On Your Personal “Brand Promise”

In marketing terms, “brand promise” refers to the consistency of quality and experience a customer can expect. A company with a strong brand promise has a clear, definable character in the mind of the customer. What is your personal brand promise? One of the most often used self-descriptors I hear is, “person of integrity.” Integrity and integral come from the same root, which means entire and whole. Does your brand promise extend throughout all your dealings? Do people know what you value by how you act? Is your character consistent? Is their experience with you positive and satisfying? Repeat this: Starting with me, people will be able to depend on my actions being consistent with my beliefs – my personal brand promise. For more tips and information, visit www.swimstartingwithme.com.

On Living Your Values in the Workplace

Minnesota has been at the center of a number of thorny issues around living our values in the workplace. Cab drivers refusing to carry people who carry alcohol. A grocery checkout refusing to touch meat packaging, and others. While this is a complicated issue, let me suggest a starting place for you and your values. First, choose a job which by its nature is consistent with your values. Second, within that job try to make reasonable accomodations with your employer for your personal beliefs. Third, be willing to pay a price for those accomodations (Such as working every Saturday while others work your Sundays). Finally, respect others, allowing them to act according to their beliefs. Repeat this: Starting with me, the workplace will be more than a job. It will be a part of who I am and what I believe. For more tips and information, visit www.swimstartingwithme.com.

On Abuse of Employee Hours

There are legitimate, mission-critical reasons for employing part-timers, seasonal employees, etc., but there are many companies who hire and schedule with the express purpose of avoiding paying full-time wages, benefits, raises, bonuses, and so on. It’s easy to see that such practices cheat the employees. But companies that do it are also cheating the consumer because they are using less skilled, experienced and committed employees. They are cheating themselves because they are sacrificing quality, stability, and morale for short term savings. And it cheats the rest of us by flooding the economy with goods and services at unrealistic, untenable prices. Are you one of those companies? Repeat this: Starting with me, I will treat employees as the most important resource my company and industry have for building a future. For more tips and information, visit www.swimstartingwithme.com.

On Treating Vendors Fairly

Net 30. Everyone has seen those words on an invoice. And we all know what it means. Credit has been extended for up to 30 days to allow us to arrange to pay the bill. All too often, the practice among businesses is to stretch out the terms. Many companies purposely extend to 60, 90 and even longer. They are, in effect, using their vendors to finance their own operations. In most cases it forces the vendors to dip into expensive lines of credit to pay for the labor or materials they used to supply the product. This is patently unfair – to everyone. It forces prices up for all of us. It reduces profits and therefore cheats employees out of raises and bonuses. Repeat this: Starting with me, vendor relations will be honest and respectful. For more tips and information, visit www.swimstartingwithme.com.

On Paying Taxes

"Pay me with cash and I’ll give you a special deal." "If you schedule a lunch meeting during your vacation, you can charge the whole trip off as a business expense." "Why don’t we just consider your use of the company truck as a little spiff – just between you and me." The common theme with all of these familiar practices is avoidance of taxes. That’s flat out stealing. As well as cheating your fellow citizens. And it’s illegal. I believe in good tax planning, but come on, pay what you owe and carry your share of the public burden. Repeat this: Starting with me, the privilege of living in a country with all its benefits will be something worth paying for.