Unlike You, They Are Not Mind Readers

You may be sursprised to know that for 25 years I have abided by the same two simple rules in every position I have held. Actually they are more principles than rules.

I know companies that have “employee conduct or operational manuals” that drone on for hundreds of pages. I have written some of them. But I have found over the years that “rules” have a nasty side affect – you have to enforce them. Unbiased. Everytime. No exceptions. Otherwise they aren’t rules, they are suggestions.

I am not suggesting that we do away with operation manuals, codes of conduct and ethics guidelines. I know we live in a litigious society and everything has to be documented to the nth degree. I am merely suggesting that operating a business on principles makes many complex issues a lot simpler. I find that as I surround myself with like minded individuals (passionate, principled, outgoing), the rules take care of themselves.

I cover these two principles with every employee that I hire. Every time. The most common cause for employee problems is a lack of communication. Later on I will give you another guiding principle that works for me. “I have yet to meet the employee who woke up one morning and said today is the day I am going into work and screw up." If an employee is not performing or behaving the way you want them to, look in the mirror to fund the root of the problem. You are looking at it. But more on this later.

I prefer principles of conduct and mine boil down to two simple principles. Here is what I tell every employee before they are hired:

Be Honest. Do not steal. Maybe it comes from my early days in the convenience store business where you have to worry about employee theft every day, but if you steal from me (the company, the client, the vendor) there are no second chances. I need to trust you. Period.

I still remember the day that I had to drive one of my store managers to the police station and have him arrested. He had been one of my finest managers for more than three years. Always ran a clean, profitable store. Employees loved to work with him. Never a problem. Always went the extra mile. Two months prior our company gave him an award for discovering a customer’s wallet with several hundred dollars in it, tracking him down and returning it. Money intact.

But on this unannounced trip to the store something didn’t “feel” right. For the first time probably in years I decided to do a “cash count” on him. A cash count is where you close the register and add up all the money to make sure there is nothing missing. Too much money in the till means you have a problem (theft – money doesn’t grow on trees – the thief just hasn’t gotten around to taking his cut). Too little money in the till means you have a problem (theft again).

On this occasion, I found WB with $800 of “my money” in his front left pocket. When I asked him why, he said he needed to borrow it over the weekend, he was not expecting me to come by and he was going to pay it back on Monday.

Funny thing – every time I have caught an employee stealing money from the company, they were only borrowing it. They always planned on paying it back.

I asked him what would have happened if he had asked me personally for the money and WB said, “You would have found a way to lend it to me.”

“What do you think we need to do now?”

“I guess you are going to drive me down to the police station.”

And I did. Truth is, I still miss Wes.

And no, stealing does not just mean money. It means theft. You do not need a list of what items can not be taken from a business. Hopefully, your own moral compass will guide you and if your moral compass is not in tune with mine, I guess I hired the wrong person. But for those of you who want examples - money, product, kickbacks from vendors, office supplies, computers, other people’s property including their lunch in the refrigerator… Perhaps the best way to determine what is right and wrong is to ask yourself, if Jeff were standing here watching me, would I feel comfortable doing this?

The Company’s Interests Come First. Seems simple enough to me. You are working for the company’s best interest. You should not make decisions that enrich you – the individual – but are detrimental to the company.

A job provides you with a living. The company must be healthy in order for you to continue to have a job. The two are dependent on each other. “Business is nothing more than the summation of the efforts of individuals”. And don’t get the idea that I am designing a one way system in favor of the company. It is a symbiotic relationship. Happy employees are more productive. Companies can not exist without employees. Employees do not work unless there is a company.

Most jobs are 50/50. By this I mean that I give my employees the latitude to do the job the way they feel most comfortable 50% of the time. The other 50% of the time their work is dictated to them. No room for negotiation. Each business will have its own definition of what is negotiable and what is not. At Hickory Farms, the 5 Step Sales Cycle was carved in stone. Greeting, Sample, Commitment, Invitation to Buy, Close. No variation.

However, I am not going to tell you how to greet someone. I will offer suggestions and sample scripts. “Good Afternoon, how about those Buckeyes?” “Nice to see you again!” “How is the weather outside?” “I like that sweater!” “Do you know what the square root if 15 is?” But ultimately, in order to be comfortable and successful, you have to determine the style that is most comfortable for you.

At The Custom Shop, I required employees to wear a suit to work every day. You get to pick the suit. And the shirt and tie. In the convenience store business I required you to show up, on time, every time for your shift. But you could swap shifts with another employee as long as your shift was covered and the other employee did not mind. At Tuffy Auto Service Centers technicians were required to use an inspection form when looking at customers cars “insuring uniform diagnostic procedures”. But they could choose their right or left hand. Start at the top or bottom. Use pencil or pen. Front page or back first. I didn’t care. And when entering a customer’s vehicle, always use a seat cover and floor mat BEFORE you get in. You can choose which one to put in first.

Life is about give and take. Work is no different. Most employees know this and what they really want is leadership, not a vacuum. Tell them when they do something right (in public). Tell them when they do something wrong (in private). Clearly and consistently communicate your expectations and follow up with them. Unlike you, they are not mind readers.

No ambiguities about my expectations when you take the job.