Bryan Dear’s Blog

Nobody spends somebody else’s money as carefully as he spends his own. Nobody uses somebody else’s resources as carefully as he uses his own. So if you want efficiency and effectiveness, if you want knowledge to be properly utilized, you have to do it through the means of private property. Milton Friedman, 1912 – 2006

Do you count your savings when you spend your money -”Wow, look how much money I’m saving?” - or do you count the money you spent?

Do you count your winnings without deducting the amount you invested whether it’s poker, horseracing, or playing the lottery, or do you deduct what you have put in the pot before you announce your winnings?

Do you make investments because the tax savings look so attractive or because the return on your investment is attractive?

Are you familiar with the expression, “If it’s too good to be true, then most likely it is.”?

The  HIRE Act recently passed by our federal government encourages employers to hire people who have been unemployed for the previous sixty days. By doing so, the employer saves 6.2% on the wage amount for the remainder of the year.  There’s an additional tax credit if the employee stays with the employer for 52 weeks.

Would you hire an employee just because of this savings?

I doubt it. It’s nice to have. I’m not going to turn it down (although the government gives you the option to turn it down).  I sure wouldn’t start looking for new employees who fit the profile just because there’s a slight discount for the remainder of the year.

The world is constantly telling us the time is now to buy and save. I think I’ll save my money until I’m ready to spend. If I can negotiate a deal – great. If there’s a sale at that time – great. But I’m not going to do something until I’m ready – at least that’s my goal.

Keep working. Keep thinking. Save – by not spending.

Cheers,

Bryan Dear

www.payrolldept.biz

There is nothing more notable in Socrates than that he found time, when he was an old man, to learn music and dancing, and thought it time well spent. Michel de Montaigne, 1533 – 1592

Within our culture, growth is usually considered a good thing – more jobs, more taxes are collected for governments, people buy more and businesses enjoy higher profits. There are also the unpleasant side effects such as busier roads, higher impacts on schools, higher impacts on our environment and through growth, our community may become unrecognizable over time.

That’s one way to look at growth when it comes to an organization. But gee whiz. Growth refers to quite a bit more than that. As an individual, my growth, as measured by me, refers to my bodily health and my mental health. Do I have deeper friendships? Am I working on acquiring another skill (cooking, language, quilting)? Am I giving more of myself to whatever task I am doing? Am I exercising? In short, am I a better person, again as measured by me, than I was before?

Why can’t an organization’s growth follow a similar definition? Is a flat revenue and a flat production cycle bad? Is declining revenue and declining production bad? Maybe – our culuture would ususally answer yes and our stock market would put a big exclamation point behind that yes. But there are different measurements.

Did we spend more time with our customers? Did we figure how to add services without increasing costs? Did our employees think more highly of us? Did our clients think more highly of us? Did we forge stronger vendor relationships? Is the business a more enjoyable place to walk into? 

You get the drift. What measurements of growth besides the traditional one of dollar and volume  can be used?

There’s a strong correlation between the organization growing through a different set of initiatives than a focus on sales and production. Profit that sustains the business is necessary to long-term health. However, many times the growth of other aspects of the business have more to do with that profit than the traditional measurements.

Grow inwardly and prosper,

Bryan Dear

www.payrolldept.biz

 I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel. Maya Angelou

Focus on the intangibles – sure pay is important, but it’s the ambiance, the hours there and the hours away, the area they work in, the air temperature and many other variables that provide either a “good or great place to work” or an ”I can’t wait to get out of here” place to work. If your employee is in the first category, they will cut you quite a bit of slack before they leave your place of employment. If pay is a dicey issue, work on the other areas that may have little or no cost to you.

Here’s my list – in no order – and one that can certainly be added to.

Ask the employee what they like and don’t like about their job surroundings – and be prepared. You may hear it’s too hot, it’s too cold, it’s messy, the computer is loud, the phone is uncomfortable, the desk is too high or too low, the chair is broken, the office supplies are constantly being borrowed, etc. You get the message – it’s very possible that a relatively minor thing from your perspective is a major issue in their work life. If you can adjust the situation, you’ve done two things – made their work environment a little more comfortable and you’ve shown you cared. WOW – that’s big in almost anybody’s book.

Offer direct deposit if you don’t already – a very low cost with a major convenience to the employee.

If you already have a SIMPLE retirement plan and you’re thinking about eliminating it because of the 3% match, consider dropping the match below that number. The government says you can offer a match of not less than 1% two years out of five years. This could be one of those years.

Don’t drop the health insurance – increase the employee portion or tell them what you’re willing to pay for insurance and ask them to find a plan that works for them.

Make incentive pools that if made are helping the business – for this to really work,  you need to find the area where the employee feels this is an appropriate stretch or the system you have developed makes it easy for them to help you.

Some employees may be fine with fewer hours and see this as a benefit – if so take advantage of this offer if the business can still function well.

Tell the employees you need their help – you need to cut costs by a dollar amount. What ways do they come up with to make this happen? Assuming you have credibility with them, they’ll have good ideas and better yet, they may be able to implement their ideas with enthusiasm.

The same goes with revenue – what ways can you and your staff identify that will better serve your current customer base (by far the easiest revenue to generate) or elicit ideas on how to generate a larger customer base?

Your employees can help generate testimonials, references and additional business just by asking your customers.

Recognize your employees – within the company, with their peers, and if appropriate, within the community. This may not be your best tactic for your shy person, but it may be huge for other employees – you need to know what makes them tick .

Finally, how long does all this last – forever if it’s working. Even in the good times, give your employees more reasons to show up at work.

Our work world is not just a job, but an adventure and it’s a huge portion of our lives.

Cheers,

Bryan Dear

www.payrolldept.biz

 Let thy speech be short, comprehending much in a few words.    Ecclesiasticus

I’m not the only one.

Someone has just spoken to me and one of two things has happened:

1) I ask them to repeat the entire thought.

2) I say “OK” and then have no idea what I just said ok to.

Yikes. It’s called not paying attention. Or it’s called multi-tasking and doing a pitiful job. Or it’s called disrespect.

How much more efficient would I be if I paid attention the first time? How much time would I save and the speaker save if they only have to say it once?

 How can I change?

By turning and facing the person when I’m ready to listen.

By letting the person know that either I’m ready or I’m not ready to listen.

By repeating back to the speaker a summary of what I heard.

We can only improve by giving it another try. Here I go, again…

xxxxx

So I tested the above theory by turning to the person and facing them before they began to speak. It didn’t work…very well. I still ended up asking for their thought to be repeated.

It’s still better to ask for repetition than it is to acknowledge without really hearing (at least for me).

Hard of hearing or hard of listening – I’m probably both.

Bryan Dear

www.payrolldept.biz

Develop an attitude of gratitude, and give thanks for everything that happens to you, knowing that every step forward is a step toward achieving something bigger and better than your current situation.     – Brian Tracy

In my periods of doubt – and they do happen – I can forget this attitude of gratitude. I have everything – good health, a great partner in my marriage, good family ties, wonderful friends, wonderful co-workers, great community, lots of recreational time, learning time and a successful business by all sorts of measures.

How can there be doubt? Because in whatever situation we find ourselves, there is a tendency to want more. Gratefulness re-orients us. Wow – I am fortunate. I am grateful. And the next step from there is to:

Give thanks. I don’t give enough thanks through either saying so or through actions. It’s one thing to say “Thank you.” And that may be appreciated. It’s another to say thank you through actions.

A note, flowers, a gesture out of our way can mean so much to those we live among. Even a detailed comment regarding why I am thankful such as, “That was such a great method you showed us for that different, and more effective, way to enter that time off accrual.”  Don’t forget, we’re in the payroll area, but it can be in any part of your life.

Thank someone in a special way today – you’ll be amazed how it impacts you.

Thankfully yours,

Bryan Dear

www.payrolldept.biz

There is only one way in which one can endure man’s inhumanity to man and that is to try, in one’s own life, to exemplify man’s humanity to man. Alan Stewart Paton, 1903 – 1988

If you haven’t met my Father, then just hold on – eventually you will. My Dad goes out of his way to say hello and strike up a conversation with people he has never met. There is no fear of strangers – he thrives on the interaction itself.

When I was growing up in the family, we on occasion would go out to eat. We rarely would see Dad at our table because he was making the circuit around the restaurant not only with people he knew, but with people he had never seen before. A hello here, an admiring remark there and pretty soon Dad had people feeling good about themselves.

So BNTP comes from my father – Be Nice To People.  It’s a simple dictum. It’s a simple philosophy. It’s easy to remember and it’s easy to recall. About the only thing that isn’t easy is the constant practice of it.

BNTP is easy when we like the person we interact with. It’s a different story when we don’t seem to have the time, we don’t have much of a relationshp with the person or heaven forbid, have not even met the person.

Keep it simple – just like BNTP. A smile, a chuckle, a bended ear or even a twinkle in the eye can all reflect kindness upon any human being.

Here’s to my Dad and to all who put light into our gray,

Bryan Dear

www.payrolldept.biz

Genius may have its limitations, but stupidity is not thus handicapped.  Elbert Hubbard, 1856 – 1915

Boy, have we had practice in the hiring-wrong world. One would think we would be the best there is based on so much practice. Our tendency is to hire someone we like, but the skill set is just not high enough for the position causing the staff and employee a lot of frustration. So then we move to making sure the skill set is appropriate and then we are beset by cultural differences.

Here is what I have learned:

1) Start backwards -eliminate the mediocre employee. It’s not hiring, but they won’t be a good example for the person you do hire. It’s easy to keep the good employee. It’s fairly simple to deal with an employee not performing well through termination, but the mediocre employee will drive everyone nuts the longer they stay. The thought is that they just need more time and they’ll come around, but it has never happened here.

2) Hire slowly. Spend time investigating competency, communication skills and fit. We have a short test that does two things: tests their thinking skills, and at the same time, shows their handwriting abilities. Make sure they have a good picture of what it’s like to be here – the good, the bad and the ugly.

3) Have the finalists go through an interview with the rest of thecompany or department employees. Culture is a very important ingredient. It doesn’t mean they vote the same way, watch (or don’t watch) the same TV shows or reflect a certain thinking. It does mean they will fit in conversationally and maintain a sense of humility.

4) Check references and do background screening.

We think we have one of the best places to work in the world. The work is challenging, appreciated by clients and co-workers, and the money and benefits are top of the line for this area.

Yet still we struggle to identify the essence of who will fit in our company both on a cultural and competency level. I think we’re getting better, but it’s an art as well as a skill to hire the best person for our open position.

Happy hiring.

Bryan Dear

www.payrolldept.biz

The statistics on sanity are that one out of every four Americans is suffering from some form of mental illness. Think of your three best friends. If they’re okay, then it’s you.     - Rita Mae Brown

I have a good friend who finds herself out of a teaching position as a result of a major trimming of the budget and a decison to drop the teaching of a foreign language.

My message to her is”Don’t despair.” She has tremendous communications skills both verbally and in writing. She is fluent in three languages. She is not afraid to ask questions. She doesn’t balk at stating her opinion although she isn’t confrontational. She thinks on her feet well and people enjoy her company.

Her challenge from my viewpoint is to figure out the skills she wants to emphasize and to not settle for something that’s just “a job”. It will take work. Finding the job you want is in itself a job – one that should consume close to 40 hours a week if you want to nail the position.

When we have children to feed and a mortgage to pay, there is a high motivation to take the first job that offers the money we need. Maybe it’s the right one, but maybe it’s not. My friend should bring her gusto to the process and keep focused on her goal – does it bring her satisfaction, does it use her skills, and finally, is the value appropriate (money).

Almost all of us have been an job applicant. In some ways it’s just like operating a business, although it’s a temporary one.  You are the product that you need to sell, but you are also buying into a long-term customer relationship (you hope). You don’t have to change yourself, but you may need tweaking so prepare and practice.

Luck is good to have on your side, but it does seem to follow the prepared.

Cheers,

Bryan Dear

www.payrolldept.biz

If I had my life to live over, I would try to make more mistakes. I would relax. I would climb more mountains and swim more rivers. I would pick more daisies. I would have more actual troubles and fewer imaginary ones.  - Don Herold, 1889 – 1966

I love this quotation because it reminds me it’s okay to take risks…and fail. It’s okay to leave the housework to another day. It’s okay to reduce the worry factor because many of the things we worry about will never happen. It’s okay to play.

I recently took a seven day raft trip on the Green River through Dinosaur National Monument with friends. It was a trip with long slow floats followed by some wake-up-and-take-notice rapids. There were meals to prepare, camps to put up and and camps to take down each day. There were games to play, frisbees to throw and so many moments to savor. There were no cell phones, computers or other distractions of our daily life at home.

None of the rapids seem overly dangerous and yet our trip found us passing by another private group which had just experienced a death by drowning. They were being assisted by another commerical group and we were merely a spectator to their aftermath. We grieved for them and their victim and all that they had gone through and would have to go through the remainder of their trip. As one friend put it, this will be a milestone the rest of their lives.

Taking risks is not about whether to take the Space Mountain ride at Disneyland where all is secure. It’s about stepping out into an unknown where there can be large stones in the path. Death is a rarity in most of these outdoor activities, but it’s always there and when it shows up, it is messy and awkward. We all will go through this door; it’s yet another reminder of the preciousness of life.

Celebrate life.

Your truly,

Bryan Dear

www.payrolldept.biz

I long to accomplish a great and noble task, but it is my chief duty to accomplish small tasks as if they were great and noble. Helen Keller, 1880 – 1968

Out here in our wild west of Durango, rainy days are a rare commodity. I treasure the ones we receive although they mess with all the schedules that assume rainy days don’t happen. Rainy days here tend to be cooler with temps in the 50s. They are great days for a book, a movie or just sitting under a roof listening to the rain. In a place where the sun shines so much, staying inside when there’s rain, relieves any guilt associated with being out in the sunshine instead.

Perhaps it’s because I grew up in Kentucky and rainy days were much more common or maybe it’s because the air becomes alive with the fragrance of sage, flowers and the pines that the extra humidty brings. I know rainy days can be a drag when they go on and on. That’s so rare here, that we welcome the moisture, the quiet and the peace a rainy day brings.

Our office pace slows, the phones seem to go a little quieter, and the conversations seem to have a different feel. It’s almost always a welcomed event.

Here’s hoping you have a few, but not too many, rainy days this year.

Bryan Dear

www.payrolldept.biz