Here Comes the Snow
And ice. And freezing rain.
Where I live -- mid-state North Carolina -- we are too far south to have much in the way of snow. And far enough north to get some cold, right-on-the-edge rain storms during winter.
Which means that every few years, we get freezing rain. They're predicting it for tomorrow. So what do we do to prepare, whether you live in Florida or Minnesota or even in between in North Carolina?
When bad weather is forecast, I try the day before to get
everything finished up. Paperwork completed, calls made, and shipments out. That's because if the power goes out, I can't fax. And DHL may cut off pick-ups early.
If tomorrow arrives nasty, I have to make a judgement call about appointments. The bottom line is it's not worth damaging my car to go to an appointment. Not to mention endangering my life. If -- for whatever reason -- you think it's not worth the risk, call appointments as quickly as possible, let them know, and offer to re-schedule. If agents are involved in scheduling, bring them into the picture.
Most people are very reasonable with weather conditions. Just don't leave them in the lurch. And if you have a day -- or two, or three -- where the weather prevents you from working, just do what you can do. Make phone calls, clean up your desk, whatever. You'll recover from this, too. Just don't risk your life. You're too valuable for that.
Just Ask
Here's your suggestion for the day. Make use of it!
People are far more inclined to grant a request
if you give a reason for it. The reason doesn't have to -- necessarily -- be a good one. Just give one. If you can give a good one, all the better.
If you're already driving 33 miles to an appointment next Tuesday, and you've got someone in that area, you might phrase it like this: "Look, I'm going to be in your area next Tuesday. Any chance you could do the appointment then? I'd be glad to do it another time if you can't, but [ here's your "reason"] I'd be able to save a lot of driving if we could."
If you ask nicely, the worst thing they can say is no. But often folks will say yes.
Most people -- in whatever capacity you're asking -- are happy to help you out if they can. Give them the chance. Ask them. Go on the assumption that they want to do good for you, and you may very well find that most of them will. Ask.
How to Deal With Failure
"The majority of men meet with failure because of their lack of persistence in creating new plans to take the place of those which fail."
Napoleon Hill
When You Make a Mistake
My daughter got her driver's license last Thursday.
On Friday -- the next day -- she was in an accident. It was her fault. And it was clearly a mistake. And since then, I've tried to stress learning from that mistake. She's scared, humiliated, and it's going to hurt her financially. (She will have to pay all of the costs associated with the accident).
But a mistake is a mistake. An accident is an accident.
Unless you are staying in bed all day, you are making mistakes. The secret is learning
not to identify yourself by your mistakes. When you have a bad blood draw, all it means is, "I didn't do well on that stick." It
doesn't mean, "I'm a bad person," "I'm a failure," "I'm a bad nurse/paramedic/examiner/whatever." You get the picture.
When you make a mistake, learn from the mistake. Do what you can to rectify the mistake. And then go on about your life.
You occasionally fail, but you are not a failure.
You make mistakes, but you are not a mistake.
You have accidents, but your life has a purpose.
If you learn nothing else today, learn this:
your failures don't define you. They are a part of your life, but they are not your life.
When You've Got an Important Client
Of course, all of your clients are important.
Having said that, some are more important than others. Think Well-Known Persons, local politicians, folks with more money than some of us, etc.
It's easy to get intimidated by such people. And it doesn't help that some folks like this are good at intimidating others. So, how to deal with them?
My bottom line is that I treat everyone alike. I've used this rule long enough that I'm good at it. This means that if I already have an appointment scheduled with someone else, and Mrs. Moneybag-Jones wants me to bump the first appointment to make room for her, it doesn't happen.
Treating everyone pretty much alike makes it easier on you. If you defer to VIPs, they will sense it, and some will treat you like the hired help. Far better to operate with a little distance, and assure them that your time, too, is valuable, but you will do your best to fit them in.
Treating everyone alike also makes such people less intimidating. I operate on the principle that everyone pretty much puts on their pants one leg at a time, and I am not easily impressed, at least not by riches, Importance, or whatever. When all else fails, and you are shaking because this person is so important, use the underwear rule: imagine them sitting in front of you in their underwear, and they will seem less intimidating. (The more attractive a person is, the less easily this rule works).
Bottom line? Relax, and enjoy every client you have to see. Most of them -- important or not -- are interesting people. Plan to enjoy the few minutes you have with them, and do a good job.
What We Need to Solve Problems
"The problems of the world cannot possibly be solved by skeptics or cynics whose horizons are limited by obvious realities. We need men and women who can dream of things that never were..."
John F. Kennedy
How Thinking Affects Your Life
"Think positively and masterfully, with confidence and faith,
and life becomes more secure, more fraught with action, richer
in achievement and experience."
Eddie Rickenbacker, aviator
Imagination and Knowledge
"Imagination is more important than knowledge. Knowledge is limited. Imagination encircles the world."
Albert Einstein
Blaming others
"Don't blame others for your failure to be fully accountable for your own life. If others are to blame then you have given them control."
Bob Perks
Speaker and author
Calmness of Mind
"The more tranquil a man becomes, the greater is his success, his influence, his power for good. Calmness of mind is one of the beautiful jewels of wisdom."
James Allen
Dreams and Courage
"All our dreams can come true - if we have the courage to pursue them."
Walt Disney
1901-1966
When Someone Makes Threats
Note:
I am not talking about physical threats here. If someone physically threatens you, I recommend that you
get away from them as quickly as possible -- in other words, don't be a hero and try to fight them -- and
immediately call law enforcement, and press charges, if possible. Don't take physical threats without immediate, prompt, and sustained response.
No, what I'm talking about are verbal threats of various actions. Usually, the threat involves one of 2 things: either "I'm going to sue you," or "I'll report you to whatever licensing board you are under."
The first threat happens on rare occasions. People who become self-employed or contractors always worry about lawsuits. The reality is that almost no one even threatens to sue, much less actually goes through with it. The second threat is even less rare, because almost no one realizes that licensing boards (such as the Board of Nursing, on my part) have a disciplinary process.
There are people who like to make threats. They will threaten to sue you if you have bad breath. For the few times (out of the thousands of people I've seen), I just usually look directly at them, and say, "You have to do what you have to do." Call their bluff. They have no intention of going to the trouble of suing you. It's just something they say. However, if the words "lawsuit" or "sue" come up in a conversation with a client, take the following actions:
1. Gather every bit of information you have about this case. Lab tickets, exams, exam orders, any notes you might have made. Make a photocopy of the your appointment book for the time you saw the person (or whatever you use).
2. Sit down and write down everything you know about this case. Write down how you received the order, from who, whether by phone, email, or whatever. Give a history of your contacts with the person. Tell about the circumstances of the exam, where it was completed, how you got there, how long it took, what the weather was like, everything. Tell about what the person looked like, how they acted toward you, and whether anything unusual occurred: difficult blood draws, odd behavior on the individual's part, etc.
3. Finally, be honest and straightforward with the person. Answer their phone calls or other contacts without getting angry and yelling. If they scream, shout, whatever, make yourself sit still and not respond. When they are finished shouting, simply ask, "Are you through now?," and then respond, "When you are ready to discuss this in a civil manner, I will be happy to speak with you. For now, though, I'm hanging up the phone." Then do it.
I began doing exams in 1980. I have seen thousands of people. I have done the above kind of "history" exactly 3 times. One time involved a man who would not return phone calls, and I could not schedule the appointment. Then he was involved in a very serious auto accident, and the agent called, screaming about it. Nothing more was said, but I thought it prudent to write up the details and did. The second involved a man who -- again -- would not return phone calls. (This is why it's good to make notes about your contacts and attempted contacts). This was around Christmas time several years ago, and he was killed in an auto accident while on a Christmas vacation. No one ever suggested I had done anything wrong, but when I heard about the death, I thought it was a good idea to document, and I did.
The last involved a woman who claimed a botched blood draw. It was one of those very odd situations where everything went fine, but she called back an hour later screaming that she had no feeling in her arm. I did this exam for one of the Big 4 companies, and they were very helpful, and their insurance covered the doctor's visit she went to after my exam. They were even -- the manager later told me -- planning to reimburse her for time lost from her work (she was a hairdresser) until she began claiming that she was unable to work for 6 weeks, and that she made $150,000 a year as a hairdresser. (The manager of the office I was dealing with said later that if he could make $150,000 a year in the hair business, he was going back to school, and he didn't care if people thought he was gay. I was inclined to go back with him. The bottom line was that the exam company no longer believed her. We were probably not the first time she had made such claims, and likely not the last).
But the reality is that lawsuits are just not a real issue. Do the very best job you can, be pleasant and straightforward with those you deal with, and document when necessary. And if someone threatens to sue you, take a deep breath, realize it's likely an idle threat, and go about your business. Just don't let someone like that ruin your day. Much less your week.
When You Can't Get a Problem Resolved
99% of problems can be resolved on the local level. If you are having a problem (I'm talking here about problems with an exam company) try, try, try to deal with your local manager.
Most people are not trying to cheat you, and they are not trying to do you wrong. Here are a couple of suggestions in those less than 1% cases where dealing locally just isn't working.
1. Don't make threats. Telling someone you're going to sue them, that you're going to quit doing any cases for them -- these kinds of statements just don't help to resolve a bad situation. It goes without saying that especially you
never, ever make physical threats. If someone makes a physical threat, the one threatened likely will (and should) call in law enforcement, and this will make things very unpleasant for you.
2. Don't lose your temper. Speak calmly and rationally. If you are angry, wait until you are no longer angry. Don't raise your voice. Go on the assumption that the person you're calling is going to try and help you resolve your problem. They probably will.
3. Realize that the person you're dealing with has problems, too. Make it easy for them to deal with
your problems. Easy means you are pleasant and kind to them personally.
4. Start off your conversation with something like, "Hi, I've got something I need help with. Can you help me?" Most people in these situations like to be helpful. Give them the chance.
5. Provide whatever documentation they need to resolve the situation. If you've already sent the documentation, say something like, "I think I've sent that, but I'll be glad to send it again, if you need it. Are you sure it's not there?" In such a situation, don't argue with the person if they say they don't have it. If they don't, they don't, and nothing is helped by telling them it's there in the office. It probably is, but just send it again.
6. When you've sent what they say they need, follow up a day later. I like to call folks, and say, "Hi, I'm just checking to see if you've got everything you needed." If they say they'll check on it, suggest that you can stay on the line if they want to check.
7. Here's the hard part, and it needs to be done before a problem comes into play. Try to find names and contact numbers for those above a local office, if there are any. (This would be regional managers, etc.) Don't contact these people until one of 2 things happen: the local office says they can't deal with a situation, and refuses to try any more, or they quit returning phone calls. If you have to deal with such regional management, I call them by saying this: "Hi, I'm John Doe, and I'm an examiner with your Smallville office, and I'm having a small problem we're having trouble resolving. Could you help me with this, or tell me someone who can?"
8. Once an issue is resolved, thank those who helped resolve it. Almost no one thinks about this, but people really appreciate it, and remember it.
9. Finally, if an office is a string of trouble, that's probably the time to quit doing work for them. I usually break things off in a friendly fashion by saying something like, "I'm made some changes in the way I do business, and I'm afraid I won't be able to do work for you folks for the time being." I only say this if an office is really a headache, and once I've made up my mind, I don't change that. But even under such circumstances, being friendly, kind -- but firm -- helps to keep this on a business and professional level. Which it is.
| "You have to find something that you love enough to be able to take risks, jump over the hurdles and break through the brick walls that are always going to be placed in front of you. If you don't have that kind of feeling for what it is you are doing, you'll stop at the first giant hurdle." |
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George Lucas
Some New Years Resolutions for Your Business
OK, so it's early on New Years morning, and my wife is gonna kill me if I don't get off the computer soon. Since I don't want to die, I'll make this one short.
A new year can be a sobering thought. We remember the past and we ponder the future. And some of us do resolutions. Resolutions are often good things, guidelines to help us navigate our way into the new year. Here are a few to help your business in 2007.
1. I will seek to be of service. Being of service covers a whole lot of things, but it's mostly in your attitude. If your attitude is, "I'm going to do the best job I can, and I'm going to provide a good, helpful service toward everyone associated with me in this field," you've just covered about 90% of the job.
2. I will try to maximize my profits. I will aim for higher paying accounts, work with companies that pay more, and cultivate agents who do high quality work.
3. I will cut expenses. Are you paying too much for cell phone service, or internet access? Are you driving a huge gas-guzzler? Seek to ruthlessly cut expenses, and make your dollars work more efficiently.
4. I will quit complaining. Complaining is an acid that eats into your life. When you feel a complaint coming to your mouth (or even in your mind), ask yourself, "Will this do any real good? And can I
do something to correct this situation, rather than just complaining about it?"
5. I will quit hanging around complainers. Negative people wear you out. Avoid them whenever possible. If you can't avoid them, just nicely tell them, "I really don't want to hear that," when they start their complaints. It really does work.
6. I will get better. I will finish 2007 a better examiner, more proficient, more skilled at all the things that make up my work. Don't be mediocre.
7. I will use time to my advantage. Drive time can be a time to learn (think books on CD, meditation time, whatever). Time doing exams can be done more efficiently. We all have 24 hours a day. Successful people just use that time more efficiently.
8. Finally, I will enjoy myself. Your work really can be fun. You have a challenging, important job. Do it well, enjoy the work and the people you meet every day, and learn to thrive on the challenges. Every day is going to have irritations, mild disappointments, and occasionally annoying people. Just don't let those minor speed bumps become the focus of your life. Deal with them, and enjoy the ride.
Happy New Year
A joyous and prosperous New Year to you all. May 2007 be filled with everything you need, and a bit more!
