example he set for me and my 8 siblings.  I remember asking him for guidance when I was trying to decide if I should enroll in a post-graduate program after receiving my Bachelors’ Degree.  His response was simple – “you can never go wrong with education”.  I enrolled! 


Dwight & Linda Laws, and their 9 children (taken in 2004)

 

Please allow me to share his story of Frick and Frack.

 

 

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FRICK & FRACK

By Dwight Laws

 

In the small town of Averageville were two twin brothers, Frick and Frack. As preschoolers they were inseparable and amused themselves endlessly exploring the neighborhood and surrounding forests of the county. Often it seemed that they only came home for food and to sleep. The citizens of Averageville viewed the two boys just like any other boys. They were average.

In elementary school they were reasonably good students, courteous, bright, but often distracted. They were so average that no special attention came their way. 

When they went to middle school they continued to pass all of their classes with a straight “C” average. On the school teams they were neither the stars nor the bench sitters—just average.

In high school they participated in a few extracurricular activities but were not standouts. They were accepted but not praised nor ridiculed, just average. Again they achieved straight “C” grades. Finally they graduated high school and both enrolled in a small community college in the next town of Normalville. Frick and Frack continued to excel at mediocrity.

After they had completed their first year of school Frick enrolled in classes for the next year, but Frack decided not to enroll. 

“I’m tired of being average and normal,” he said. “I’m not signing up for another class! Tomorrow I’m going out to get a job and make some money.”

Frack got a job and started to work.  Frick patiently went to his classes.

Soon Frack had enough money from his job and bought a car.  “Hey Frick, want to drive up to Canada with me for a couples of days?”

“Can’t, I’ve got classes.”

“Suit yourself.” 

Frack went to Canada.  Frick patiently went to his classes.

Frack dated a lot.  “Hey Frick, want to go out Friday night? I’ve got this cool blind date for you.’”

“Can’t, I’ve got to study for classes.”

“Suit yourself.”

Frack went on a fun date.  Frick went to his classes.

Frack called Frick. “Hey Frick, a bunch of us are going to the beach for three days.  Want to come? It will be a blast.”

“Can’t, I’ve got classes.”

“Suit yourself.”

Frack went to the beach.  Frick went to his classes.

And so it went. Frick would go to his classes and Frack would have fun. For three more years Frick patiently went to classes and Frack had a blast.

One day a man came to town representing a large successful corporation. He hired Frick and gave him a wonderful salary. Frick bought a new house and two sports cars. He called Frack.

“Hey Frack, want to take a three day trip with me in my new sports car?”

“Can’t, I’ve got to keep working. I’ve got bills to pay.”

“Suit yourself.”

Frick went to Canada.  Frack went to work.

Frick dated a lot.

“Hey Frack, want to go out Friday night? I’ve got this cool blind date for you.”

“Can’t, I’ve got to go to work. I’ve got bills to pay.”

“Suit yourself.”

Frick went on a fun date.  Frack went to work.

Frick called Frack. “Hey Frack, a bunch of us are going to the beach for three days. Want to come? It will be a blast.”

“Can’t, I’ve got to work. I’ve got bills to pay.”

“Suit yourself.”

Frick went to the beach.  Frack went to work.

And so it went for the rest of their lives. Frack had to work constantly and Frick got lots of vacation time.

Frick and Frack.

Frick and Frack.

Frick was patient.

Frack was slack.

Frick moved forward.

Frack slid back.

Frick and Frack.

Frick and Frack.

Frick was patient.

Frack was not.

Frick got rich.

Frack got squat.

Frick and Frack.

Frick and Frack.

Frick was patient.

Frack a hack.

Happy Frick.

Poor ‘ol Frack.

 

 

___________________________________________________

 

 

R. Dru Laws is Vice President of Seljan Company in Lake Mills Wisconsin, the Chair of the ARM (Association of Rotational Molding) Education Committee, a member of the ARM Board of Directors, and a global contributing editor to RotoWorld Magazine. Dru has a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from Brigham Young University, and an MSc in Polymer Engineering from the Queens University of Belfast.

9 Business Practices to live by

9 Business Practices to live by
do you do these?

I have a bachelor of science in Technology from Utah Valley University. I also have a M.B.A. from the University of Redlands. I have taken many of the classes on the topic of Organizational Behavior. I have been a marketing manager. I have worked in construction. I have been adjunct faculty at Utah Valley University. I have been a Client Services Director 2 times for 2 different firms and am currently director of technology at Partners In Leadership; the foremost leader in Organizational Accountability and Culture Change. 

I tell you this because I’m afraid that after you read what I have to say you might wonder, “has this guy had any training or experience whatsoever in the business world?”

The answer is, “Yes I have—I have succeeded in the business world using all of the heralded techniques, but I was not happy with the price I had to pay in terms of self-respect and scattered bodies along the way. Consequently, I have discarded almost everything I have learned in business school and in the world of work.

Thankfully, more recent business techniques have surfaced that are more to my liking. I recommend the following books

• Crucial Conversations
• Crucial Confrontations
• Good to Great
• Built to Last
• In Search of Excellence
• Leadership and Self Deception
• The 360° Manager
• The Oz Principle

Below I’ll describe a method of management that will work for you. It will succeed every time. I found it in these books. If you use it you will never fail. It is a one word management style. I have tried using it the past five years and I am amazed. When I have used it I have never, NEVER, failed.  Each of the business practices described below can be summed into a one word Management Style… “Charity”

Here are the practices that I try to follow, in no particular order...

Principle 1: Everyone has a right to enjoy being at the workplace. If someone is a grouch or always makes things miserable for someone else they are charitably re-mediated or asked to leave, irrespective of their skills or how badly they may be needed. I worked in industry where innuendo and dirty jokes were cherished and were an indicator of how clever you were. The past few years at Partners In Leadership I have never heard one dirty joke. It’s amazing. Our workplace is a place that everyone loves to come to. It is safe from filth, from abuse, from sarcasm, from backbiting, and from those who would make your time at work miserable.

Principle 2:Don’t always hire the smartest, or the best prepared, or the most skilled. I hire the most charitable. I hire those that can get along. I hire those who use words to build and bless. Here is a quote I like. “Nothing is more common than unsuccessful people with talent.” Talent is not the measuring rod. Charity is.

Principle 3: Interview all applicants, even those that look weak on the application. I have found some jewels that way. That means that I spend a lot of time interviewing. However, the time spent, no matter how long, is less than the time that I spend with a bad employee when I make a bad hire. I interview at least three times before I make a final decision. By the third time the applicant is becoming more familiar and confident and they let down their interview shield and we get to know who they really are.

Principle 4: The customer is not always right. In fact, they are wrong much of the time. Sometimes they lie through their teeth to get what they want or to cover their own procrastination or mistakes. BUT, and I emphasize “but” I still attempt to treat them as if they are always right and as if they are telling the truth. We treat them as valued.  Remember that your customers can be your boss, coworker or a “real” customer.  ALWAYS treat them as if they are right!

Principle 5: DON’T do “employee of the week” because I value all of our employees and don’t want someone to feel slighted if, over a period of time, they are not chosen.

Principle 6: Don’t micro manage. I spend a lot of time walking and chit chatting with our employees and staff. In the course of these casual conversations I learn a great deal. If someone is sick I tell them to go home and rest. If someone is angry I sit and listen. It’s called management by walking around. Independent Study at BYU teaches four pillars of performance which can be modeled to all businesses. These are:

a) Be an advocate for the customer (remember, this can be your boss)
b) you are trusted to make decisions on behalf of the customer (refund?),
c) protect our academic(business) integrity
d) give charitable service

Principle 7: Before telling you what principle 7 is let me set a small case study for you to solve. You are the boss. Carlos is your best house framer. In a casual conversation with him at lunch you learn that his brother, who he hasn’t seen for ten years, has a three hour layover at the local airport the next day at noon on his way back to South America. You are seriously behind schedule on the house. What, if anything, would you do?.....I do not have the answer for you. I can only say that I firmly believe that charity never faileth.

Principle 7 then, is families come first and foremost. Your employee is on borrowed time from their church, family and friends.  Keep that in mind and make their most important things your most important things.

Principle 8: The CEO/Director/Manager doesn’t have all the answers. When an employee comes in and asks me about how to do something or how to respond to a customer I say, “What do you think?” They give me an answer that almost always is a good solution and I say, “I agree. Good idea. Go for it.” If they say, “I don’t know” then I tell them to come back when they have at least one solution. The word has gotten out and now one of two possible scenarios occurs. Either they don’t come because they have learned to come up with their own solution and implement it, or they come with a suggested solution. They don’t come in with a blank slate expecting me to give them the answer.

In an article I read from the Harvard Journal I learned about the care and feeding of monkeys. Monkeys are “problems” that must be fed and cared for. If not they must be dispatched. Don’t let others give you their monkeys. You can pet there monkeys and talk about their monkeys while they are in your office, but make them take it with them when they leave.

Employees can be very clever. I remember the story of my great grandfather, Dave Black. He built roads in Southeast Utah in the 1920’s and 30’s. He would hire a man to help and the man would ask him how to do it. Grandfather would step up and show him how to use the shovel or the pick or how to move a rock. The joke in the county was that Dave Black would hire guys to stand around and watch him work. He didn’t know how to resist monkeys.

In the book Crucial Confrontations, it says “Of all the bad ideas. . . pretending the leaders must know everything is among the most ridiculous and harmful. Leaders earn their keep, not by knowing everything, but by knowing how to bring together the right combination of people and propel them toward common objectives.” A confident leader is very comfortable saying, “It beats me. Does anyone know the answer?” A good leader/manager is an orchestra leader, not a violin player.

Principle 9: Shut the door  and go home physically, emotionally, and spiritually. Give your life back to your family and your church/community. Don’t go back to work in your mind until it’s time to go to work physically. This may be the most difficult of all.  If you are not charitable to yourself (family), you cannot be charitable to others…

The above was adapted and personalized from an article written by R. Dwight Laws

DuVall J Laws is Director of Information Technology at Partners In Leadership and a member of HIMSS.  He also earned his MBA in Technology Management