In the early 1990s, I was an Assistant County Attorney in West Texas Oil Patch Town of Odessa. (Just as Atlanta is sometimes referred to as “Hotlanta” so too Odessa had a nickname - “Slow Deatha.”  At least, that was what a cop friend called it.)  Many of the lessons learned in that context apply in business as well. Three of the lessons relate to:

• Responding the first time something occurs, so that it may not be repeated
• Scaling the response to fit the situation
• Walk the talk

This posting discusses these three lessons and relates the juvenile system to the business environment.

Initial Response

When the kids came into the courtroom - many scared to death - that was the time to get their attention.  I knew that the time to get someone’s attention is in the first 30 seconds and it was going to be a lot easier for all involved.  Fear gets people’s attention and they learn.  There is quite a bit of psychology suggesting that this is accurate. Also, when bad behavior was ignored the first time, the situation tended to get worse. 

In the business context, I used this to make sure that I set the expectations up front with my clients, team members, and suppliers.  We talked about what each party needed to accomplish and their vision.  As leader of the project team, I explained how we were going to get there from here.  (Outside of the project, the people on my team generally outranked me. Within the project team meetings, there was little doubt about who was in charge. I only do things two ways - all out and not at all.) At times, they were unhappy with me - at least for a few minutes - and that was okay.  I was paid to get results, rather than to be popular.  As a practical matter though, people accepted it and stepped out of the way. By the way, in today’s business environment, do you know anyone who is paid to be popular? 

Trust and strong business relationships come from being able to work miracles.  Often, the issue is systemic.  People may be unclear about the checks and balances that are in play, and why they are needed.  The groups may be speaking different languages.  Their expectations may be different.  And other issues can also arise. 

The starting point is to understand what each person cares about, and why it matters in the grand scheme of things.  Then, people are positioned to make decisions and to reconcile their differences.

Scalability

There were many layers of consequences for dealing with juvenile crime.  At the lowest level, we had VR - voluntary rehabilitation - where kids went on probation voluntarily, as a contract issue between the kids, their parents, and the Juvenile Probation Department.  Then, we needed more bandwidth, so we implemented the “Tour and the Cursing” response.  The Tour and the Cursing meant that the charming child got the shit scared out of him or her - a tour of the Youth Center, to meet with a probation officer, and even to spend a few minutes in a detention cell without all the toys the child would have at home.  Of course, at the high end, we had certification to stand trial as an adult (in some cases), a hybrid option of determinant sentencing for the five most serious crimes, and commitment to the Texas Youth Commission.  

In business, I hear so many people wanting to start the solution with the most serious relief.  Either they want to terminate the contract, or they want to fire the employee.  If that is necessary, those options are fine.  Too often though, we start with the “death penalty” response, and we kill a relationship that may just need some minor tweaks. 

In many cases, the “death penalty” is imposed without a clear path forward or even a good definition of the issue on the table.  Do we really need to change suppliers? Should the customer be fired? Both of these change impact efficiency and effectiveness. Beyond that, the change may not meet the needs of the business.

The devil one knows is often better than the unknown one in business.  We can deal with what is known, the challenge comes with the unknowns.  Expectations, capabilities, communication, approach are some of unknows.  And, sometimes we think we know something, and we are just plain wrong! It can take two to five years to have a business relationship in which the people are able to work together effectively.

Walking the talk

When juveniles were put on probation, after the sentencing, I explained to the charming children and their parents the way juvenile probation worked.  I was their best friend or their worst enemy, and the choice was theirs. If they did not do  were ordered to do, they were going to be sitting at the Youth Center and, if the parents didn’t make sure that Junior (male or female) reported, they might find themselve on the receiving end of a little vacation…  An all expenses paid trip to the county jail.  Junior and the parents were all unhappy at that result, when it had to happen.  A prosecutor’s role is to represent the conscience of the community and society’s interests. Society is interested in having law abiding citizens, protecting itself from violators, and helping children develop good judgment. Everyone had a role to play in getting to that result.

In business, it is important to identify consequences so that people can make choices. If people are uncertain about the consequences of an action, they are unable to appreciate the choice and make a good decision.

When I was a juvenile prosecutor, there was no one telling me to take this approach. Leadership is about seeing a problem and finding a solution. Sometimes, it is by telling others what to do. In other cases, it is by presenting information and allowing others to choose. At times, it even means asking questions to encourage thinking. For me, the best approach is to focus factors within my control. When we focus on the possibilities, rather than on the impossibilities, there are a lot more options.

Ask questions.  Explore the situation.  Find out what motivates the businesses involved.  With this knowledge, results can be realized while stress and frustration are being managed.

Conclusion

 This this example illustrates, lessons learned in one context can often be applied in others.  Responding the first time something occurs, so that it may not be repeated, scaling the response to fit the situation, and walking the talk are three lessons that could solve a lot of issues in business.  That’s my story and I’m sticking to it. 

Filed by Coleen Davis at 11:23 am under Business Acumen, Negotiations, Solving Problems, Tips for Students