One of the hardest things to face when growing your company is when a well-meaning staffer makes a decision- one you empowered him to make- that goes contrary to your well-conceived plan of action. As you grow the firm from two to 10 to 50 to 200 and beyond, this scenario is something that should be part of the planning processes.
We know the three maxims. Find the right people (in our case, they must be multi-skilled), empower them to accomplish their goals, and continually impart your mission. There’s another concept many forget- set up processes so that accomplishing the mission follows the guidelines (the mores- pronounced mo-rays) that you want your firm to employ. It makes handling unforeseen circumstances by your empowered employees easier to achieve.
You want your people to take chances, you want them to take risks- because that’s the way you get extraordinary results. And, sometimes those choices don’t pan out. But, you use those instances as learning opportunities to grow.
Yet, still, something will come up- processes, right people, mission comprehension notwithstanding- and the wrong choice will be made. (That’s different than when the desired result is not achieved.) Why? Because we can’t always communicate the bigger picture to our staff, because seeing the implications of a choice made today that affects a choice to be made in the future can’t be seen.
I use the bible as my guide- and for my explanations- in this situation. We all know that bad things happen to good people. We wonder why a child dies, someone drowns while attempting to save another… Maybe that’s because Hashem knew the child would suffer more by living or could serve as an example for others. I don’t know- and neither do you. Because we don’t know the whole picture.
The bible explains that there are two kinds of rules- chukim and mishpatim. The closest translation I can provide are ordinations and judgments. I explain to all new staff the difference. A chok (singular) is a rule provided for which we cannot comprehend the reasoning. No matter how hard we try. A mishpat (singular) is a rule for which we can discern the rationale, and as such, it is not immutable, but can be changed to meet the obligation given new or changed circumstances.
I provide a list of three or four chukim to our staff. Ordinations that are the essence of the organization, that will never be changed, and are NEVER subject to discussion. Implementation- absolutely. Change- never. I explain that anything else the senior executives provide is a mishpat- subject to change and interpretation. We welcome their suggestions- because they may see the needed changes faster than we can- and we need to remain nimble.
As an example, one of our medical products had stringent quality criteria. The criteria that the FDA or the European Agency would apply had no bearing on our standards, since ours were clearly more complete. It costs money to meet that standard- about 1/7 of our potential profits. But, I wanted to be proud of what we did, I wanted to know that if I needed this treatment, I would never hesitate to choose my product. This was not open for discussion- ever.
How we did the testing to insure that the product met that criteria was a mishpat. It was part and parcel of the product. But, given new technology, new data, we could still meet our objectives by changing (and documenting) any of these tests. And, we did change our testing protocols- to save money, to use new technology, accomplish more tests in a given day.
And, that’s how we insure, when working on a long-term project, we do not have staff unintentionally distort our long term plan. Since not everyone was privy to our complete strategy for the processes, they could inadvertently make a mis-step. So we insured against these faux-pas by invoking a chok for certain items.
How would you handle these situations?
So simple yet so powerful. Thank you for sharing this principles of business. What I like is there is a humanity to them…way different than “because I said so” edicts that often populate business.
Thanks for visiting and commenting, Tambre. I am humbled by your statements.
Roy
Roy, this way of discerning between the different types of rules is absolutely phenomenal. Clarity and understanding certainly is key to preventing many issues from ever arising. I found this post gave me such a boost today! 🙂
Glad I could provide a boost, Bonnie. We all need those, from time to time.
Thanks for your comment and your visit.
Roy
Roy – this was a FANTASTIC post! It speaks to immutable truth and bucks the lazy business trend of “situational ethics.” Simply outstanding!!!
Thanks for the approbation, Tor! I never was a fan of situational ethics…I probably should write a post about that, too!
Thanks for that idea, as well.
Roy
Hi Roy,
I believe a mistake is an excellent opportunity for a business owner/manager to step in and prove what their business stands for and that it can handle almost anything.
Never shirk responsibility for the error. Apologize and then tell the client or customer what you will do for them. I have noticed it provide excellent PR when a customer knows you will do a lot to keep them. It’s also an excellent training opportunity for employees.
Sherrie
Sherrie:
Perfect analysis! That’s exactly the point.
Roy
Whats a mishpat? Important information
A mishpat is a judgement. It is a rule for which one can discern the reason. And, the response to that reason can change with time.
Like the old joke about how to cook a roast. A young woman remembers her mom’s recipe; marinate with spices and herbs for two hours, and then take the roast, cut off both ends, Cook at 350 F for 4 hours, turning it every hour. It comes out perfectly every time. But, she wants to know why one cuts the ends off. So, she goes to her mom and asks. Mom says, “Honey, I really don’t know. This is my mom’s recipe. Ask her.” So, the next time she visits grandma, she asks her why. Her grandmother replies instantly, “So it fits inside my oven, sweetie.”
Roy
Mistakes and mishaps do and will happen. Be prepared? Well, you can only just manage the situation the best you can.
Some interesting insight Roy and I think it takes special people to take on large groups of people, prepare them the best you can for the best outcome possible … but still, things will happen out of your control.
Absolutely true, Lynn. That is why one needs to include those in the plans. What to do when what you expected to happen doesn’t.
Thanks for the reminder!
roy
Since you have referenced the bible let me add. ‘can two work together? unless they agree.’ When we bring people into our businesses it is important to allow them room to bring their expertise and share. But just like you mentioned let it be known to all , areas where you can make changes and areas you dont even think about it.
Thanks for your comments, Pamela!
I appreciate your additions to the discussion. It’s how we all get to learn.
Roy
I like the way you use principles from the Bible to run your business. You did a wonderful job explaining the difference between the two different kinds of rules.
You make sure your employees understand what is negotiable and what is not.
All companies should be run in this manner.
Thanks for your comments, Janette.
I am sure there are other ways to explain the principle. I just know this one and it has worked for some 35 years or so.
I certainly agree that situational ethics is not the desired modality for business management.
Roy