Think hard before suing

Ah, law.  It is an imporant institution, but there are often better ways to handle a dispute.  I'm not trying to disuade you, but please be aware of the following items when deciding to take someone to court.

Its super expensive

I hope that everyone knows about how expensive it is to hire a lawyer.  Their rates are notoriously expensive, and can sometimes be measured in 5-minute increments.  Unfortunately, there also may be court costs associated with your suit, costs to pay off in the case of a loss, and the costs that may be passed on to you to pay for the other party's defense, if your lawsuit is frivolous.  In all, bringing a court case can cost tens of thousands to millions of dollars in fees alone.  

It will take forever

Another thing that lawsuits are notorious for is the time it takes to have them processed.  The courts are overworked, and they often have difficulty getting cases through their tight workload.  And schedule problems aside, there are a number of different motions you can make in court to get more time.  One example is the Motion to Extend Time, which allows a someone three weeks to submit an answer to an allegation.  

You have to put complete faith in a stranger's judgement

There are likely very people reading this who have a lawyer on retainer.  And hopefully very few who have so much contact with a lawyer that you would trust their judgement without a second thought.  For those of us who don't spend our time in court, we often have to trust that a lawyer has our best interests at heart and that we can trust their judgement when it comes to law matters.  I am terrible at accepting things I don't understand, so this is one of the strongest issues that might prevent me from executing a lawsuit.  

Any prospective business relationship is ruined

Lastly, there is a long-term consequence.  If you pursue a lawsuit, it is unlikely that the defendant will ever do business with you again.  You may even be on such poor terms that they begin to dissuade others from buying your product or service.  A lawsuit can be one of the most effective ways to burn bridges in history, so be sure before you do so.  

Why NOT to use business jargon

Jargon, basically, is a set of words used primarily by specialists for discussing a specific field of study.  Jargon is supposed to be made up of words that have very specific meanings to define exactly what you are trying to say.  But business jargon is often meant to confuse and mislead.

Bad reasons to use jargon

1. To sound smarter.
2. To cover that they don't know a better word.  
3. To make other people feel stupid.   
4. To fit into a group.
5. To evade difficult topics.

Why they're all terrible reasons

Because none of them is the reason jargon exists - to make things clearer!  Each of the reasons above is hiding truth for different reasons.  In one case, it is a weapon, in another a shield, and in another a white flag. Thankfully, I can keep using those metaphors because their use is too wide spread for them to become jargon.  

Words to Avoid

You can find a good list here.  Or here.  Or here.  Or any number of other places on the internet.  Personally, I despise the phrase touch base.  I think it has something to do with my dislike of baseball, though I'm not even sure that's where it comes from.  It gets more difficult when you try to avoid words that you learned had specific meanings, like I did in grad school, but don't have perfect synonyms.  ><

What you should say instead

Say Exactly What You Mean!!!  That's not so hard.  Putting your thoughts into easily understood sentences was something we learned before we entered junior high school.  Then, in the years of schooling since, we learned to be indirect when writing.  I, and everyone else, appreciates it when you say things succinctly and clearly.

Meeting Etiquitte

Meetings are a fact of life, unfortunately.  No matter what business you work in, private or public, for-profit or non-profit, people have to get together and talk.  That's all it is.  But in the business world, there are many unspoken rules about how a meeting runs and the etiquette surrounding it.

Deciding to have a Meeting

This is the most important step.  Meetings are formal requests to use someone else's time, and often require them to perform some work prior and after - making them a drain on the person.  A meeting also takes time away from other activities, so there is a very real opportunity cost to holding one.  Finally, you have to be sure that the topic of your meeting can be addressed best this way.  Not everything requires, or even benefits from, having everyone involved.

Setting up your Meeting

So you've decided to have a meeting.  There are x things you need to consider.  The attendees, time, and place.  

Choosing who you will invite involves both planning and politics.  First, be sure to invite the people who you absolutely need, such as contributors or approvers.  Without at least a portion of them attending, there is no purpose for your meeting.  The second group is determined by the interpersonal relationships and power structure.  Anyone who isn't a stakeholder and doesn't have the clout to get in the door can be overlooked.  But there may be people who may be offended if you don't invite them, even if they likely won't attend anyway.  Remember, meetings over nine people tend to be for communication, not work.  

The time and place will be determined by your attendees' availability.  When setting up meetings, first find out if someone else controls the calendars, and, second, have two or three time frames (2-3 hours) in which you can make it.  Be more flexible with your schedule the more important it is to have a certain attendee.

The Meeting

First, show up on time!  It is not hard to do, if you schedule properly.  And, in the USA at least, it is impolite to be late.  For me personally, it is one of my biggest pet peeves, and will sour me on a first impression.  

In the meeting, if you are in charge, be in charge.  Make sure to tell the group what the purpose of the meeting is.  Have an agenda, to make sure you address important points. Moderate discussions to make sure they don't run too long.  Respect the thoughts of those in the room.  Respect everyone's time.  

And if you're the attendee, be helpful and productive.  Try to be familiar with the meeting topic and agenda (if available).  When the meeting is called to order, sit down and give your attention to the moderator.  Respect the thoughts of others.  Be helpful when asked questions.  Give your best when asked to address a problem.  Don't be rowdy.  Just be well-behaved!

Post-Meeting

Responsibilities after a meeting really depend on the culture of the organization.  An emailed thank you may be appropriate.  Many attendees appreciate minutes.  Agreed action items should have timely follow-up.  At the very least, thank the attendees for their time.  Time is so valuable!  

Timing your work

Today I'm going to tackle a topic that is both a personal issue and strength for me - timing work.  The vast majority of people out there have some sort of metrics relating to work performance, whether it is very specific (number of calls made per hour) or very broad (is my small business making money).  Since time is a finite resource, everyone needs to worry about their own time and how it is being spent.  

I read an article discussing two types of scheduling - forward and backward.  Forward scheduling starts with the estimated duration to find the end point.  Backwards scheduling starts with the deadline and works backwards to discover when it needs to be worked on.  Most knowledge workers, myself included, use backwards scheduling to determine when we need to work on a project and if we'll need to put in overtime or bump another project to get it done.  I'm pretty aware of my capabilities, so I feel pretty good at back-scheduling.  

I run into a problem when I'm given freedom and have to set my own work schedule.  If I'm not given a deadline, I can't effectively back-schedule, and my work load starts to pile up, waiting for a deadline to spur me into action.  Oh, how my life was difficult until I discovered that setting deadlines for myself took care of the problem.  I had to learn that my problem was using backwards scheduling when forward scheduling was appropriate - without knowing what those two were!  

If you have any scheduling strategies and/or stories to share, please post a comment.  

-sjk

Word is your bond

I'm trying out a new format, dedicating my Fridays to the practical skills and knowledge that a business person needs to succeed.  They will range from basic to advanced, and I will only cover things that I believe everyone in business should know to make them a well-rounded business-minded individual. 

"My word is my bond."  I'm sure you've heard this almost cliche line spoken in old westerns or samurai movies.  It requires a long-standing pride and effort given to building a positive reputation in a community.  It signifies that you can trust that person not to go back on an agreement.  More than that, it assures the listener that you agree in spirit, as well as with terms.  It says that, for good or bad, the agreement has been struck and it won't be broken on my end.  And it doesn't require any more formality than a solemn promise. 

Some today might think this idea quaint.  I believe that many chose to allow the honor represented by that sentence to fall by the wayside as corporate America became more driven by contracts and written documents than by handshake agreements.  More and more, companies and individuals attempted to put into writing every possible circumstance so each side would have the exact specifications of the agreement.  It removed risk, but also removed the partnership and trust that makes separate parties work together well. 

Every business person should be able to make to say the phrase "My word is my bond" and have people respect it.  It would make many things easier.  If you could trust every single one of your employees to do what they say they do, then you can also trust them to bring any problems that are outside of their control to you for corrective action.  If you trust the word of your peers, you can ask them what their priorities are, and not be afraid of stepping on landmines when doing your internal political planning.  And if you can trust the word of your employers, then you don't have to worry that the plug will be pulled on your division without notice. 

I don't want to sugar coat it, though.  There is bad with the good.  Being true to your word sometimes entails work, sometimes a lot, sacrifice or hardship.  You will go far in business if everyone can trust everything you say.  Remember that as you are standing by your word and doing the right thing.