Susan Schneider’s Blog

Tim Russert’s ADP Theory

I have to admit I was thrown by the passing of Tim Russert last week and even found myself shedding a few tears as I watched Meet the Press on Father’s Day. It is interesting, clearly I do not know Tim personally, but through his weekly visits into my living room, I felt I at least got a glimpse of who he was. He became someone whom I professionally admired. One of the comments they made about Tim, among the many, was his theory of ADP — Accountability, Discipline, and Preparation. How simple. I love simplicity.

Accountability…I get that. In fact, I spoke about it back a few posts ago. Own it and resolve it! 

Discipline… a bit more difficult in my opinion, (if you saw my jogging log you would understand). Discipline has a tendency to come and go but seems more attainable in a professional setting where we are held to goals and objectives to measure our performance. I mean let’s get real, who is going to get on me for eating a second piece of chocolate cake?

Preparation… I believe this is probably the easiest but is not held at the highest regard. How many times have you gone into a meeting or conference call and decided to just “wing it,” thinking all your years of experience or knowledge of the client would get you through? Back to the “A” for accountability…it is time for me to own up that I have been there. 

Tim was known to say the most disappointing guests he had on his show were those who had not prepared. Yet, because of the consistent format of his show, it would have been easy to anticipate the questions. He also said that no one came unprepared twice. Let’s take this simple Russert ADP theory, apply it to our own lives, and pay it forward to others. I know it is something for which I would strive to be remembered.

When Good People Leave Good Companies

It is never easy to part ways. Whether or not it is the best answer for both parties, it still comes with baggage and sometimes sadness and hurt feelings. Last year, I had an employee leave our company because she decided to pursue opportunities in another field. I was terribly sad to see her leave, but her reasons for leaving were actually a compliment to how her tenure had been with our company. You see, we had given her an opportunity to grow and learn in a part of her job that she had never been exposed to and in that time she found her passion. Unfortunately, that part of her career with us had its ceiling and was at best minimal. So, she decided to find a job where she could use this new-found passion everyday. And, isn't that what development is all about - helping employees find the things they love to do each day?

Someone once asked me, if every job paid the same what would you be doing? That is a tough question. Would I be running a relocation company? Would I be a writer? Would I be on the LPGA? Okay, so that latter is a bit of a reach, but it does make us ponder the question a bit. As an employer, if I can say at the end of my career that part of my job was helping people find what they are best at, even if it isn't with my company, wouldn't it be worth it? I believe the answer is yes. Obviously we want to hire employees and develop opportunities for them to grow inside our organization. However, sometimes that doesn't work. Any employee departure is financially and emotionally costly, but I should be pleased with the fact that we sparked a passion in them for something different. We were a stepping stone into their place of happiness.

One Error Doesn’t Erase a Thousand At-A-Boys

So, what am I talking about this week? I am talking about the fact that it doesn’t matter how many times you have done things perfectly. In today’s world, you are judged by your last mistake. Fair or not, it is what it is. Let me give you an example I have used in the past.

I can guarantee I must be in a serious time crunch when I have to take my kids to the McDonald’s drive-thru. Most of the time, they get it right; two kid’s meals with the appropriate boy toy in one and the other complete with the girl toy. We would head on our way with their special gifts and Chicken McNuggets. All was right with the world and my kids were satisfied. But…if someone at the drive-thru counter happened to make a mistake, say putting two boy toys in the McPack, my comfortable life was met with a tumultuous fit of tears, and I would inevitably hit the panic button. I would sit in the front seat trying to calm down a child who was near breakdown and curse the McDonald’s franchise for the next few miles, if I didn’t have the time to turn around and fix the problem.

The point of this story is we are none other than plain human. As much as the billion-dollar burger chain had got it right, I could emotionally turn against them in a minute. So, do I think clients and transferees are the same? You bet. All the great accomplishments we have had can be wiped away in an instant with one mistake. But…and I say but because it doesn’t have to be the end of the story. Yes, mistakes can make one react in irrational ways, but the recovery is what can make the difference. I try to assure my employees that they will make a mistake. Heck, I know I do often, but it is how we recover and accept responsibility that will make the difference. The truth will always come out so don’t try to hide. Instead, be the first to point out the issue and try to find the solution. At the end of the day, most people will realize your intentions were good; things just may have gone a bit awry in its course.

When The Punishment Doesn’t Fit

True story…a relocating employee applies for a mortgage and receives a pre-approval with a competitive interest rate. This is all due to his FICO score that is sitting in the upper 700’s. A few weeks later, the employee changes his mailing address with one of his credit cards. Due to a mix-up, he didn’t receive one of his statements; and therefore, did not make a payment. As he neared the closing on his new home, an updated credit report was run and showed a credit score of 640. Wow - what did he charge on that credit card, you might ask. What if I told you it was only $299. That’s it. And with the new lower credit score, his interest rate just increased by a half-percent. On a $300,000 mortgage, that is roughly an additional $1200 per year. Imagine this total on a 30-year mortgage. It is hard to believe that with one swipe, a clean credit history became tainted.

So, what do we do? When in doubt, educate, educate, educate. I would recommend counseling relocating employees up front about the importance of maintaining positive credit. While we don’t want to create a false sense of fear, relocating employees do need to keep their credit and credit scores top of mind. Fortunately, there are some great tools and resources available today. One great site that is sponsored by the top three credit reporting agencies in the U.S. is www.annualcreditreport.com. This site provides a free credit report every 12 months and has a host of frequently asked questions (FAQ).