Please visit me there.

Fire the Wife?   1

“Fire Betty?  You have to be kidding, how do you fire your wife? I am not going to let a few unhappy employees create a problem in my marriage,” Joe thought to himself. “On the other hand, how can I run a successful company if all my good employees leave?  I thought I had faced just about every problem that running a business can create, but this is unbelievable.”

It was these thoughts that kept Joe from appreciating the comfortable reed chair, its back to the white stucco wall that reflected the warmth of the early spring sun.  The attractive deck was outlined with a full palette of vibrant flowers that made the transition from this man-made structure to the soft and natural beauty of the surrounding grounds, which were lit by the sunlight that filtered down though the high pine trees. 

 The magnificent jewel-coloured lake reflected the high hills and mountains in the distance. It was so beautiful it provided surreal backdrop to the deck where the warm sunshine had long since melted the ice in Joe’s iced tea. Oblivious to the magnificence of the world around him, Joe continued to mull over this latest business challenge.

Joe never planned to own his own business, but when the pulp milled closed and he could not find another job in town, he was faced with three options-find a different career, find a job in another community or start his own shop.  Joe ruled out changing careers, as he couldn’t think of anything he would rather do. He was a journeyman plumber by trade and enjoyed the work. There was no plumbing shop in town so Joe had found it easy to moonlight, doing small jobs for extra money while working at the mill. In the past year or so, he had been so busy he had to turn down work so he felt the transition into his own plumbing business would be easy.  He talked it over with his wife, Betty, and together they decided to go into business. 

Joe spent several days trying to think up a unique and catchy name he gave up and registered Joe’s Plumbing and Heating. He painted “A flush always beats a full house” on the side of his old van along with his name and phone number and he was in business.

The first few years presented more than its share of struggles but Joe was sure the bumps in the road would smooth out and it would soon be clear sailing all the way to the bank.  That was twelve years ago and although those first bumps had long since disappeared, Joe discovered that each time one set of bumps smoothed out, they seemed to be quickly replaced with new larger ones.  Although he was becoming richer on paper, raising inventory, the need for more trucks, tools and equipment and the ever-higher receivables seemed to keep the cash at bay.

Occasionally, Joe thought he would sooner have his old job back, regular hours, weekends off, paid holidays, routine work, steady paycheques and no cash flow, customer, supplier or employee problems.

In reality, however, Joe realized that over the years, Joe’s Plumbing and Heating provided him with a good life.  The business had grown into a successful venture, thanks in large part to the life breathed into the town by this new resort, convention centre and golf course which had opened on the outskirts of the city ten years ago.

Joe’s Plumbing and Heating won a number of ongoing maintenance contracts based on his lower overhead and prices. He held them over the years because of his personal service and the relationships he developed with his clients.  When the need for heating and air conditioning services increased, he had hired Bob, an old buddy with the necessary trade tickets to expand the business. As the local economy improved, the demand for these services and other goods increased so Joe bought the abandoned tire store at the end of Main Street and expanded again.  Using the back of the building for his shop, he began filling the front with related retail products such as fireplaces, barbeques, specialty kitchen and bath fixtures and then he finally expanded into a line of spas and pools as well.

The plumbing, heating and air-conditioning departments now employed almost two dozen tradesmen. Three years ago, Joe had promoted Frank, one of his plumbers, to manage the plumbing side and together with Bob, the two department managers convinced Joe to hire Leigh as their first full-time salesperson. 

As sales increased, Joe promoted Leigh to the position of sales manager and put him in charge of finding new products as well as hiring and managing two new salespeople. Now the challenge was keeping all these people focused on the business and working as a team and that was what seemed to be coming to a head with his wife, Betty.

Last year Joe became frustrated because a number of clients had expressed dissatisfaction with their service.  He tried to make the division managers see the importance of keeping the customers happy, but they argued that they were so busy they had trouble keeping the bigger contracts running smoothly and could not take men away to deal with small warranty or repair issues. 

This finally resulted in the hiring of Dennis and the setting up of an independent service department.  Dennis was the quiet sort. He never said much or mixed with the others, but his knowledge and commitment to quality always amazed Joe.  The service department had not only cleaned up the backlog of warranty items, service and repair work for their regular customers, but added additional large service contracts. The department soon became a significant profit center.

Joe’s Plumbing and Heating was still growing and successful, yet Joe occasionally resented the time the business demanded from him. Despite having good managers, he often spent sixty to seventy hours a week reviewing estimates, dealing with financial problems, checking on crews, meeting with owners and solving a never-ending line of other challenges. 

“Yes,” Joe said to himself, “The business is doing well, but is it really worth the price?”

Joe’s frown eased for a moment and a small smile broke his lips as he thought back to some of the problems he had faced that seemed so fatal to the business at the time and how he had held on and managed to overcome them. He remembered the particularly tough times in the first few years when he seemed to be constantly on the verge of bankruptcy. 

He reflected on the stress he and Betty had experienced when they thought they were going to lose the house after a large customer had gone broke still owing them a large amount of money. He remembered how depressed he had become but Betty’s faith in him and her hard work had helped them work through it. Then the smile faded again as his mind returned to the current problem at hand.  This was definitely the most difficult challenge he had faced. 

He reflected on it some more then repeated to himself, “How can I fire my wife and still maintain a good marriage?”  She would be devastated and life would not be easy.  

Joe was the official sole owner of the business but he considered Betty an equal partner as she had worked countless evenings organising the office, doing the books and collecting money. He had especially liked her ability to collect the outstanding bills; she was straight-forward, tough-minded and assertive so she didn’t mind asking for money, a part of the job Joe didn’t like. Betty’s hard work and determination had been as instrumental in their success as his had been.  She still managed the office and supervised a full-time qualified bookkeeper, a receptionist and any other employee she thought was in need of some direction.

It was Betty’s aggressiveness and the way she spoke her mind that had created tension causing some problems between Betty and the managers.  This tension had culminated yesterday in Bob, Frank, and Leigh taking Joe aside and stating that either Betty had to leave the company, or they would. 

Joe felt cornered and did not think he could not win either way.  He tried to reason with the managers but to no avail. He knew if he approached Betty, she would confront the managers directly, making things even more difficult.

For the first time, Joe felt frustrated and alone in deciding what he should do.  He just wanted to run away and in fact had done just that. He came to the Lakeview Resort, supposedly to look at a renovation job, but the truth was he just wanted to spend the morning sitting alone on the patio.  He found it most serene here, as his mind came back to the pines and he looked out over the quiet lake.  This was a place where he could think about the problem without interruption.

Joe was deep in thought when the stranger sat down at the next table and began trying to strike up a conversation. Joe was annoyed at the interruptions at first so his answers were short and curt. The fellow had a gentle and pleasant manner and he soon had Joe engaged in a conversation about his business.  Joe felt an immediate sense of trust and before he realized it, he had relayed this entire story to the stranger.

When Joe finished the old fellow sat silently for some time, stroking his short white beard until it was obvious that Joe was not going to say anything further. The stranger spoke.

“So you are afraid that if you don’t get Betty out of the office, your managers will leave the company.  You believe that if that happens, you will not be able to handle the extra work load, and they could take a lot of your business with them and become your competitor, is that right?”

“Yes,”  Joe said still staring out at the lake.

“On the other hand, Betty will feel betrayed and hurt if you tell her they want her to leave as she is a much a part of the company as you. Is that right?”

“That about sums it up.” Again Joe did not break his eyes away from their distant focus as he thought the stranger had summarized the problem so succinctly that it almost trivialized it.

“It sounds to me like you need to be part of a mastermind group,” the older man said quietly.

That snapped Joe’s eyes free of the horizon and they seemed to smoulder as he turned them in the direction of the old man. “Sir, I don’t mean to be rude but I work very hard in my business. I have been very successful over the years and I don’t know what you know about business but I resent someone telling me that I need a mastermind group, whatever that is.”

Joe rose from his chair and slid it back against the wall. “I want to thank you for your time but I must be going now.”  With that, Joe turned and started to walk away.

 The old man said, “I wish you well with this dilemma, just remember the seed of your success lies in the heart of your weakness.”

Joe felt anxious because he had suddenly realized how much he had shared about his business with a stranger.  That white-haired old man probably did not know the first thing about plumbing or running a business. He was probably just some tourist who was here on his three-week vacation from a large union job and didn’t have the foggiest idea what it is like to be front and center on the firing line. “I bet he never had to make a payroll,” he said to himself. Joe was upset for letting his guard down so easily with someone he had never met before.

Joe was still steaming two miles down the road and cursing the old man under his breath.  Rocks shot out from the tires as he brought the pickup to a halt on the gravel shoulder. Checking for traffic, he turned the truck around and headed back to the resort.  Joe was not sure if he should give the old man a piece of his mind or apologize for his rudeness but it was the last comment the old fellow had made that piqued his interest.

Joe let a small smile cross his face when he saw the old man was still sitting on the patio.  He opted for a quick apology for his abruptness then without sitting, asked him what he had meant by his last comment.

“Remember the old saying, ‘Dance with the girl who brought you’?”  The old man smiled at Joe as he said it.

Joe nodded but did not answer.  Instead, he quickly concluded from the comments and the general appearance of the kindly old gentlemen that he had not paid enough attention to the old man earlier.  If he had, he would have realized that perhaps not all his pipes were connected.  He tried to smile again but it was weak and now he wasn’t sure what to do, he was too tired to run and too scared to sit, so he just stood there looking down at the stranger.

“So if I understand you,” Joe paused, “I should stand by Betty, but how do I do that without it costing me all my managers?  And just what is a mastermind group anyway?”

The old man continued to smile and looked up at him.

The Banker  2

Brian Barker threw the papers down on his desk, put his hands behind his head, leaned back in his comfortable high-back leather office chair and closed his eyes.

The loan application looked sound and it was his job to sell money for the bank, but he felt this was an especially bitter -sweet opportunity.

Brain had been Joe’s banker since he first began his plumbing business.  The first few years he enjoyed coaching and assisting Joe in his success.In the past few years, Brian felt life had become a little unfair.  After all, he had more education than Joe and he had worked hard over his years with the bank.  He had earned the position of bank manager, yet this plumber who knew little about finance or business, made more money than he did.  On top of that, now most of the business dealings were with Betty and she was tough to deal with.

Joe’s Plumbing needed more funds for their continued expansion and although the paperwork looked reasonable, Brian could not help but think of the conversation he had during the weekly men’s golf night when Leigh, a member of his regular foursome, mentioned the ultimatum the managers were planning to make regarding Betty.

Joe’s financial plan was solid but if there was a risk all three of the managers were considering leaving, that could put the bank at risk.  This was reason enough to turn down the loan.  He could not help but let a small smile cross his lips.  Joe had been a good enough client, but he was just a plumber and maybe it was time he was reminded just how important the banker was.

Brian liked Leigh and thought that he should suggest that if the managers did leave Joe, they should consider starting a company of their own.  If they used their homes as collateral, he could probably put together a loan big enough to get them started in business.

Brian was familiar with Joe’s books and thought there was room in town for a profitable competitor.  He could put some money in himself and take a piece of the action.  He always dreamed about owning a profitable business, and then he remembered that he only had ten years left until he could draw his pension and retire.  He would have to be crazy to risk that, he thought.

Brian did not want to lose Joe’s Plumbing as a client, nor did he want to confront Betty about the situation but this could be sweet.  The situation could result in the managers forming a new company giving him another client or force Betty to leave the company so he did not have to put up with her anymore.  He smiled at the thought. Either way, things would be better for him.

Brian sat up and looked at the paperwork again.  Perhaps the best thing to do would be to sit on the application for a week or so and see what happened.  It could even help force Joe to make a decision between the managers and Betty. If Joe complained about the time it took to secure the loan, he could always blame head office.

With that, he scooped up the paperwork, put it back in a file folder, and placed it in the side drawer of his desk.  He picked up the phone, dialled a number and listened to it ring twice.

“Hello, Joe’s Plumbing and Heating,” the voice said sweetly.

“Is Leigh in?”  Brian asked.

“Yes, just a minute please.”

“Hello, Leigh here.” Brian recognized Leigh’s cheerful voice immediately.

“Leigh, it is Brian Barker. I was wondering if you wanted me to pick you up for an extra game of golf late Thursday afternoon?”  Brian hoped his voice would not betray him as he felt a little on edge, as though he was treading on thin ice. 

 “Brian, yeah, that would be great.” 

Brian felt the enthusiasm in Leigh’s voice and added. “I’ll stop by the shop at 5:30.”

“Great, I will book a tee time and call you back.”  Brian thought by Thursday Leigh should know what was going on and he did like to talk.

Within the hour, Brian had booked the time, called Leigh back to confirm and was preparing to go to lunch with another client.

He wondered for a moment if he had allowed some bit of evil to creep into his mind, as he seemed to be enjoying the thought of Joe squirming just a little more than he should.

He liked Joe and did not wish him any harm but there did seem to be a good feeling inside knowing that life was not always easy for Joe.  “After all,” he said to himself, “Joe was nobody when he came in for his first bank loan and I had helped him get started.  Now he is making four times more money than the bank is paying me.  Life just is not fair and sometimes it does feel good to see those higher up the ladder, slip a little.”

He smiled at the thought then shook his head, grabbed his coat and headed out the door. 

 A Fish Stinks from the Head   3

 (Leadership is a Reflection of Attitude)

Joe continued to stare at the old man wondering if he had any wisdom or was he just another person with nothing invested but more than willing to tell everyone else how to run their business. 

“Boy”, he thought, “If I had all the money I have paid consultants for bad advice…” He squashed the mind traffic and returned to the present.

“Okay,” he said, still unsure, “So if firing the wife isn’t a good idea, but I don’t want to lose my key employees, what would a mastermind group tell me to do?”

“Nothing,” the old man said with a smile and Joe could feel the hairs begin to rise on the back of his neck.

“Nothing?”

“A mastermind group doesn’t tell you what to do. A mastermind group is a group of like-minded business people who share experiences and suggest alternatives but ultimately, each member is responsible for their own decisions. Whatever that decision is, they then support each other because who really knows what will work.  One of my favorite examples was the high paid Decca executive who was an expert in popular music. He sent out a rejection note that said, ‘We don’t like their sound, and guitar music is on the way out.’  What if, in 1962, when Decca sent out the rejection, the four young men believed this industry expert and gave up their dream of becoming the Beatles?  No one has the right to impose their ideas on you; we can only offer support.”

“A mastermind group or network operates on the Law of Two, which states: ‘Whenever two people bring knowledge and effort together for the attainment of a definite purpose, they create the power of a third, invisible, intangible mind.  If a strong spirit of harmony exists between the two, they will begin to acquire new expanded knowledge and ideas from the third mind.’ You must belong to such a group.”

“So where do I find such a group?  I haven’t even heard of one before.”

“You form one.  When I started mine I got a great manual from a training company called Max-U. I can get you an address.  This will give you a format, then you begin looking for those like-minded individuals.  Have you met the new manager of this resort?”

“No, I heard he won’t be here until next week.  This resort is a great customer of ours so I plan to meet him as soon as possible. Why?”

“Because I have met him and I suggested that he do the same thing.  He is bright young fellow, has an MBA from Eastern Oregon University.  I think you might like him.”

“I don’t think he would be good fit for my group. After all, he has an MBA and I am just a dumb plumber.”

“First of all, watch your language.  Your sub-conscious mind may begin to believe you and there is nothing dumb about a man who starts and builds a successful business.  He may have a lot more formal education than you but I am confident there are a lot of things you could teach him.  Things you only really learn from being on the street.  Do you understand?”

Joe felt a little embarrassed.  He had taken a number of self-help programs and knew self-talk and attitude were a big reason for his success, but he always felt a little uncomfortable around people with a lot more education.  Then, almost as if the old man were reading his mind, he continued.

“Mark Twain said that you should never let schooling get in the way of your education.  He also made a comment that we should be thankful for those that quit school in grade eight and start businesses so the university graduates have somewhere to work.  I always encourage education but education and schooling is not necessarily the same thing. I would be willing to be you already have an MBA in running a plumbing business.”

Joe waited to see if the old man was done before speaking. “What about the fact that this resort is one of our biggest accounts? I don’t think I want my clients to know my problems or my successes.”

“Do you treat this resort fairly?”

“Of course, we prize this account and give them the best possible prices and service.  I would hate to lose this account.  Still we do make money here and I don’t know that I would feel comfortable if the manager knew how much.”

“Son, the purpose of a business is to make money.  No one understands that better than an MBA. That is what they specialize in.  If he sees that you are competitive and still make money, he will respect and admire that.  I guarantee it. Besides if he is on your team and you are successful, which obviously you are, he will feel a part of that success and as you become closer friends, as most mastermind partners do, it will only further cement your business relationship.  I am not saying that all customers or suppliers are good people to have as part of your group, but at least consider him.”

“I will, but in the meantime, the problem I am facing right now is immediate and I have to deal with it in the next day or so. Any advice on what I do now?”

“I do but I am not sure you are ready for it.  Regardless of what the problem appears to be between your wife and the managers, from what you have said, I think it is an attitude problem. Attitude controls actions and actions determine results.”

The old man paused, “When there is poor attitude in a company, who do you think is responsible?” His steel blue eyes focused on Joe and it was clear he would not proceed until Joe answered.

“People are responsible for their own attitudes but it only takes one bad apple to disrupt an entire organization.” Joe said.

“A fish stinks from the head,” the old man stated quietly, then leaned back waiting for Joe’s reaction.

“Exactly what are you trying to say?” The comment was still ringing in Joe’s ears.

 “Attitude is a reflection of leadership,” the old man said quietly then added, “It can be a bitter pill to swallow but the responsibility of attitude lies completely with the leader. People are always eager to accept credit when a company has a good attitude but no one wants to believe that a bad attitude is a reflection of his own attitude.” 

Joe pulled a chair up and sat down, leaned forward, then said in the strong voice of disapproval, “I don’t think I agree with that.”

“Good!” The old man interrupted.

“Good?” The comment had caught Joe off guard, “Are you wanting a discussion or an argument?”

“When two people agree on everything, one of them isn’t necessary.”  The old man’s smile seemed to calm the air. “We can both learn more by listening to each other’s different point of view, than we can by agreeing and patting each other on the back.”

 “I can do a lot of things but I don’t believe I can change how people think. Everyone chooses, or is at least responsible for their attitude.” Joe’s comments were firm and stated with an air of authority.

“True, but a good leader motivates people to make the right choice. If someone in an organization is causing problems and the leader does not deal with it, then doesn’t it become a failure of the leader? In Sun Tzu’s book, The Art of War, he suggests that war is a result of the failure of strategy.”

 “That seems to bring us back to my choice of either firing my wife or risk losing Bob, Frank, and Leigh,” Joe hesitated, “And I don’t think telling them they have a bad attitude is going to solve the problem.”

“You don’t have to. The problem is not with them.” Again, the old man smiled and stroked his white beard. “A leader must take responsibility for the general attitude of the organization.” 

Joe stiffened. His complexion turned a little redder. “Are you saying that I don’t have a good attitude? I have a damn good attitude,” his voice became a little louder, “I think I am a pretty positive guy and I resent being told that I have an attitude problem. In fact, other than this problem I think my people have pretty good attitudes as well.” Joe leaned forward as he spoke coming half-way out of his seat. He wondered why he continued to waste his time with this old fellow and did not know why he did not leave but instead slumped back down in the chair. He did not have any more to say. The old man just looked at him, so finally Joe added, “I appreciate you offering me advice, but everyone offers advice on how I should run my business, including my barber. I think what we have is simply a personality conflict.”

“Don’t take it personally; most leaders have a good attitude plus the knowledge and skill to build their business. I’m sure your people have good attitudes most the time, but they are not demonstrating it and how you react now will affect their attitude in the future.”

“It seems no matter what I do, this is going to be a problem.”

The old man smiled, “When companies are small the owner can micro-manage and control what goes on between employees. As the business grows and interaction starts to take place between employees in which the owner is no longer involved, conflicts and problems increase. Would you agree with that?”

Joe nodded his head as he thought about how much better everyone seemed to get along when there were only a few employees and he made most of the decisions.

“Why can some people lead in a seemingly effortless manner, while I feel as though I’m trying to herd chickens?”  Joe let his inside voice escape.

This time they both chuckled then becoming serious again as Joe continued, “How can I keep these three guys happy without asking my wife leave the business?”

“If you agree the problems between your wife and the managers are caused by a poor attitude and if you agree that only you are responsible for that attitude, I will tell you what I believe a good mastermind partner would suggest as a possible solution. Is that fair?”

Joe was still not sure he agreed but he did not know what else to do so he finally said, “OK, suppose I agree, then what?” 

“I have a tee off time soon.” The old man winked, “Tell you what, I have four questions. If you report here with the answers at seven a.m. the day after tomorrow and buy us breakfast, I will share some ideas with you. Is that fair enough?”

“I don’t know. What are the questions?”

“Go back to the office tell the managers this is a big move and you need a week to come up with a solution everyone will like. By resetting the agenda, you will begin to take back some control over the negotiations.”

“What if they refuse and say I have to stick to their original time schedule?  I don’t want to play games and risk losing them.”

“You indicated that this may have been coming for some time but this situation seemed to be sparked by a specific incident.  It is my guess that they were operating in the moment without a strategy and they have no real back-up plan.  If that is true, they will give you the time.  If they do have other plans, then they may insist you stick to the time-line but then you will know how strong your negotiating position is.”

“After you get the extra time then ask each of them, including Betty, to answer the following questions, collect the answers and I will see you at breakfast.” 

He then slowly stated the following and Joe wrote them in his notebook.

1.     If you could change anything about each of the other managers, what would it be?

2.     Ask each manager, how he or she thinks each of the other people involved will answer that same question about them?

3.     What strengths does each person think the other managers offer the company?

4.     What strengths does each manager feel that he or she offers the company?

“I think I can tell you what each of them would say.” Joe said as he wrote the last question down on his pocket notebook.

 “I really don’t care what you think,” The old man stood and started towards the path, “Just get their answers and meet me here for breakfast.” With that, he walked away.

Joe sat for while staring at the questions and wondered if the old man knew something or was he crazy. The old man’s comments intrigued him and despite his abruptness; he felt he was beginning to like the old fellow.

Joe pocketed his book, stood and headed back to his truck.

The Golf Game   4

“How was your day Brian.” Leigh asked after he had lifted his clubs into the back of Brian’s truck. Brian responded in the usual non-meaningful way that most people respond to that question.  The short drive to the golf course was otherwise filled with the same empty conversation.

Brian was thankful it was a slow day on the small course so rather than wait to make up a foursome the golf pro just sent them out alone.  The talk on the first few holes was about the weather, the summer, the families and golf.  Then as they waited for the foursome ahead of them, Brian turned and said, “So how is it going at work?”

“I don’t know.”  Leigh replied, “You know we gave Joe an ultimatum to either get rid of Betty or we were all leaving.”

“Yeah, how is that going?”

“That’s the part I don’t know.  Joe asked for a week’s time before he gave us an answer and then asked us to answer a bunch of questions about each other but was sort of vague about what we were doing it for.”

“Are you guys really prepared to leave if Betty doesn’t?”

 “I don’t know about the others.  We really do like our jobs and working for Joe, but it is getting more frustrating going to work every morning knowing that Betty will be sticking her nose into whatever we are working on.”  He kept his eyes on the foursome ahead as he continued, “I don’t know what we will do, but I can’t see continuing on working with Betty.”

“Have you guys talked about starting your own business?”  Brian was nervous bringing up the subject but tried to make the comment more matter of fact than a question.

Leigh laughed and said they could not raise the money it would require to start a company like Joe’s Plumbing.  Brian said that if they had a good business plan and some equity in their homes they might be surprised how easy it is to form a new business.

Leigh didn’t comment right away but rolled the comments over in his mind for a few seconds then said, “Hopefully, Betty will leave and we won’t have to go there.”

“Well if you do and need a hand putting a plan together let me know.  I can put you together with some people in the bank that can help make it happen.”  Brian smiled then nodded towards the group in front of them. “Looks like we are up.”

Brian did not bring up the subject again nor did Leigh broach the topic. After finishing the eighteenth hole they wandered into the lounge where they replayed a couple of the holes over a drink. Brian dropped Leigh off at the shop again where they parted with a promise to get together again in a week or so for a rematch.

Brian felt a little disappointed as he drove home but was happy with the seeds he had planted in Leigh’s mind.

Leigh thought about Brian’s comment and what it would be like to own a part of his own business.  In order to pull that off he would need the other two men as well and while Betty was aggressive and bossy, he wasn’t sure he wanted to be a partner with the others either. 

Up until now he had gone along with the others because Betty could be a pain but now as he thought about his options he wasn’t sure what he would do if Betty did not leave the business.  He thought he would finish Joe’s silly questions he owed him that much, then call the others and set up a meeting.  He was beginning to think they made their demand without much forethought into what their next move should be if Joe refused. In sales he had learned to always have a strategy now that he thought about it, it seems he was in the middle of a big deal without one because they all had allowed their emotions to take control and things had been said in the heat of the moment without much thought to where they would lead. 

At the time he thought Joe would just convince Betty to set up an office at the house and drop into the office a couple times a week as she continued to oversee the bookkeeping.  He thought she would welcome the escape from the daily grind of being in the office, now he thought what happens if Joe and Betty refuse to have Betty leave the office.  What will the others do then?  What will he do?  For the most part he loved working for Joe’s Plumbing and didn’t know where else in town he could get a similar job.  For all Betty’s shortcomings at least you knew where you stood with her.  He wasn’t sure he could go into a partnership with the others even if money wasn’t the issue.  As much as he liked the other guys they too had challenging behaviour.

He cursed at the pickle he was in.  He didn’t want to lose his job but he didn’t know how to back down either.  Sometimes he just went along too easily because he just wanted to be liked by the others.  Sometimes he trusted people too much and now his trust in his peers may be backing him into a corner because he didn’t think any of them had thought this through far enough.

He decided to call the others and book a time to meet before doing the questions at least that would take some of the mind traffic away for a while.

The Questions   5

 “Joe, what the heck is going on?”  Betty did not often raise her voice when talking to Joe but when she did Joe took it as a warning to tread softly. He paused selecting his words carefully. Did she know the reason for the questions he wondered?  Then he decided to learn more before speaking, so slowly he said, “What do you mean, dear?”

“Joe, I know the staff, is whispering about something and my assistant says that she has heard some of the managers have given you some sort of ultimatum.  You have been a little distant with me the last couple of days and not confided in me, and now you have these silly questions.  What the hell is going on?  I am not just your wife, or your employee, I am your partner.”  Her eyes were cold.

 Joe swallowed hard then continued in a soft and low voice trying not to get Betty’s emotion stirred up any more that they already were. “I do have a problem with the department managers and I am trying to work out a way to keep everyone happy.  I apologize that I have not told you, but it concerns you and I did not want to upset you before I had a suitable solution worked out in my mind.”

“What do you mean it concerns me? Doesn’t everything that goes on here concern me?” Betty’s voice was becoming even shorter. “Just what are the managers saying?”

“Betty, I think there is some sort of personally clash.  You are so strong and outspoken that, I think it might be intimidating for some of the managers.  I have met a fellow who is helping me come up with a solution.” Joe was nervous about saying too much to her but he also had never held anything back from her before.

“So what do they say is the problem? If they have a problem with me they should address it to me not go running to you.  I think we should call them in and I should talk to them.”

 “Betty, they say they cannot work with you.  They are going to quit and if you call them in I think they will.”  Joe sighed.

“Then let them quit!  Joe this is our company and we did not spend all those hard years building this business so the employees can tell us how to run it.  We ran the business before they worked here and we can run it without them again if we have to.”  Betty’s voice was getting higher.

“Relax; Betty let us think about this before we do anything that cannot be undone.  The company is a lot bigger now and the fact is we do need them.  They are good employees and for the most part do a good job.  Who is going to oversee all the work and crews if they leave?”  Joe looked at her as he waited for her answer.

“Okay so what do these questions have to do with it? And who is this fellow you are working with?”

“I am not sure how this works.  I met this fellow out at the resort and he said that the problem is one of attitude and it is my responsibility to change it.  All I am asking is that you answer the questions and give me a chance to review them with this fellow and see if I can put together a plan of attack.”

“How much is this fellow charging us?”  The questions sat Joe back as he answered slowly.

“Well, actually I don’t think he is charging us at all.”  Joe already anticipated the next question, which he knew he could not answer.

“Why is he offering to help you for free?”

“I don’t know, we just met and sort of became friends and we just talk for a half hour or so every morning.  Let us just answer the questions and see if he can help.  Okay?”

It took a few more minutes of discussions with Betty saying she didn’t appreciate Joe talking about their problems to a perfect stranger and holding back on discussing them with her. Finally Betty seemed to calm down and Joe asked her the old man’s questions, which she jotted down, then began to answer.

The warmth of the morning sun reflect off the white stucco as Joe stepped up onto the patio, he was anxious to hear what the old man had to say so he had arrived a little early and was happy to see him already sitting there.

“Good morning,” he said pulling out a chair and placing the file folder on the table. Reaching across the table he said, “My name is Joe, we never did introduce ourselves the other day.”  The old man leaned forward and shook his hand without rising.

“Jim.” He offered then continued, “Isn’t it a great morning?”  He swept his hand towards the lake. Joe followed his gesture and thought about how lucky he was to live here.

“Yes it is.” He answered.

“So did the questions help you discover some reasons why your staff and wife do not get along?” the old man said looking down at the folder. Joe opened it and laid four piles of paper on the table as the waiter arrived with a coffee pot.  Joe asked for bacon and eggs then regretted ordering so much when Jim only ordered toast and jam.

“I’m not sure exactly what it proves other than they really do have personality conflicts. I asked each to answer the questions about what they would change about each person involved as well as what strengths each person offers the company.

Joe moved one pile in front of him adding, “Bob is the first full time person I hired. He is an old friend of mine and looks after all the heating and air-conditioning.” He began to leaf through the pages. “The two other guys think Bob is a really nice fellow, he is really thoughtful and brings stability to the company, if they were to change anything they would have him be a little more outspoken.  Betty, on the other hand, sees him as too quiet and resistant to new ideas.  She feels he speaks and thinks too slowly.  The only thing she thinks he brings to the company is loyalty but added that maybe he only stays because he if afraid of change. ” 

“Do you agree?” The old man asked and when Joe shook his head and said that pretty much described him and the old man said, “Green.” and made a note on the piece of paper lying beside him.  Then seeing the look on Joe’s face said, “I’ll explain later.  Carry on.”

Joe shrugged and moved to the next pile. “Frank thought Leigh our sales manager is too optimistic and should spend more time working on detail. Bob said he dresses too well for a plumbing shop but he is good at sales.  Both guys said Leigh is enjoyable to work with and brings a lot of humour to the workplace, although Frank thinks he should be a little more serious.

Betty said he should be more serious as well, clean up his van and do his paperwork better.  She said she likes him more than the rest because he is more direct and has an outgoing personality. She sees the fact he knows a lot of people helps us with sales.”

“Yellow.” The old man said.

This time Joe looked but didn’t question the comment as he moved to the next pile. “Frank looks after the plumbing shop.  Bob likes Frank and find him very detailed and neat but commented that he worries too much.  Leigh thinks he should lighten up a little but says the quotes he prepares are so detailed and well done they are easy to sell. 

Betty said he drives her crazy.  He is so picky and everything has to be by the book.  She thinks he could learn to bend or stretch a few rules they aren’t all made to be followed exactly. The one thing he she does like is that he doesn’t spend a lot of time talking to the others.

“Blue.” The old man wrote on the paper.

“Finally, Betty,” He looked at the paper, “I’m afraid this is where the problem is.  Bob thinks she changes her mind too often.  She acts too quickly and demands too much. 

Frank said she doesn’t pay enough attention to the details and makes decisions without having all he information. 

Leigh said she angers quickly, speaks curtly and is too direct.

They all felt she should stay in the office and look after the administration staff but she is always telling them what to do and often doesn’t know the technical details of the job.  I think that maybe they also resent being told what to do by a woman.”

“I don’t think being a woman is the problem.  I knew the way you described her that she would be Red.”  The old man made a note and looked up.  “I believe you have is a communication problem caused by four core behaviour styles working together but not understanding each other.”

“Sometime it seems they speak different languages, but how do I fix that?”  Joe sat back and let the warm summer sun soak into his back, “and what are the colors all about?”

 “Most psychologists agree that there are four basic dimensions of human behaviour that can be measured and all our behaviours fall into one of these categories.  These include how people react to problems, how they influence others to their point of view, how they view their environment, and how they follow rules and regulations set by others.  It is referred to as DISC, have you heard about it?”

“I have, it’s where they label one person a driver, one an analyzer, an amiable and a socializer or something?”  Joe said, “I was at a course last fall and someone spoke on it.  I think we decided that I was an amiable.”

“Close, but that is a very simplified version of it.  Each person is not any one style but responds to each area to some greater or lesser degree.  I have a friend that uses behavioural profiles to conduct workshops to address your very problem. She prefers to use non-judgemental or neutral descriptors to illustrate or describe the core styles.  She calls it her “language of color,” the old man said.

“I haven’t heard about her, is she from around here?” Joe asked.

“No, this woman works all over North American and calls herself the Chameleon Communicator.  She uses colour images and text as it has been proven to increase participation by 80% and memory retention by as much as 235%.  In short, people really do learn, remember and use course material taught her way using the colours.”

“So…how does that help?” Joe leaned back in his chair.

“If we review the last two questions you asked, I think it will become clearer.  Do you have them as well?”

“Yes, I asked each person the questions.  I just don’t see how that is going to solve the problem of the men wanting me to choose between my wife and them,” Joe’s voice trailed off.

“This will all become clear at our next meeting but I have some things to tend to right now.” The old man looked down at his watch, “What about 4:30 this afternoon?” He rose slowly without waiting for Joe to reply and began towards the entry door. Joe followed wanting to continue but it was clear the old man had other plans.

“4:30 will be fine.” He said, “Same place?”

“Right here will be great.” The old man said continuing without further comment.         

Leigh and the Banker   6

Brian was still thinking about Leigh and his reluctance to form a new company to compete with Joe.  The more he thought about it the better the idea seemed.  He knew Joe was making good money, too good he thought.  He still resented the fact that he was more involved in community actives such as the Chamber of Commerce and service clubs than Joe.  Sure Joe was more than willing to donate to all the causes but he never got too involved personally, always used the excuse that he was so busy with his business.  Like he is the only one with a stressful job, Brian thought.  Leigh would be a good PR guy for the new company as he always made time to get involved.

Brian had made a few phone calls and found a supplier of heating equipment that competed with the line Joe carried, was eager to have someone represent their product lines in the community.  Brian was sure that he could put together the money and the products if only the guys would leave Joe and start their own company.  He did not want to get caught pushing the idea too hard but at the same time he was not sure if the thought of making some extra money was motivating him or just the thought of taking Joe down a peg or two.  He smiled as he imagined how Betty would react once she heard their staff, were now their competitors.

He thought he would risk one more call.  Leigh picked up on the third ring.

“Hello.”

“Hi, Leigh.  Was just thinking you should give me another chance to beat you at another round of golf.” He chuckled.

“Always up for a game.”  Leigh said.

“Great.  Buy the way, how are things going with you and the other guys.  Did you mention what we talked about the other day?”  Brian unknowingly held his breath.

“Sorry.” Said Leigh, “Did we talk about what?”

“Oh, you know about the three of you starting your own business.  I just happened to notice that one of your suppliers’ competitors is looking for someone here to represent them.”  Brian breathed again.

“Oh I don’t know, we don’t know the first thing about setting up a business.”

“Well you know I’d be happy to help you.  That is what I do.”  Brian said.

”That is really good of you Brian but there are lots of suppliers and there is always one of them looking for someone to sell their products.  I think Joe has the best line tied up but there is room for everyone.  We never got together again as a group so, no I didn’t mention it to the others.”  Leigh felt a little uneasy even talking about the subject.  He liked Joe and valued his friendship; this whole issue was creating a lot of stress for him.  He thought leaving Joe would be a last choice for him but he didn’t say anything to Brian, who he was sure, was just trying to help him out.  Then he changed the subject.

“I can’t play tomorrow but maybe after work the next day.  Does that fit into your schedule?” 

“That would be great.  Say tee off at five?”  Brian said a little disappointed that the conversation got dropped so quickly.  How could he light a fire under these guys?  There was a great opportunity here and they don’t seem to see it.

“Hey, I’m not a banker; remember my day doesn’t finish until five.  Will six work for you?” Leigh’s voice cut through Brian’s thoughts.

“Six is fine.  See you then.”  Brian hated the old jokes about banker’s hours.  He reminded himself that he put in some long and stressful days himself.

Leigh mulled the conversation over in his mind for a few minutes before continuing on.  Should he call the guys and mention Brian’s idea or was it too soon.  He still liked the idea of owning his own business but at the same time he made good money working for Joe and loved the freedom.  He wasn’t sure he wanted to jump into the risk of starting a new business.  He let the thoughts dissipate as he looked up the number for a new housing contractor he heard was moving into town.  Another two-dozen homes a year would be a good piece of business.

Red is Fire   7

 “Hello, Jim,” Joe said as he approached the old man who was already sitting at what was now becoming their regular table on the deck.  He pulled out a chair and dropped the file on the table. “I hope the answer to these questions will tell me how to resolve this conflict between my managers and my wife.  The guys didn’t speak to her yesterday and she spent a half hour ranting on why we should fire all three.  I don’t know if I can take another day of this.”

“So let’s look at what each person said their strengths are and what value each of the other members brings to the company. Then we will look at what they thought the other members of the management group would change in them, if they could.  That will confirm my first suspicions about their colour.”

“Betty said having a tough mind was her main strength.  She sees the big picture and knows how to improve the bottom line. She says she will not be pushed around and she is not afraid to correct the employees when necessary, collect money, or do whatever is necessary.  She feels that the employees would change her to be softer or easier going if they could.”

The old man made a check beside his note. “Red is for fire, these people can heat up quickly. Red is the colour people get when they are angry, the main emotion for reds.  A high red person likes to try new things, they like a fast pace and a challenge, they are competitive, aggressive and can help a company to be competitive. They don’t feel they need other people around them and can intimidate other employees. Does that sound like Betty?”

“I’ll say.’

“Good. Let’s leave that for a moment, who’s next?”

“Leigh, he said he brings an ability to relate to other people but some people feel he talks too much and if they could change something it would be to make him quieter. One comment was that he is too optimistic.” Joe looked up from his notes.

 “Yellow, the color of sunshine and that is what yellow people spread.” Again, the old man made another checkmark. “This style’s main emotion is optimism these folks can be very influential in promoting a company and they love to socialize. 

People who have this as their prime high style can be great promoters, bring laughter and fun to the workplace and they like to be part of a team.” He looked at Joe who made a note then turned the page.

 “Bob feels he offers the company stability and is a good team player.  He thinks the others might find him too conservative or slow to accept new ideas.”

“Just as we thought he is green, calming like the forest, this style resists change, they will offer counsel to others and do bring steadiness to a company.  They dislike confrontation and may not voice their opinion, especially if they feel challenged.”

“I really like Bob; I think he is really a nice guy.”  Joe said.

“Of course you do.  Most people like those who are high green, they make up 40% of the world and my guess is that is your styles too.”

“No, I think I am better than that.  I can be really tough when I want to be.”  Joe said in a most defensive way.

“It’s not about being right – wrong – good or bad.  Each style has advantages and disadvantages.  You are what you are but once you know that you can adapt for short periods of time.  People like people like themselves, so if you can turn up the red when talking to a red or take the time to be more exact when talking to a blue, they will like you better.  If they like you they will listen and communicate better with you as well.”

“Blue?”

“Sorry, I am getting ahead of myself.  Read me your notes on Frank.”

“Frank feels he is very thorough and exact.  He is careful not to make mistakes and does good work.  He thinks the others do not work as hard as he does and he feels they would like him to lighten up and to be friendlier.”

“Blue, calm and cool like the ocean.  The blue style follows all the rules, they like formulas, and structure.  They prefer process to people.  Some may see high blue people as aloof. They are often found doing a good job at accounting, engineering, estimating, etc.  Their main emotion is fear, especially fear of making a mistake.”

“That would be Frank.” Joe said.

“So you were right about the colours you chose yesterday but doesn’t this confirm my suspicion that this is a personality conflict?  Betty is just too aggressive for the boys and they can’t work with her.  How will knowing that solve the problem?”  Joe was beginning to feel as though this had been a waste of time.  It only proved what he already knew.  They just can’t work together.  Then his inside voice escaped once again, “What can’t they all just be green?”

“That would bring about a new set of problems.  I am sure you agree with Kermit the Frog’s comment, it ain’t easy being green.” They both smiled.

“Joe, we are not measuring personality we are measuring behaviour styles and not only can the different colors or styles work together but once they learn how, they will form a stronger team than one made up of only one or two styles.  You may not see it now but you are very lucky to have these people as your core management team.”

“That doesn’t seem possible right now.”  Joe said.

“The problem is we all think our style is the best style and everyone should be like us, but each style has something to offer the team. If each person learns to respect the other styles by modifying their own style to be closer to the people they are communicating with, the team will be more effective. Does that make sense?”  The old man smiled.

“It all sounds good, but how do I get them to buy in?”  Joe rubbed his chin.

“You can’t, you need a specialist. The problem most of us have in business is we think that because we have been successful in the past that we know the best way to succeed at our particular business.  The truth is that most competing companies can buy the same raw materials and equipment as their competitors and turn out the same product, but the companies that really succeed do so because they have a superior team that keeps them ahead of their competition.  No one has all the answers or can do all the jobs so the best companies hire the best consultants to keep them in the for-front.”

“Is that the Chameleon Communicator, you mentioned yesterday does?” Joe asked.

The old man laughed. “Well, that’s who I’d use but she is expensive and I know there are other good Professional Behavioural analysts that could do a great job for you as well.  I know that once people learn the advantage of changing their communication style or color when dealing with other people they will be more successful. That is what she teaches and why people refer to her as the Chameleon Communicator.  She teaches people how to adjust their color in order to succeed.” 

“That does sound expensive,” Joe said and paused, “Any idea what she charges?”

“I am not sure, probably about Ten thousand dollars for the day.”  The old man said in a matter of fact manner.

“$10,000!  Whoa, Betty would have a coronary if she thought I spent that much for one days work.  I think the Chameleon will be out of the question.”  Joe’s eyes were wide open in disbelief.

“What will it cost you if all the managers leave?”  The old man said slowly in a soft tone. “How much more profitable would your company be if everyone just got along?  I don’t really know what she charges but I do know this, she has offered to run the programs at no charge and just take a percentage of the profit increase and as far as I know everyone has turned that down saying later that by comparison the fee was a bargain.  How much more would you make a year if your bottom line went up an extra two or three percent?”

Joe didn’t answer but he smiled and Jim knew why.

“I would suggest that you can’t afford not to hire her but it doesn’t cost anything to talk to her and perhaps she can recommend someone more inexpensive.”

“You are right Jim, if she prevents the loss of one manager it will save me upwards of twenty five thousand dollars and that is just to replace him, who knows what other costs there might be.  What do I do first?”

“I suggest you talk to her, arrange a time, find a location like this resort and arrange for her to hold a weekend retreat with just your key team.  She will have them all participate in a quick questionnaire that creates detailed profiles several pages long complete with graphs that explain each participant’s individual style, the value they bring to the company, how to communicate with them, how not to communicate with them and areas they may feel challenged in. The profiles have incredible detail.  She will then review the profiles with them as a group in a workshop environment.”

“Won’t they hesitate to have the others see their weaknesses?” 

“Remember this isn’t about right or wrong, good or bad, or weak or strong.  As I mentioned earlier each style brings something of value to the party and each has it challenges.  She will ensure they understand that before they begin. The participants will love reading their profiles as well as hearing about those of their team members. 

They will discover each other’s strengths and learn to respect the differences.  The managers will find how Betty brings value to the company and how they could communicate more effectively with her.  She will learn to “turn down the red” so as not to be so threatening to them.  The participants will all learn to listen to the concerns of the others and how to use the non-judgemental Language of Colour.”

“This all sounds just a little too easy to me, but I’m willing to try anything right now.  How do I find the Chameleon Communicator?” 

“I don’t have her contact information here but I will get it for you.  Remember this is not magic, it is only the first step but I’m sure it will get your people to rethink their demand to fire Betty.

To get them all to buy in to working for the betterment of the company you will also need to set a clearer picture of where you want to take the company and how each of them fits into that picture. 

If you’re interested I’d be happy to tell you more but right now I am getting tired and would like to go to my room.  If you want more information on it, I’d be happy to meet with you again.”

“I’d love to hear more. I look forward to reporting back to you later.”

“I will.  In the mean time, you will find me on the patio every morning for the next couple of weeks if you want to talk some more.”  With that, they both rose and Joe watched the old man go inside before walking back to his truck and heading back to town.

                     The next step  8      

The three division managers met at a local donut shop Saturday morning.  Leigh was the last to arrive and grabbed his usual coffee and a long john before joining Frank and Bob in a booth near the rear of the shop.

Frank spoke first. “So how did you score on your test?”

Bob sipped his coffee then said, “I didn’t really understand where we were going with those questions.  Do you?”  He was looking back at Frank.

“I don’t.  I am afraid Joe is trying to turn us against each other.  What do you think Leigh?

Leigh had just sat down and had to swallow the bite of donut he had taken. “Relax Frank, I don’t think there is anything sinister going on, I think Joe is just trying to see where we agree and where we see challenges.”  He picked up his coffee and took a loud sip.

“What about you Bob?” Frank turned his gaze back to Bob.

“I have to agree with Leigh, I think Joe is just grasping at ways he can keep both us and Betty working.”

“Perhaps we jumped the gun and shouldn’t have given Joe the ultimatum so quickly.” Leigh added.

“I disagree,” Said Frank, “We have been putting up with Betty for a long time and things weren’t going to change.  She drives me crazy.  She changes her mind on what she wants on a regular basis, she doesn’t follow up, gives you only have the information then gets upset when you don’t give her what she wants.

I work long and hard to get our estimates right, buy right and get material on to the site on time and she has no appreciation for that.  She only notices the work I do when something doesn’t go the way she thinks it should.”  Frank too a long drink from his cup.

“But what if Joe and Betty don’t agree to have Betty step down.  Do we follow up with our threat to leave?  I can’t afford to leave this job but I hate to go back hat in hand begging for it back.”

“Don’t get too concerned yet Bob.  Joe doesn’t want us to quit any more than we want to.  Didn’t you see how relieved he was when we agreed to give him more time?  He needs us as badly as we knead him.” Leigh added.

“I disagree, Leigh; I can see Betty letting us go.  I don’t think she realizes how much work we do here and frankly I am a little intimated by her.”

“Bob, I can assure you that you could start your own heating and sheet metal shop if you were to leave Joe’s.” Leigh said.

“There is now way I can afford to start up a business and I wouldn’t know the first place to start.”  Bob continued.

“I don’t know if I should bring this up, but Brian, from the bank, told me he could get us funding and help set up a business if we wanted to go out on our own.” Leigh looked at the other two for any sign of interest.

“I might be interested in that,” Frank said, “But I would want some clear agreements as to what everyone was going to do and some rules around how we were going to do it?”   Leigh felt the comment was directed specifically at him.  Frank often made comments when he took off early to go golfing or didn’t come in first thing in the morning if he had been out on a late sale the night before.  Frank only saw what he did or did not do in the office and had no idea how hard he worked at sales after hours.  Even with the banker he had been careful not to golf on company time but if it was with the maintenance manager of a large company or the superintendent of a new construction company, he considered it to be part of his job.  Leigh was good a schmoozing clients and he knew it but Frank considered it to be a waste of time.  Just give them the facts and get their signature, was a comment he often made.  Leigh was a little nervous that Frank did not see the value he brought to the party and getting into a partnership with him might lead to more troubles than he had now.

“I am not sure if I want to get into my own company right now but I am prepared to explore it with you guys.” He looked from Frank to Bob.

Bob stirred his coffee, tapped the spoon on the side of the cup and said, “I like the security of working for someone else.  Owning part of a company sounds like a good idea but I would need to sleep on it and discuss it with the wife.  It seems a little risky to me and I don’t think I would want to do anything that would put my house at risk.”

I think it is worth looking at the numbers.  Leigh you seem to have some sort of a relationship with the banker.  Do you think you could set up a meeting with him?   Just to talk about it hypothetically, no commitments.”  He looked from Leigh to Bob for agreement and both men nodded.

Leigh spoke again, “In the mean time I think we should just let Joe have the time he needs and see what he comes up with.  I will call Brian on Monday and set something up.  I will call you at home when I know what is going on.  I like Joe and I don’t want to use his time to plan his competition so anything we do, I think should be done after hours.”

Bob and Frank nodded in agreement.  They all finished their coffee in silence then talked about some trivial things for a couple of awkward minutes then left to go their own ways.

While out for lunch on Monday Leigh called the bank to ask for Brian but he was on his break as well.  Brian saw the message when he returned and called Leigh at the shop.

“Is Leigh there?” he asked the receptionist.

“No I am afraid he is not expected back until late this afternoon.  Can I take a message?”

“Yes tell him that his golf buddy, Brian called to arrange another game.  He can reach me at home this evening.”  With that he hung up wondering if something had changed.

Meet the Chameleon   9

Joe and Betty seldom disagreed but he was still reluctant to bring up the conversations he just had with the old man. He was not sure she would like the idea of bringing in an outsider to work out their personnel problems, especially at the costs Jim had suggested.

Joe knew if he did not package it, right, Betty might take it as an insult and not buy into the idea at all.  He learned some time ago that if Betty feels someone is threatening or challenging her, she uses the old adage that the best defence is a good offence.  In fact, that was a big part of the problem. If she became defensive towards the employees, she would turn up the heat. They intern, would become intimidated, withdraw and let her have her way. 

Most the employees on the other-hand tended to keep their feelings bottled up inside where they festered and built up. This is what had led up to them finely joining forces and delivering the ultimatum to Joe

Joe knows everyone is replaceable and he may have to replace some of them, at some time, but he cold not afford to lose them all at the same time.  He felt he had to get Betty to buy into the program or he was in for a few months of hard work trying to run the company himself.

After supper, Joe said he wanted to go by a potential new construction site just to have a look at where the services come in and asked Betty if she would go with him and then stop for a coffee. 

At first she declined giving a number reasons but Joe confessed that he would like the opportunity for the two of them to be alone together to go over a couple of things that were bothering him. That worked and soon they were sitting in the booth at the back of the local Denny’s restaurant.

The server set the coffee down, smiled and walked away before either of them spoke.

“So what do you want to talk about?”  Betty kept her eyes on Joes face as she raised her cup and took a sip.

Joe began by telling her a little about Jim and relayed what he had learned about the different behaviour styles based on the questions they had all answered.  He ended with a general statement that perhaps everyone in the office could benefit from having a retreat based on learning some new management and communication skills.

Betty continued to sip her coffee and listen until the last comment then added. “I don’t think we have a communication problem.  It seems to me that everyone does pretty much as their told.  My concern is spending money on employees who may not stay with us for very long.”

“That is my point Betty.  We should be helping build their skills up so that you and I don’t have to be there telling them what to do.  I would like to have the time to travel and enjoy doing things together again instead of both of us working seven days a week.”

“I don’t think teaching them communication is the answer then, we need to find a way to motivate them so they are more competitive and work harder.  It seems that Leigh communicates a little too much.  He is always laughing and chatting-it up with Bob while Frank and Dennis take all day to decide where to have coffee. 

Until we find a way to light a fire under them I don’t know how we could leave them alone for very long.”

They both took another sip of coffee then Joe added, “Maybe we could find a way to have them motivate each other.  Jim speaks very highly of this Chameleon Communicator Lady and I’d like to try one of her sessions.”

“How much would that cost us?”

“She emailed me a preliminary proposal today.’ He pulled a paper from his pocket, unfolded it and slid it across the table to her.

She looked at it for a minute then said, “This seems a little expensive to me.  Didn’t you say this was for just one-day?”

“It is.  I thought the same thing then I was reminded that our people are our most important asset we have and we spend less on maintaining them than we do the vehicles they drive.  Jim said there were other speakers and trainers who offer similar programs for less money.  Maybe I could shop around and try to find one of them.” 

“Joe, you know I like to get the best possible deal, but if we are going to do something I would sooner invest in the best.  You know what happens whenever we try to do something on the cheap.”

“Okay, then why don’t you call her and see if you can get a better deal?  I will give you the contact information at the office tomorrow.”  Joe felt if she did the negotiations she would have more invested and there fore find more value in what ever they finally decided to do.

“Fine, if you really think it is necessary, I will call her tomorrow.”

Joe sat back and enjoyed his coffee. 

The next afternoon Betty walked into Joe’s office, closed the door and said proudly, “I have negotiated a really good deal with Max-U to provide a Chameleon Program and I have found a time and place to hold the meetings.

She had said she was booked for the next three weeks but I insisted we needed the workshop right away and after a couple of calls she said one of her regular clients agreed to move their date back so we can have it as soon as next week.”  Joe loved the way Betty could get exited when she took on a project, no matter how small.

“So how much less did she agree to?”  Joe asked.

“Well, she asked if I would want someone teaching business skills to our people who could not get paid her regular rate?  I had to agree at first but then as she told me more about all the things she does I realized that we should be looking at a more long term program so the first session I agreed to the regular rate and then we will be investing in a motivator, team building and sales program following that for a lower total fee.  She also agreed to let us cancel at any time if we felt we were not getting full value from her programs. I liked the lady and I have good feelings about this.”

“Good,” Joe said, this time he kept his inside voice inside as he added under his breath, “Hopefully this lady is magic.”

He knew his next task would be to get a commitment from the men not to take any further action until they after the retreat. 

The following morning Joe took each of the men aside to explain about the program as best he understood it. Leigh seemed distant to him at first but agreed, Bob anxiously agreed to participate and Frank said he would for Joe’s sake but didn’t see how it would change much.

                                     Show Down 10

When Brian called Leigh explained that the other men were willing to sit down and listen to how a business might be structured. The two men agreed to meet at Leigh’s home after hours as they did not all want to be seen in public together as it is still a small town and the men could not get away to meet during banking hours. 

Brian was very coy mentioning that he hoped that they would all come to a satisfactory agreement with Joe and there were would be no need to strike out on their own.  He added that he really liked Joe and as a bank customer he did not want to appear to be helping start up a new competitor.

“On the other hand,” he said, “We too are in business and I don’t want to miss out on a new business start up if you decide to go it on your own.  Do you have any questions to begin with?”

He looked around the room but none of the men spoke so he began again explaining the need for a good lawyer and accountant and how they would advise them on the type of structure to set up. He then moved into funding a new company and gave them some books and brochures on how to write a business plan and create a budget.  He ended with a comment about how they could each re-mortgage their home in order to come up with cash.  He said that a new company would have trouble getting funding for inventory and some assets but he might be able to assist them but they would have to give personal guarantees.  Frank asked a number of questions regarding the funding and guarantees.

The time passed quickly and as they were getting ready to leave Brian said, “Keep him informed of your plans and if I can be of further use.  Not only for your sake but I am sitting on a new line of credit for Joe and can’t do anything for him until this is resolved.”

The men nodded and Frank and Bob left together.  Leigh made an excuse to speak to Brian for a moment then when the other two were out of ear shot he turned to Brian and asked what he meant about a line of credit for Joe.

“I shouldn’t have said anything but Joe applied for a loan a couple of weeks ago and I am sitting on the application until this matter gets resolved.  I don’t think I could expose the bank if you all quit. On the other hand if you were to start another business and Joe couldn’t get funding then it might be to your advantage. 

I can’t be a partner in the business and loan money to it as well but if you guys need a silent partner I think we could work something out.  I could be a great deal of help, if you know what I mean.  Brian smiled and held out his hand, which Leigh reluctantly shook and left.

The Chameleon at Work   9

A couple days prior to the session each of the participants answered a ten-minute questionnaire on the Internet, and then on a Friday morning they all met in a small meeting room at the resort.  The day began with the Chameleon Communicator explaining that the reports she was about to hand each person was a measurement of their behavioural style. 

She then explained in detail how each person responded to each style.  She explained the system of colors. She explained red measured how each dealt with problems and challenges, how the Yellow chart, and how we influence others. The Green chart measures how we respond to our environment and finally how the Blue responds to rules and procedures set by others.

She then explained that no one is just one style but a combination of the four core styles. Then she showed how the report measures three hundred and eighty four different combinations and puts them on several graphs and what the graphs told about the person’s unique style.  

She then repeated that there was no right or wrong, good or bad styles and that each person offers something different to the organization and a strong organization should have a verity of styles. 

The Chameleon handed out the individual reports and explained how the first few pages give a general overview, in plain English, of how each participant reacts to the four areas of behaviour.  Each participant read these two pages, then were asked to give a line that they felt summed up best.  The men looked at each other but only Leigh waived his hand and said.  Mine says I am outgoing and like people.  He smiled and said, the detail really sounds like me and I don’t know how it could have come up with some of the statements based only on those few questions.

Betty looked up and said mines says I am competitive, like to take charge and speak my mind.  That doesn’t tell us anything new, I could have told you that without hiring a consultant.

The men looked at each other and Leigh rolled his eyes.  The other two looked down to keep from laughing.

The Chameleon looked at Frank and asked him to read a line, which he did, then agreed it as accurate.

The Chameleon continued and by the time they had gone around the table again, the group was beginning to loosen up and laugh at some of the lines. They were all amazed at how differently the reports were yet how accurately they described each participant. 

The next             section outlined the value each person brings to the organization.  The Chameleon asked each to read the top three descriptors on the page.

Betty’s said, “Mine says I am a bottom-line organizer, forward-looking and challenge-oriented.”

Leigh immediately began reading his, “Mine says that I bring optimism and enthusiasm, creative problem solving, motivate others toward their goals, I am a team player and negotiate conflicts …” and would have continued down the full length of the page had Frank not cut him off, saying,

“She said read three not all of them.” 

“I know,” said Leigh, “But I just thought mine were so interesting that everyone would want to hear them.”

The Chameleon laughed and asked Frank what his said,

Frank continued, “Mine says I maintain high standards, I am conscientious and steady and I am the anchor of reality.”

“Bob?”  The Chameleon continued

Bob said, “I am a dependable team player, work for a leader and a cause, and I am service-oriented.

“That is similar to me.”  Joe said, “Mine says I am patient and empathetic, logical step-wise thinker and Service-oriented.”

“Okay,” The Chameleon said, “I want you to look at the dark side for a moment.  Turn to the page that says tendency under stress and read what yours says Bob.”

“It says I may appear non-demonstrative, unconcerned and hesitant.” Bob responded.

“Joe?”

“Mine is similar again with Inflexible, Hesitant and unconcerned.”  Joe said.

“Mine says I can be seen as pessimistic, picky and overly critical.  I don’t think that is right.  I am just careful.” Frank said.

“Wait a minute.”  Leigh jumped in, “When we went for lunch today who had the waitress change tables?”

“Well I did but the sun was shining in on that table and I thought it was too bright.”  Frank responded.

“And who sent their steak back to the kitchen?”

“It was undercooked.  You can get sick eating meat that is too raw.”

“And who disputed the bill?”  Leigh was now obviously having fun at Frank’s expense.

“I don’t care if it was only out by twenty cents, it was wrong.  People have to know when they do something wrong.  It was as much for her benefit as ours that I pointed that out.” 

“So you don’t think you are too picky then?”  Leigh was almost chuckling.

“I just have high standards and I like things to be done right.  Doesn’t everyone agree?”  Frank could tell by the smiles as he looked around the table that they didn’t.  “You mean you guys think I am too fussy?”

“Sometimes” came three voices in unison.

“Okay Leigh what does your report say about your tendency under stress?” 

“It says I can be seen as self-promoting, overly optimistic and gabby.” Leigh said with a smile, “I can see how some people could come to that conclusion, except for the gabby part.  I just have a lot of valuable information to contribute and don’t mind sharing.”

The four now turned and looked at Betty who was already reading several pages ahead of the class.  She looked up and flipped back to the page they were on and said, “It says I can appear demanding, aggressive and egotistical.”  She said then added, “I don’t like to be but someone has to take charge here and we have the all the money invested so I don’t mind speaking out.  Which brings me to the next section called possible limitations.  My report says I overuse my position, lack tack and diplomacy and take on too much, too soon and too fast.  I take expectation to those statements because we all know that Joe likes everyone and doesn’t like to take charge so someone has to take charge.  I don’t lack tack and diplomacy I just don’t like to waste time and would sooner just get to the point.”

“Joe, what does your limitations page say?”

“It says I yield to avoid controversy, I dislike change and dealing with diverse situations.  Which is why we are here I suppose.  I don’t like conflicting and wish everyone could just learn to be patient and get along.”

“Ditto,” said Bob.

“Mine says I am inattentive to details, can be unrealistic in appraising people, trust indiscriminately, and I am a situational listener.”  Leigh said.

“And what part of list three things did you not understand?”  Frank said only half joking.

“I thought that was only for the first list.”  He said, and then added tongue in cheek, “I wasn’t really listening.”  Everyone laughed.

“Mine says I get bogged down in details, am overly intense for the situation and appear somewhat aloof and cool.”  Frank said reading it closely. “Doesn’t someone have to be concerned about the details?”

“Concerned yes, but there comes a time when you have to quit analysing and make a decision.”  Betty jumped in.

“You really are cool and aloof sometimes, do you really think that way?”  Leigh added. “I thought it was something I said or did.”

“No, it bugs me when you come in all happy and excited and wanting to chat it up when there is work to do.  I have a lot of responsibility in making sure my estimates are right and it seems you don’t take my work that seriously sometimes.”

“Are you kidding?  Selling your projects is so easy because your proposals and estimates are so exact and complete. Sometimes I just think you are too serious and try to lighten you up a little.”

“And you still have to learn to make quicker decisions.”  Betty added.

“What is the consequence of Frank making a mistake?”  The Chameleon added.

“You mean besides losing money?”  Joe asked.

“Yes, is there anything else?”

“Well some of our work is around high pressure vessels at the mill and a mistake could cause something to blow up?”

“So Betty,” The Chameleon turned to address her, “your profile is a lot like mine.  I wouldn’t have the patience to do estimates and check the detail of what is needed.  If it was up to me, I’d make an educated guess and wing it.”

“That is probably what I would do too.” Betty said with a smile.

“Is that what you would like Frank to do?” 

Betty’s smile dissipated, “No I don’t suppose it is.  It just seems some of these things take a long time.”

“Betty, the company would be at huge risk if he hired me or had you do Frank’s job.  You need someone with his profile to take care of the detail.”

“In fact it seems to me that most of you profiled well for the job functions you have to perform. I would be willing to bet that although some of you think Leigh is not serious enough during the day, he is out promoting the company and making sales calls in the evening when the rest of you are at home.”

That is what this program is all about today.  We are going to go through these reports in detail so you each understand yourselves as well as each other.  No one woke up this morning and said, how can I go about destroying everyone else’s day.  We just have to understand better how we each think and work and what value it offers the team.  Does that make sense?  Good now let’s take a break and meet back here in a few minutes where we will really learn and have some fun.”

The rest of the program was a hoot.  By noon they were all laughing and chatting although Joe sat back a little and just watched the exchanges. 

The group spend the rest of the day going through a number of graphs and pages that outlined the dos and don’ts of how they should be communicated with and how they should communicate with each other. 

By the second day, the group was laughing at some of the quirks each style has when dealing with the others.  They learned to use the neutral language of colour.  They began to understand how communicate without words that have emotional attachments. 

At one point, when Betty was monopolizing the conversation, Bob, who is usually quiet said, “Perhaps you should turn the red down a little.”  Everyone laughed as everyone understood the message yet Betty did not feel insulted.

In the afternoon of the second day, the group had reviewed how each person fit onto the round graph and why together they formed a well-balanced team.  They talked about how they were stronger than a less diverse group and what each person could do in order to communicate better with the other members.

At the end of the second day the Chameleon went around the table and asked each participant to explain in their own words what they found most valuable and how they intended to use that information back in the workplace.  It was obvious by the laughter that the retreat had been a success and it had ended the crisis.

After the program finished both Joe and Betty approached the Chameleon and offered their heartfelt thanks.

“I have a feeling that things will work better from now on and there will be no more demands to fire Betty.” Joe said.

“Now that I understand their styles I will try to move a little slower and turn the red down a little when I am dealing with them.”  Betty added. 

“And I think they will be a little more aggressive and open when communicating with you, now that they understand it is a style and not personal.  I have promised to work with them and some of their problem people a little more over the next month and think we should get together and plan those other programs so it all ties together.”

Betty agreed.

Monday began with a renewed energy but by noon Joe had a new problem on his hands.

Dissecting the Chameleon   10

Tuesday morning Joe met with the old man out on the deck and after a quick exchange of greetings the old man said, “Well how did it go?”

“For the most part the retreat went well. Betty, Frank and Bob have found some common ground and more importantly, a common language they use to communicate.  They agreed to expand the training to the rest of the employees and to be less critical about each other.  

I think they now see the strengths each brings to the job.  It will take some ongoing coaching but I think it is going to work, however you won’t guess what happened at the office this morning when we got back”

“Leigh quit?”  The old man said quietly.

“Now how did you guess that?”

“I just felt he was in the wrong job from some of the comments made earlier and often at a retreat people recognize that and decide to make a change.”

“That is the part I don’t understand.  Why were his sales not higher, he was a core yellow, outgoing, friendly, talkative and convincing” It is going to be hard to find another person like that.

  Our other two salespeople have some yellow but I think their core colours are green, and if you can believe it, I think one is blue.  I don’t know how we could have made that mistake.  I now know successful salespeople should be high yellow, a good talker with enough red to make them aggressive and competitive.”  Joe sat back and looked at Jim for a reinforced response.

“Wrong.  A good salesperson should be a good listener and problem solver.  They should be able to ask good questions but a good talker will often buy the product back before the client has time too.”  The old man said with a smile.

“So knowing a person’s colour doesn’t help with identifying how successful they will be in sales?”  Joe questioned.

“Knowing DISC or the behaviour style of a person will tell you how they behave.  That is good information in hiring a salesperson but more important in measuring sales success is to know the why they behave as they do.  You might say this is a measurement of their motivation.”

“The Chameleon mentioned something about that but we didn’t have time to go into it.  What exactly do you mean?”

“Take Leigh for example.  I think with his personality and some sales training in asking good questions and he would do quite well in sales but not for your product.”  The old man stroked his white beard.

“Now I know I don’t understand. Leigh knew our products; he was well liked, good with the clients and seemed to know everyone in the city.  I thought he would make a lot of money, why was he not more productive and how do we identify someone who would be?”

“From what you told me about Leigh, my guess he is motivated by social or aesthetic causes, do you know what kind of job he took?”

“Yes he has been offered a position as a fund raiser for the local art gallery.  Why, what are you thinking?”

“The behavioural profiles you did will tell you a lot about how your salespeople will sell.  I would bet the fellow you said was blue does well with contractors.  He probably knows all the specs and technical information and does very thorough presentations. 

He sells fireplaces or heating systems based on their efficiency, plumbing jobs on the low cost of maintenance using the fixtures you are providing or some other mathematical value.  This salesperson probably has a strong businesslike relationship with his clients. 

The green sales person probably sells better to end users and makes presentations based on the higher comfort your heating designs provide or the low hassle of your plumbing designs.  The green salesperson probably does a lot of repeat business and services the heck out of the repeat clients.  Does that sound a little like them?”

“As a matter of fact you got it.  So if any style can sell, how do you know who would be successful?”

“The profiles you did measured the how, to find the why or the motivation a salesperson has, you should measure their values.”

Joe responded quickly, “Betty and the Chameleon have planned a values program but I thought it was about sales and having a high sense of values, which we insist our people offer anyway.”

 The old man laughed and continued, “I understand what you are saying but that is not what she meant by values.  Psychologists agree that there are six key values.  Like the four core behaviour styles, the higher we score on each of the values the more we understand about what motivates us.”

“I am not sure what you mean?”  Joe said.

 “Briefly the Chameleon will introduce you to the six values which are; Theoretical, Utilitarian, Social, Individualistic, Atheistic, and Traditional.  She has a questionnaire similar to the one you did for the behavioural profiles which measures the participant on a graph for each value.  Again, we are not all one style but an infinite combination of all six. 

By looking at the top three, however we can fairly accurately predict what will motivate that individual.  If you know what motivates an individual you will know why they will do things and if you understand their behavioural style you will know how they will do it and the manner in which they will communicate.  If you understood that much about your employees or clients, do you think it would be advantageous to your business?”

“If I understood what motivates people and why they will act as well as how they will act and communicate with others… it would eliminate many of the chores I have to do as a manager.”

“You are beginning to understand.”  The old man smiled.

“So tell me about these six key values and what they mean.”  Joe was finding this intriguing.

“The facilitator will take a full day to explain and review these values with you and your people but I will give you a brief overview.  Participants who score high on the Theoretical chart have a deep interest in learning.  They tend to read a lot and will be more motivated by the opportunity to learn than other values such as money.”  The old man looked at Joe for agreement before continuing but sounding sceptical, Joe said,

“I find that hard to believe, it seems to me that everyone is motivated by money.” 

            “That is one of the problems many businesspeople have is that business people tend to score high on the Utilitarian scale. Those that score high on the Utilitarian scale are people who want a return on their time and money.  It is true that most successful commissioned sales people will have Utilitarian as one of their top three values and is something that as an employer you should be looking for when hiring a salesperson.  The problem is we tend to think that everyone is like us and think if money motivates us then money should motivate everyone.  The truth is the world is full of examples of people motivated to do jobs for reasons other than money.  For example I know of one young woman who gave up a good corporate position to accept a similar position for less money at a university because she was high theoretical.  She was motivated to accept the new position because of opportunities she felt it offered in learning benefits.  To her that was more important than the money.”

“Yeah, I can see that, I have a friend that could be making a lot more money but instead has worked for a non-profit group for years.  I could never understand why.” Joe shook his head still not quite understanding why someone would choose to work for less money.

“He is probably a high Social person. Social issues or causes motivate these people more than money and thank god we have them but this is not a quality for successful commercial or commissioned sales.

People who score high on the individualistic scale like opportunities to be a leader.  They work well on their own and this is a good trait for people in sales.

 People with a high atheistic score are motivated by beauty and harmony.  Along with a high Utilitarian score someone with a high atheistic score might be great in selling fashion items, art work, music, or any product that has or enhances beauty.  Does that make sense?”

“It does.  That is Leigh; he was always going to concerts, art shows and the like.  I think I am seeing the relationship between values and behaviour and how they complement each other.  I will be talking to Betty about the follow up program.  By the way what is the last value, Traditional, all about?”

“Traditional people are folks who resist change.  They like doing things in the traditional way, they tend to belong to church groups, and they have a firm set of beliefs. They tend to make decisions based on those beliefs. Similar to the behaviour profiles we each score somewhere on each of these charts. It is the combination of all the values, which gives us each different motivation. Again once, you know what is important to the position it becomes easier to find the right person based on their top three motivators. I know you will find the program very beneficial.”

 “I think I understand and before I hire a new sales manager I will profile the candidates for both behaviour and values then decide which person is the best to hire.”

“Partially correct but for the profiles to have any value you have to benchmark the job so you know what to measure them against.  This should then make up only a third of your hiring decision as you should put a third on your interview and references and a third on their training and experience.  And a conscientious manager will also use tools for those areas as well.”

“This is beginning to sound complex and expensive.” Joe suggested.

“Actually once you have set up a system for hiring you will find it makes the job easier and compared to the expense of hiring the wrong person, it is cheap.”  The old man began to get up and Joe knew that signalled the end of the meeting so he rose and escorted him to the front door.

“Do you mind telling me more about benchmarking how that all works?” Joe asked.

“Not at all the old man smiled, same time tomorrow?”  The old man said

“I’ll be here, have a good evening.” Joe watched the old man walk through the doors and wondered how come he had never heard of this before and why did the old man know so much? ‘I must remember to find out more about him on the next visit.” He thought as he turned to go.

       The Banker Comes to Visit  11

“Joe I got a strange call this morning while you were out.  A man named John Buterman called and said he was with the bank and made an appointment to visit us this afternoon.”

“Is he coming with Brian?  Maybe they finally approved that operating line we have been waiting for?”

“No, that is the funny part he asked me not to mention it to Brian right now.  He is doing some sort of customer service follow up and just wants to ask us a few questions.”

“You are right, that does seem strange.”

It was just after two thirty when the receptionist came in and told Joe that a Mr. Buterman had arrived or an appointment.

“Show him in and tell Betty he is here would you?”  Joe asked as she turned to leave.  Joe closed a file and quickly straightening his desk.

John was a shorter man, but seemed big in presents as he entered the room.  He shook Joe’s hand and took a seat beside the desk.  A moment later Betty walked in and introduced herself and the three sat down.

“I will get right to the point.”  John said. “I understand you asked for an increase in your line of credit?”

“Yes, and we are anxious to get it as we want to expand the retail sales.” Betty said.

“I had a quick look around your store on the way in.  It looks good.”  John said.

“It does,” Betty agreed, “Joe is good at making the place look good but you were looking at most the inventory as we carry little back up.  That means every time we sell a fancy tub we have to either order one in for the customer or take down the display. We have room for more inventory at the back and would like to be able to offer quicker service to our customers.”

“That makes sense.  How long ago did you apply?”  The banker asked.

“It must be close to six weeks now.”  Joe said, “But you must have record of it nodding towards a file the man was holding.”

“We don’t.”  His answer was curt.  “May I be frank but be assured this conversation will not leave this room?”

“By all means.”  Joe said leaning forward to hear better as though there were others listening.

“We got a call from two sources, who suggested we question you and Brian.  We were told Brian offered to be a partner with someone if they became a competitor to your business.  He said that recently Brian also told him that he was sitting on your loan application and without it a new company could be more competitive.

This fellow said he was unaware of the application or that Brian was holding it back and afraid he might somehow be implicated in something wrong.  He didn’t want to get Brian in trouble but thought perhaps we should look into it.

We take this sort of a complaint very seriously but at the same time don’t want to ruin a man’s reputation if there is nothing too it.

Is it possible that Brian is waiting for additional information from you or is there something that you are aware of that could be preventing him from approving the loan?”

“Nothing,” Said Betty. “I gave him everything he asked for with the application.  Our past few years have been good and our debt to equity ratio is low.”

“Well I am sure it will probably turn out to be an oversight on someone’s part but we feel it is important to check these things out.  I will be meeting with Brian in the morning and although I can’t guarantee you we will issue the loan, I can guarantee we will review it and get back to you this week.”  The man rose to leave, shook both Betty and Joe’s hand again and left without any further discussion.

“Wow!  What was that all about?”  Joe asked, “Do you think Brian was doing something he shouldn’t have been doing?  I kind of like him, I would hate to think he was doing something wrong.”

“Joe, that is your problem, you like everyone.  Haven’t you notice how his attitude towards us has changed the past few years?  I think he is jealous of you and your success.”

“Jealous?  There are many days when I wished I had his job.  Who do you think called them?”

“One guess would be Leigh.  He has golfed with Brian a lot this year and with them giving you the ultimatum I can see Brian offering them loans to get going.  Leigh also has a high set of moral standards and my guess is he knew what was going on was wrong and turned him in. I have no idea who the other person would be.”

Well at least we will have this matter dealt with one way or another.”

“I understand Leigh will be raising money for the art gallery as a new career.  Perhaps we should consider making them one of the charities we support.”

“I take it you don’t mind that we spent a lot of money training Leigh for someone else?”

“Deep down I always knew this wasn’t a right fit for him.  I am sure this will work out well for both of us, besides there is no reason not to have him still singing our praises.”

“Joe, I am sure Kermit was right when he said, being green isn’t easy.  I would just forget about him but I think you are right.”

                                    All is quiet 12 

A month slipped by quickly when Leigh called and took Joe to lunch to thank him for the donation and said again how much he had enjoyed working for him. Joe hinted that someone had complained to head office about Brian but Leigh shrugged and said he didn’t know who that might have been.

There seemed to be more harmony in the office and a new respect between Betty, Bob and Frank.  Although the odd tense moment still surfaced occasionally but when it did they seemed to take a minute to address it. Betty seemed to be much more patient and empathetic, while Bob spoke up more often at the regular weekly meetings the Chameleon had suggested. 

Frank, who had been the most vocal in the removal of Betty, also seemed to be trying to have more empathy towards her.  The two remaining sales people seemed to pick up the slack for so Joe and Betty decided not to replace Leigh.  Betty had also been spending some time with the Chameleon so she understood the motivators and how to use them during all their hiring procedures.

As promised, Joe got a call from the bank’s head office said the loan delay had been a misunderstanding and Joe’s Plumbing and Heating would be getting the new line of credit they had asked for.  They also said they would be getting a new account manager as Brian had suddenly been transferred to head office. 

Joe spent several mornings at the resort with Jim and seemed to be much more relaxed.  He introduced Joe to the new manager and they began talking about buying the Mastermind program from Max-U and forming a mastermind group.  Joe and Jim also discussed the Selling with Style and The Art of Listening sales programs that the Chameleon and Betty were planning and the old man assured Joe it would be a great investment.

Joe arrived one morning and took up his usual place on the deck and thought it strange that he had arrived first but he picked up and began reading the morning paper.

A few minutes later a waiter came out of the restaurant and as he set down a book and a glass of water he said, “I am sorry sir but your friend Jim has been called away suddenly.  He said to give you this book and say he would be back in the fall and would like to discuss it with you.”

“That’s it?  That is all he said?”  Joe felt he had really been let down.  He had come to looking forward to their morning talks and although they had sent so much time together over the past few months, he realized that there was still so much he didn’t know about him.

Joe asked if the new manager was in his office but was told he was out of town as well.  Joe shrugged, ordered his usual toast and coffee then as the waiter walked away he picked up the book and looked at the cover Get Out of Your Way or how to use self-hypnosis to remove your limiting beliefs.  Jim had talked about the book and promised to give him one.  As he thumbed through the pages an envelope fell out.  Joe picked it up, opened it and read the few lines that were hand written on the inside.

“I am sorry I had to leave so suddenly but some unfinished business came up and I have to deal with it.  I will explain when I return, in the mean time enjoy the book and we will talk about it when I return.  In the mean time thanks for your assistance on helping me make some tough decisions of my own.”  It was signed Jim.

Joe finished his breakfast, paid the bill and felt a little empty as he headed back to the shop.

Joe arrived at the shop early the next few days and buried himself in things he had been putting off for some time.  He still missed his trips to the resort and having breakfast in the early morning sun so one morning he walked into Betty’s office and said, “Grab your jacket, I have something I want to show you.”

“What is it?”  Betty looked up but made no effort to move.

“I’m not going to tell you, I said I have something to show you.  Now grab your jacket and come on.”

Betty wondered what was going on but didn’t say another word.  It had been some time since she had just sat and looked out the car window as they made their way along the winding road along side the lake.  Joe escorted her to the deck of the resort, pulled out her chair and said, “Please be seated.  Your waiter will be with you soon.”

Betty laughed as they both sat down and said, “What are you up to?”

“Nothing.” Joe smiled, “I just think it is time we begin to enjoy the treasures we have and I can’t think of anything better than spending a couple mornings a week having breakfast with you here in my favourite spot.”

Betty smiled but didn’t say anything as she picked up the menu and decided she would have a fruit dish.

Two or three mornings a week they did the same thing, enjoying their breakfast and making new plans for their future.

One morning Joe when to say his good morning to the new manager and Betty picked up the daily paper, sat down with her back to the warm stucco and began to read the business section.  When Joe returned she folded the paper and slid it across the table to Joe.

“Look at this article, it says that our old bank manager Brian has resigned and left the bank.  Strange he would accept a transfer then quit so quickly don’t you think?”

Joe picked up the paper and began reading the article.  It wasn’t the headline about the bank taking a new direction and focusing more programs for small business that caught his attention, or the single line that mentioned the previous local manager, Brian …. Had resigned because of personal reasons but the photo of the president that accompanied the main article.

Under the photo the caption read, “The president of the bank, Jim Johnston, returned from a three month hiatus in an undisclosed location where it was rumoured he was recuperating form personal health issues.  Mr. Johnston said he had some time to reflect on the direction of the bank and after several meetings with a brilliant young businessman had decided to change the direction of the bank and begin offering more programs to small business.”

 “Don’t you think it is funny Brian would take the transfer then quit?  Do you think there is more to the story?”  Betty said.

Joe nodded as he read the last line that quoted the old man he knew only as Jim. “In our desire for rapid growth we had forgotten the small business partners who originally built this business. We forgot that you can’t fire your friends, partners or wife, we forgot the old adage that you should dance with the girl who brought you, but thanks to some of the things I leaned from my brilliant new friend we are back looking for your business.”

I been on the phone awhile!

I love technology.  My first mobile phone was in 1975,  a rotary dial under the dash in my truck.  It weighed about twenty pounds and although it had a woodgrain finish and rotary dial to call anyone you had to ring the operator and say, “This is YJ 76442″ and the operator would ask who you wanted.

I stopped to assist a fellow in the distch that winter half way between Grande Cashe and Grande Prairie and asked if he wanted to use my phone to call someone.  he thought I was kidding, he had never seen anything like it.  From there I graduated to my first truly mobile, it came in a black and chrome brief case and was the same as my truck phone except it had another twenty pound battery pack.

Of course after than it was a series of cells starting with one that looked like a brick but weighed more right down to one so small I had to keep calling it in order to find where I had set it down. but atlas, the Video phone! No they are not portable yet but they are clear and toll free anywhere in North America and you can take them with you as long as your hotel has an internet cable connection.  They are great and Donald Trump will be launching them world wide on March 22 during a two hour episode of the Apprentice.  

My guess is if you want one order it now as we will be swamped with orders.  Oh Yeah… I said we because I was so impressed with the phone plush how much money I could make that I signed up.  If you want to know how to join my winning team and make unbelievable money… just call.  I will be at the phone waiting.

Layton's Book

The reason most of us don’t succeed is we are afraid to make a decision.  

I have studied and taught the mental laws of the universe and written about them in my book Decide What You Want and Get Out of Your Way.  This book covers how to make mental conditions using the power of self-hypnosis.

Getting our minds in the right place is a huge step but even once we have succeed there is still the challenge of how we choose a suitable vehicle that will take us there.

In my speaking and training business I have seen or spoken to most the MLM businesses but I have three key criteria that most do not meet.

1. Is it a product or service that a wide range of people want or need on a regular basis?

2. Is the product priced competitively with other options available and offers high income possibilities.

3. Is it a product I would be proud off and is easy to sell with little time commitments.

That is a tough list and most do not measure up but then I was introduced to a program that offers a phone with free long distance North America wide, and real time, high quality video.

A phone that people can use to see their Grand Children, that they can take out of town so they can call and see their loved ones when they are on the road.  A phone where they can show products or be in attendance and see other people at the meetings.

It sounded too good to be true but I joined anyway and in no time at all I was qualified and people were signing up under me while I was riding my motorcycle across Nevada.  

I was making money without working!  I could not believe how easy it was.

I don’t badger or pressure people to join my team but if you could use extra money referring people to an exciting and quality product then call me.

Layton