News from Paradigm Partners

Editor's Note: Today we present the second installment in a special submission from business performance improvement expert Laurence B. Valant. Larry has been a frequent contributor to our newsletter, and again today, we feature part of his new book, Stop Breaking These Rules! 100 Hard-Hitting Truths for Business Integrity and Performance. If you want more information or would like to order a copy of the wonderful new book, please visit www.valantco.com

Reality 5 - Am I here for passion or for a paycheck?

Are you working because you care passionately or just because you have to be someplace?

People who care work with passion: They are recognized by pride in the quality of their work, joy in the successes of their company, sharing in achieving success together, helping someone else be successful, anger at not being able to do it right.

Those who must be someplace else can be seen watching the clock, being indifferent to others, not caring about success or failure, who are characterized by, "Why do your best when your worst will get you by?"

Do not waste one single day by just showing up for a paycheck. Find a work about which you can be passionate and then contribute because you care. Your passion will be apparent to those around you, but more importantly, you will find a personal fulfillment of working with passion toward goals about which you care.

Work is love made visible. And if you cannot work with love but only with distaste, it is better that you should leave your work and sit at the gate of the temple and take alms of those who work with joy. For if you bake bread with indifference, you bake a bitter bread that feeds but half man's hunger. And if you grudge the crushing of the grapes, your grudge distills a poison in the wine..... All work is empty save when there is love.
Kahlil Gabran

Reality 6 - Never compromise quality - It won't get round in the box.

I once worked with a chief engineer of a large manufacturing plant who could solve problems others wouldn't attempt. Ron was German, U.S. Marine-like in appearance, and a brilliant and pragmatic engineer whose disciplined approach got wonderful results from his team.

True to character, Ron was a stickler for quality. When our product went into the carton for shipping, it had to be "right." He knew magic didn't happen once the brand name went on the carton. His often repeated statement was, "it won't get round in the box!"

Because of his resolve, Ron was our best customer service manager. He insisted that our customers receive the highest quality product when they opened our cartons. Because of Ron's leadership, our quality became legendary in the industry.

Ron's commitment to quality was more than a line on his job description it was his personal undertaking. His "it won't get round in the box" standard permeated our operation and became the mantra for all ranks of management and set the standard throughout the organization, from the machine operators to the plant manager. Not surprisingly, we had the best performance numbers in the entire Fortune 200 Company.

    As a young professional, what did I learn from Ron? Make product quality a personal commitment. Never pass a problem or a decision regarding product quality to the next person in line. Own the quality issue for "it will never get round in the box!"

Reality 7 - Try not, do.
"Try not. Do, or do not. There is no try."
                                       Yoda - The Empire Strikes Back

    Yoda's directions are unmistakable, don't try - do what has to be done.

Try implies "there is a chance I won't" or "I may fall short". If we set out to "try" we have already let ourselves off the hook since "trying" means I'm not responsible for the outcome. Yet, when we decide to "do," the result is typically success. As Yoda knew, outcomes are determined by our mindset.

Make the essential difference in your life by deleting the words "I will try" and by not accepting those words from anyone else - the difference will be remarkable.

Laurence B. Valant is President and CEO of Valant & Co., a business performance improvement consultancy that specializes in growing revenues and profits per partner in all businesses, especially accounting firms. He is co-author of the hot-selling new book, Make Plan! With Effective Execution and now, Stop Breaking These Rules! Valant can be reached at lvalant@valantco.com lvalant@valantco.com or at 303-589-3840.