It was at this time that I began to think about the many fraudulent corporate scandals plaguing our news headlines. We’ve learned so much about many of our corporate leaders who seemed to selfishly endanger the financial well-being of their clients, co-workers, employees, shareholders and everyone else depending on their perceived “brilliant” leadership skills.

As I turned my ear back to the conversations, it was then that Bob said to Jan “never report everything to the IRS. You accept cash payments; just don’t report the cash payments and the IRS will never know. It is your money and who is going to know. Jan there is no way cash payments can be verified? He said listen to me, I have been doing it for years and nothing has happened to me yet.”

At the risk of sounding self-righteous, I began to think… this is how it starts- unethical business practices. Some believe it is okay to do it because they have never been caught. What this man failed to realize is that people were listening and potential customers were taking it all in. I have found that when a person is prepared to make significant compromises in one area of their life, it will usually show up in other areas of life. As a result of Bob deciding to announce his profound, but twisted, wisdom to anyone who could hear, he lost customers and was so distracted that he didn’t even know. His comments also made his customers question what other unethical practices might Bob be involved in. I firmly believe that you will eventually reap what you sow.

Another disappointing factor to me is that this man never made the connection that his decision to constantly “beat the system” may have been the very reason for his lack. Now, I am not necessarily suggesting all his struggles were a direct result of Bob making a conscience decision to do the wrong thing. We all make mistakes, poor decisions, bad judgment calls and so on. The fact is, there are consequences for them all. What I am saying however, is that Bob refused to reconsider this behavior and gave no thought to his words. Bob is very skilled at what he does. Skill may take you higher but it is your character that will keep you there.

I heard a great leader say something I’d like to share with you. I am paraphrasing but you will get the point.

“Change your words, then you change your thinking, change your thinking, then you change your emotions, change your emotions and you change your decisions, change your decisions and you change your actions, change your actions and you change your habits, change your habits and you change your character, change your character then you change your life.”

I am interested in your ethics policy and your thoughts on ethics in general. Sharing information is powerful!

~Paula

Be thankful because we are here! Yes, imperfect circumstances in an imperfect world, but we are here. Everyday that we are here we have an opportunity to make a difference not just for ourselves but for someone else. We have a chance to set our lives ablaze in such a way, that it will light the way for others who need it.

Material possessions and life’s conveniences are great but they do not reflect the real meaning of life. If what you have never blesses anyone but you, then it is wasted! We have the ability to move beyond our circumstances despite what we have lived through. What we have lived through, should be the story that touches, inspires and changes the lives of those we come in contact with.

Be thankful for the family you have, some people do not have that.

Be thankful for the people that walked away from you when you needed it least, because they have just made a way for someone new.

If you have hurt someone, be thankful that you can still apologize to them and forgive yourself.

Be thankful that you can look deep inside of you and change for the better.

Be thankful for the experiences that define the unique person you are and be thankful that there is someone who is prepare to embrace all your uniqueness.

When life seems to deliver unfair blows, be thankful that you have a reason to hold on, even when it doesn’t look like it.

Be thankful that you have the God-given ability to exercise faith when no one else seems to believe in you.

When you have tried to hold on to something or someone that was trying so desperately to get away from you, be thankful for the ability to let go and then do it!

Be thankful that you have one more chance to reach out to those who love and appreciate you for you.

Be thankful that you can take a risk with something that you have always wanted to do or a place you have always wanted to go.

Be thankful that you have the power to overcome every fear that keeps you stuck!

Be thankful for the new path, new career, new relationships and new awareness.

Be thankful that you can go where you have never gone before.

Be thankful that your best times are ahead of you and you can orchestrate it however you so desire.

You are the Conductor, coordinating all the melodic pieces together for the song in life that is written just for you.

Forever Thankful
~Paula

I began to think about the definition of the words we all have heard so many times before, Service Excellence, Quality Service, Top Notch Customer Service and so on. As the Chief Executive Officer of an international firm, excellent service is what I, along with many of my colleagues, strive for daily. I realize writing about Excellent Service Delivery may place our firm in an uncomfortable position; after all, this sort of commentary places a higher expectation on J. PR & Associates. Nevertheless, it is worth visiting in hopes that we all can learn something.
I sincerely believe I’m sorry is always in order when our customers and clients have not received what we have promised to deliver. However, in many situations these two words may not be enough. Imagine this:

A Certified Public Accountant decided to branch out on her own and has been preparing for the busy season. She has contracted with several providers to make sure everything will run smoothly. Her company is preparing for a major marketing and advertising blistz scheduled 5 weeks before the busy season. There is only one problem; the provider responsible for converting her extensive client information log in to an electronic version had a few delays. This log is being developed to assist with billable hours, invoicing, client tagging, and revenue generation. This electronic masterpiece is going to set the tone of her business and be the identifiable difference between her and the competition.

The provider assures the CPA that a few minor adjustments are needed and the electronic log will be ready shortly. Three weeks into the busy season, she receives this much-anticipated masterpiece and an apology. Unfortunately for the CPA, the original manual version of the log was discarded by the provider, when testing the electronic version seemed to produce stellar results. Six weeks into the busy season, every employee has been trained on this new system and as expected, it was indeed a masterpiece.

Needless to say, the service provider delivered the product they promised but the timing was horrible. The CPA lost revenue, lost employees, and professional credibility with the clients she promised to service. Now, the CPA may have been able to address things differently, but she had a realistic expectation that the provider would do what they promised. The CPA cannot get that particular busy season back; nor can she recoup the more significant losses she has experienced. I’m sorry, in this situation, was not enough. I have come to learn that Excellent Service Delivery does not mean errors are never made it does not mean you never have to say I’m Sorry but rather, knowing when I’m Sorry is just not enough!

I am interested in the methods you use to service your customers in an excellent manner, particularly when things do not go as well as expected. I will share some of your examples with everyone who visits our site. We believe information sharing leads to excellence. Let’s help each other.

~Paula