As soon as you present the information, the previous employer will receive a fax or an email giving notice of your request. The prior employer should then respond to your inquiry. The previous boss also has the choice to rate the employee based on specified traits such as job performance and attendance. This is optional and not required of the previous employer. Once the query has been fulfilled, you be notified via email. Once you receive the notification, you will be able to log into your online account, view the information and print it out if you need to.

Using the same secure code, the former employer would log into the system online and complete the employment verification. At this point, the prior employer has the choice of rating the employee in categories like punctuality, attitude, and other apropos criteria. When the form is completed and all of the information is filled in, the hiring company is notified and the process is complete. Recent studies suggest that this system has the power to save several hours a week of the average human resources staff schedule. A system such as this, is likely to save the hiring companies both time and money. Even with the nominal price involved for the Employment Verification, the ability to save with employment verification is a dream come true for Human Resources managers everywhere.

Using escrow services has the succeeding advantages: the deposits they created are assured; whatever their duties are as seen in the sale agreement, escrow makes certain they are done; proper inquiries and probes are formed to make sure the property is liberated from duties.

The escrow service supplier will be given the escrow contract after it is settled. An escrow account will then be created on behalf of and for the parties. The seller is supposed to get the documentations and instruments of the asset in escrow while the purchaser is also required to deposit the monetary resource in escrow for the purchase.

The escrow provider makes certain that the asset being sold is loose from any duties. This procedure gives safety to the buyer when assuming ownership of the asset. In addition to the duties already mentioned, the escrow provider also handles certain stipulations the agreement may carry which include fixings and renovations, date of close, insurance policies, loan payments and date to empty the asset.

An escrow can be set off if any party senses it is not functioning as plotted. However, to set off an escrow agreement, they both should agree to cancel and subscribe the necessary legal documents. If the cancellation pushes through, service charges will be collected by the escrow functions supplier. It is fundamental to mention however that in the case of an escrow cancellation, a legal hearing may come with such a function.

Show integrity: Don’t give promises you won’t keep. When you don’t deliver on what you promise, the delicate bond of trust is violated, and nobody will give you their best efforts if they don’t trust you. When you make a statement or give your word on something, make sure that you can keep your promises or it would really be more sensible not to give your word at all. The truth is, if your people can’t depend on your word, they can’t be relied on to be available when they are most needed.

Be open to feedback: It’s a two-way street. Maintaining an open mind with regard to other people’s ideas is an important skill in managing people. Being accessible and receptive demonstrates that other’s thoughts count, and they will value yours. Welcoming open conversation in addition opens doors to innovative ways of thinking, new ways of fulfilling goals, and develops the company dynamic. When your co-workers are given a voice, the project and its results will become important to each member.

Communication is essential: Good communication is fundamental to dealing with employees skilfully. Keeping an open door policy, listen closely to other people, encourage feedback , and permit each of your staff to express themselves. Inspire team members not only to communicate with you, but with each other. The creative process relies heavily on the open exchange of ideas, when the staff communicate efficiently, you can spot any problems swiftly, and corrective measures can be put in place before things get out of hand.

Some effort is needed, all the same the rewards are worthwhile. Through establishing the bonds of a good team and taking heed of your team’s ideas, you can have a successful business.

Equipment

With all the equipment available today it is possible to prepare, check, amend and polish a presentation before you enter the venue. No matter what format and equipment you are going to use, you have the opportunity to put together a comprehensive, detailed and convincing presentation. As we have previously pointed out in the Preparation article, the more you do in advance, the better the project will be. This also applies to choice and use of presentation media. From giving just a simple speaking presentation to the most advanced computer assisted one, checking equipment and facilities is extremely important. Obviously, a spoken presentation will require a simple desk or lectern, possibly a microphone and speakers. A sophisticated presentation will require more advanced technical equipment and backup. If you are using a flip chart or white board always make sure you have sufficient marker pens of various colours and erasers available. When using an overhead projector check it is working and is focused correctly before your meeting begins. Also Check your transparencies are in the correct order, are clear and not damaged and focus them so the information is available to all of the guests. Don’t forget to have a suitable pointer to hand as you will probably need one. If your choice is a full PowerPoint computer assisted presentation or similar, you will have done all the preparation in advance. When you arrive at the venue ensure all the services you require are available and in good working order. You will, of course do all this before the presentation and before the guests arrive. The right equipment is a tremendous help when making a presentation. Technology is now so advanced that choosing the right equipment is a pleasure, not a chore. Having the right equipment improves your chances of making a successful presentation.

Handouts

Most presentations include some sort of handout to give to the guests, possibly a brochure, fact sheet, specification details or maybe a report. Again, this is an important element of your presentation. Always present the information in an attractive folder, rather than using a few sheets of paper stapled together. The cost of small binders or folders is very cheap and will make a much better impression than papers stapled together. If you have printing facilities in your organisation have some folders printed with your logo or other promotional advertising as they will help to advertise your company and also look professional. During your presentation mention the promotional material (handouts) and tell your visitors exactly what they contain. Encourage them to read, examine the information and take it away with them for further study. This method helps to keep your presentation in their minds long after it has been completed. I was once at a presentation in Berlin given by General Motors. They were announcing new models and they handed out three full size A4 ring binders to all the guests, each containing full technical details of the new models. There were about two thousand delegates at that conference so you can imagine the cost of producing, shipping and handling that amount of literature. Obviously General Motors thought it was well worth it. Very few brochures remained in the conference venue after the event. Therefore, you need to give careful consideration to the compilation of your handouts if you are using them. They will become an important part of your promotion.

Michael Russell
Your Independent guide to Small Business

Colin Powell stated in an interview that as a young twenty-one year old lieutenant he was still trying to figure out the whole concept of mission and people when a crusty old Master Sergeant said to him:

“Let me make it clear for you, Lieutenant, so that you never ever doubt again what leadership is all about. Now, listen carefully. I ain’t gonna repeat it. A good leader is someone whose troops will follow him, if only out of curiosity.”

The reason people follow any leader, especially in the business world, is due to trust. The only way to develop trust is through communication. You have to talk to people with respect to gain their respect. You need their respect if you are going to develop their trust. You gain trust when people think you care as much about their welfare as you do your own. People have to think that you not only care about their problems but that you will make every effort to solve them. This is an especially difficult task when the economy isn’t cooperating and you have eliminated jobs. That is one of the reasons that it is critical to act quickly and swiftly when implementing restructuring plans during tough economic times. It is not only important to create a big enough shock wave to immobilize the old culture, but you have to convince the survivors that they are the keepers and you will all succeed together. Leaders are respected for discipline. Survivors will recognize if you gain their respect, that terminating people is part of the job. They Will view your decision as a sacrifice of part to protect the whole. Choice is critical. Employees that are C players must not make the cut. Removing non-contributors and disruptions due to poor performance is in fact to their benefit.

WARNING—Do not under any circumstances keep an employee that is obviously a non-performer due to politics, tenure or relationship with the owner or anyone on the executive staff. This can countermand every honest effort and sincere communication made. It also sends a message of a lack of honesty.

Employees want to take pride in their leaders. They are eager to give their trust if you demonstrate the kind of character as a leader that deserves that trust. Don’t let the employees down. Character is built around a true concern for the people within the organization. It is based on fairness and consistency.

The effectiveness of a true leader is not measured in terms of the leadership he or she exercises. It is measured in the leadership evoked. It is not measured in terms of power over his subordinates but in terms of the power he releases in his subordinates. Leadership is not measured in terms of goals and objectives but it is measured in terms of the accomplishment of others as a result of that leadership. Leadership is not measured in the decisions made, the costs cut, the plans made. It is measured in terms of the growth in confidence, sense of responsibility and acceptance of accountability of the employees that are a result of that leadership.

“The final test of a true leader is that they leave behind in others the conviction and will to carry on.”

Leadership and communication are intertwined. They go together. Leadership without communication is like a gun without a bullet. It may look impressive, but it can’t do anything. Leadership and communication help create solidarity. Solidarity implies a unity within a group that enables it to manifest its strength and exert its influence as a group. Unity implies oneness, especially of what is varied or diverse in its direction or clarity. This is particularly true when a business is struggling for survival. Unity describes the inner relationships of individual parts making up the whole. It is an achievement that demands the probability of action and leadership. That action, that leadership, if appropriate and precise, leads to trust.

The very first step required after a restructuring process is mass communication. It may be virtually impossible, as President or CEO or COO to get out in the field and talk to every employee face to face. Although that should be a priority follow up during the coarse of the year. An acceptable alternative to reach every employee is tele-conferenceing. However, most companies are not set up for that process. A second alternative is the production of a video tape presentation to every employee simultaneously. Mandatory viewing of every employee at a preselected time is essential. The video should send a positive message addressing the following issues.

• Reasons behind restructuring

• Future objectives

• Commitment to success

• Discussion of survivors and honesty of future actions

• Motivational teamwork discussion

• Framework for future communications

• Discussion of trust and values

• Answering questions posed by employees (at least 30 preselected questions and others asked by panel of employees)

It is a good idea to solicit ahead of time questions to be asked by employees. These questions are the heart of what’s now on the employee’s mind. Do not duck the tough ones. The employees will know and you will lose respect and trust. Face the issues head on with honesty. Supervisors can generate these questions from the employees company wide and submit them for review. Every question does not have to be addressed, but the most relevant to the employees must not be ignored. The answers need to be rehearsed ahead of time. The President facilitates this Q & A session but can direct different members of his executive staff to provide the answers. A hand picked group of line employees should be selected to ask these questions of the executive staff on tape. The tape can be edited to insure a positive message. However, honesty and integrity must be preserved. This is only the first step. Answers must be open, honest, sincere and complete. This is the very first opportunity since the restructuring announcement to demonstrate leadership, respect and trust.

Communication is the breath of life, the first spark in leadership. Communication will hold the company together. Nothing else is so crucial to survival and solidarity. It is especially important that the message is consistent throughout the management team. As important is the demonstration of respect, trust and leadership. However, no one factor plays a more precious role in building and preserving that trust amongst the employees which is a signifying determination of leadership than communication. It is a make or break issue.

It is not only important that the President knows what the CFO and the COO are doing but he must also know what they intend to do under every circumstance. Once those determinations are made, the employees deserve to know what is planned if they are expected to execute with precision. People need a keen sense of trust and a feeling of being part of the plan. The communication network should connect all employees. Everyone needs to be a part of the overall plan. Miscommunication, rumors and garbled messages cause conflict and distrust. Don’t settle for second rate communication, it’s too critical to success. If you avoid informing all your employees, specifically on matters that affect their lives, you are playing with fire. This kind of action breeds resentment, mistrust and paranoia.

“Be aware that the single greatest problem with communication is the illusion that it has been achieved”—-unknown.

We all communicate daily. We practice communicating daily, yet experience confirms that most often we fail to communicate effectively. Add to that obstacle the fact that you are facing difficult economic times and the challenge of communicating effectively seems over whelming.

Why do we have problems communicating?

• We are always in a hurry

• We do not listen well

• We are afraid to ask questions

• We don’t seek feedback or provide it

• We use unclear words or symbols

• We do not have the trust and respect of the person we are communicating with

• We fail to anticipate

Difficulty in communications is enhanced when you are involved in crisis situations or adversity of some nature. A restructuring certainly qualifies under those guidelines. In normal times communication is difficult in itself due to our individual physic and motivations. In a two-way conversation between you and someone else, there are virtually six people involved.

1. ME— AS I SEE ME

2. ME —AS YOU SEE ME

3. YOU—AS I SEE YOU

4. YOU—AS YOU SEE YOU

5. ME—AS I REALLY AM

6. YOU—AS YOU REALLY ARE

Listening skills are especially important. Proof that you are listening is in your actions. Don’t ask someone if they understand. Ask them what they are going to do. Listening should dominate your interaction with your employees. Distractions need to be removed. Trust must be developed. You must have a sincere desire to understand. You must be aware of individual needs. Be attentive and don’t assume anything. Ask for explanations. Don’t interrupt because you want to talk. Try to keep an open mind. Be compassionate and don’t react too quickly. Avoid talking about yourself. These are the basic rules of communication.

Leading the restructuring process is not a cakewalk. You really need to determine who the real players are. You need to understand what you can really ask of employees during these times. Be careful of misplaced or misdirected loyalty. Be careful of false loyalty. There are limits. You need maximum loyalty from your employees during this restructuring. Make sure you know who you can trust. Besides loyalty and equally important is the need for a high commitment to the job. A willingness to hang tough. Commitment demonstrated by the leader can lead to commitment by the employee. Commitment is self-nourishing and it gives meaning to work. Employees will look to you first to measure your level of commitment. They want to take your pulse. They want to believe in you. They need a leader they can follow. It’s imperative that you show no signs of weakness and you don’t let them down. This goes for the entire executive staff.

Employee commitment will soar if you and your executive staff demonstrate a passion for success. Excitement breeds excitement. Success breeds success, the more consuming your desire to fix things, the more you demonstrate leadership and draw support from your employees. You, as President, CEO, COO and your executive staff set the stage. If your company fails, chances are you did not set the proper environment for success. (Create an attitude, Structure an environment, Develop your team) Your intensity, your focus, your drive and your dedication along with these same attributes from your executive staff are the determinants of the level of commitment and the level of respect you get from your employees. Commitment won’t survive if leadership doesn’t exist and respect disintegrates. You must be proactive and publicly demonstrate leadership, confidence and commitment.

“If you lead through fear and authority you will have little to respect; but if you lead through confidence, commitment and respect you will have little to fear.”–Roosevelt

It is important to deliver a message of renewed life to your employees. Come up with an acronym that reflects the new strategy. “A new Vehicle for Success.” “The New XYZ Company Way.”

A COMMON FALLACY—–HAVE ALL THE ANSWERS

A mistake many leaders make during the restructuring process is the self imposed responsibility to have all the answers. This is just not true. It is okay to admit to not having all the answers. Good leaders are willing to show their imperfections. Surround yourself with a solid executive team and you don’t need all the answers. No one expects perfection, just leadership. Being President doesn’t grant you supreme knowledge.

Dr. Rick Johnson (rick@ceostrategist.com) is the founder of CEO Strategist LLC. an experienced based firm specializing in leadership. CEO Strategist LLC. works in an advisory capacity with company executives in board representation, executive coaching, team coaching and education and training to make the changes necessary to create or maintain competitive advantage. You can contact them by calling 352-750-0868, or visit http://www.ceostrategist.com for more information.

Rick received an MBA from Keller Graduate School in Chicago, Illinois and a Bachelor’s degree in Operations Management from Capital University, Columbus Ohio. Rick recently completed his dissertation on Strategic Leadership and received his Ph.D. He’s also a published book author with four titles to his credit: “The Toolkit for Improved Business Performance,” the NWFA & NAFCD “Roadmap”, Lone Wolf-Lead WolfThe Evolution of Sales” and a fiction novel about teenagers called “Shattered Innocence.” Rick’s next book due to be published in November is titled; Lone Wolf – Lead Wolf, The Evolution of Leadership.

• some people won’t share information,
• some won’t debate the issues,
• some perceive a ‘kill the messenger’ pattern or have a fear of reprisal,
• some may exhibit passive aggressive or aggressive behavior,
• some will agree in a meeting to take action, but fail to take it, and
• sometimes too many people or the wrong people in the room can cause a problem.

To overcome many of these problems, two things have to happen:

• team members have to trust the people and the process, and
• team members have to be willing to contribute to team debates (i.e., they have to be willing to engage in constructive conflict on the work itself).

When both these elements are in place, team members can be passionate and unguarded in a discussion of the issues. They openly admit mistakes. They respect others’ ideas and opinions. They attack problems, not people. And, even if a decision goes against their position, they often can accept it because their ideas were heard.

Trust takes time to build and it can only be earned. It’s easier with a smaller team which is one of the reasons that many executive coaches suggest a team should ideally consist of less than 10 members. It requires complete honesty (some would say “brutal honesty”), integrity, good communication, vulnerability, and behavior that demonstrates that the team goals are more important than an individual’s goals. Without trust, team members don’t participate fully, issue guarded or political comments, may agree to something in a meeting but fail to buy in, thwart the result or manage to avoid any accountability.

Trust is difficult to create in a competitive environment and most companies provide a competitive environment. For example, to get a promotion, you often have to compete with other candidates or if you appear weak, others may try to take advantage. So how can you show weakness or vulnerability in a competitive environment? It’s best if you pick an area that offers little risk such as sharing and asking something of a personal nature: hobbies, where you grew up, and so on. Developing informal relationships at work makes it easier to engage in difficult work discussions with the same people when the need arises. Getting to the next level of trust can be aided by sharing something you appreciate about other team members. A third approach is to use DISC, InterPersonal Profile (360 feedback), and/or personality tests to help build trust by allowing people to better understand themselves and others.

One of the problems with solving a trust issue is you may never know what the underlying issues are if people are not willing to share them. This is often the case, particularly in a multi-person setting. At times like these it’s important to use an approach that promotes trust and provides useful and timely feedback. Recently we recommended a process to check the trust level and communication effectiveness within a team. The feedback surprised some team members who thought everyone was on the same page. Specific issues, now out in the open, could then be dealt with relatively quickly. Left untended, issues like these can cripple the effectiveness of a team, cause cycle-time delays, and reduce cohesion, team spirit and morale.

Russ Pratt helps professionals and teams function more effectively through consulting, coaching and training. Visit http://www.momentumcoaching.com for more information on developing leadership skills and building highly-effective teams.