Last Sunday, my wife and I attended Mass at St. Andrew’s Cathedral in Victoria, BC. It’s a beautiful old church with a touch of the old Victorian era. As we sat in the pews prior to Mass starting, I checked out some papers that were in the hymnal holder. On the back of one of the printed hymnals, there was a detailed description of what do in the case of an emergency. I had never seen anything like that before on a church. The staff had done a great job in giving it’s parishioners and guests a thorough plan in case of an emergency like a fire, earthquake, or some other peril. I was impressed. What can you as a business owner learn from this?
Let me ask you - do all of your employees know what to do in case of an emergency? You may have posted directions, or perhaps have them tucked neatly away in a manual. But, have they been communicated? If not, what good are they? You have an obligation to your employees, customers, and prospects to visibly post updated “ICE” reminders. Keeping a constant awareness of procedures keeps everyone responsible. Who knows, it might save a life!
P.S. It’s not only a good practice for your business. What about your family? What procedures can you put in place to protect them?
What can you as a business owner learn from Alex Rodriguez’ admission of using steroids for three years with the Texas Rangers?
Think of the A-Rods in your organization. They may be good employees, but are they always being honest with you? I’m sure you would want anyhting that was performance-enhancing for your business. Consider things that would harm your business and it’s reputation, though.
Examples may include having employees who are using drugs and then drive your vehicles; work in your yard, job site or office; endager the lives of the general public and your employees; and ultimately risk ruin to all you’ve worked so hard for. Your employees are the face of your business. Does that make you feel good or bad right now?
My recommendation to all my clients is to make random drug testing as well as mandatory testing for prospective employees a rule. Let’s face it, all major league baseball players don’t use steroids. Unfortunately, all the big names like Rodriguez, Bonds, Clemens, and McGuire have tainted the industry for all of them. You have good employees that are valuable resources for you. Why bring them down, or potentially harm them, because of a couple of bad apples.
Make sure the face of your business is one your employees, customers, and prospects want to see.
We’ve often heard the deeds of those who risk their lives to save others. I never cease to be amazed when I see it come from animals who aren’t as “smart” as we are. Check out this great video. Ironically, last November I saw the same thing occur as I was driving home one evening, except it was raccoons instead of dogs. It touched me then as heroic, as does this…
Hey fellas…Valentine’s Day is only a couple of weeks away. Do you have your sweetheart’s gift?
If it’s jewelry, make sure you look at scheduling it on your homeowner’s policy. Why? Simple. If it’s value is more than $1,500 you are in trouble if it’s stolen. All homeowners policies have theft limitations for jewelry. The most common is $1,500. If you’re going to spend dough on the “bling bling,” make sure you go the extra mile and pay the little extra to insure it.
P.S. Valentine’s Day is February 14th - it took me a few years…
