What a Scam Artist Knows...

I've heard that business is booming for scam artists and con men as the recession has many looking to make a quick score. In many cases these are sales pitches designed to separate you from your money as quickly as possible. If you're ever approached with an offer that sounds too good to be true, see if it fits this pattern:

• Does it require you to act very quickly?  It's an offer that could vanish in a short amount of time.
• Does it involve some sort of new or secret knowledge that could change the world?  And yet it has received no media coverage.
• Are the people who sing the praises of the deal somewhat unknown or anonymous?  But they sounds like folks just like you and me.

Clearly these scam artists have tapped into the human psyche. We are attracted to the idea of a special deal that can change our lives. We can imagine ourselves acting decisively to improve our future.  And maybe we can even see ourselves sharing our secret with others who we decide should enjoy the fruits of our good fortune.

While we associate these underhanded methods with unsavory characters, they are often used to a lesser degree by some very successful sales professionals.  The key is making sure the product or service that you are hawking is reputable. When it comes to an irresistible offer, what's the difference between an honest or dishonest one?  The ability to sell it to your mother and expect to still be invited to Sunday dinner.

Why Do Companies Resist Change?

Have you ever noticed how some companies are more interested in destroying their future rather than making the changes that are critical to survival?  It's a form of shortsighted management that is often rooted in stubbornness.  While it can be easy to continue to do things as you have in the past, ultimately it can lead to failure.


Sometimes it is about ignoring a trend like selling gas guzzlers during an oil crisis.  Sure, the cars may have sold well in the past but the present isn't always an extension of past behaviors.  It's not about focusing on simply producing cars but making sure you're producing cars that people want today.


Other companies, when they got the first sniff of a recession, had to decide whether to change their business model or keep doing the same things but just lay off their most experienced and costly employees.  Sure, this saved a few bucks but in many cases it doomed the future of the organization.  A tree doesn't grow by cutting off the oldest part of its trunk.


How many supervisors have defined their tenure with statements like, "My way or the highway."  In this case, a personal behavior could be dominating an office's productivity.  At first, this kind of quirky behavior may seem charming but by not managing different ideas, personalities, and work styles, a company may be losing good talent for silly reasons.  Ultimately having to hire and train replacements will cut into the bottom line.


Change in the workplace is inevitable.  Did you know that UPS started as a company that made deliveries by bicycle?  More than 100 years later, it reaches across the globe.  

Workplace Communication: A Fitness Lesson

In an exercise class, the role of the instructor is very important. Not only does that person need to tell people what to do but they also need to make sure that the group stays on task.

Recently in a spinning class, the instructor had everyone doing jumps on a count of eight.  So you'd be seated for eight and then stand and climb for a count of eight.  This would repeat for the length of a song.

Everything was going well until the instructor had to briefly leave the room.  Suddenly, the group, which had been perfectly coordinated, now was out of step.  As time passed, the situation continued to get worse.  No one was on the same count anymore and you could tell that people were becoming frustrated and confused.  All of this from just not being able to do things according to a count of eight.

In the business world, making sure that instructions and procedures are followed can carry a higher price than just breaking a sweat.  Employees like to know what they are supposed to do but they also need to be occasionally assured that they are performing up to expectations.

When was the last time, you restated the importance of a goal or the reason why a procedure needs to be followed a certain way? If you're not doing this, don't be surprised to find out that your team has started to make changes in the way things are done. Sometimes these changes may be for the better.  But without your oversight, these changes could undermine your brand, your customer service, and ultimately your bottom line.

Related Posts
Do Managers Ignore Workplace Talent?
Workplace Communication: Giving Feedback
Reputations & Perceptions