Let’s be honest….arguing seems to have become a part of today’s typical restoration firm. With adjusters, TPA’s, or some other party that wants to make more profit and slash our invoice. 

This atmosphere can certainly create strong emotions that make us defensive, anxious, and usually bullish and angry. After all, we did the work for a happy and grateful customer

Lower Your Voice

Naturally, we want to be heard and understood and defend our positions. This can easily seem adversarial to whoever we are dealing with, especially if they feel they have something to lose (money, position, ego). It is important to know this.

A true professional knows how to de-escalate the situation and use more calm and professional approaches to still end up with a strong or “winning” position. 

I have a mini-lesson on negotiation skills I teach to leaders and more often junior or emerging leaders. Those with very little management experience....

Brought to you from the desk of Klark Brown (No AI was used in the creation of this blog)

Please share with your team and make sure all of you deploy this technique internally and externally.

Many years ago I decided to focus on helping people solve problems rather than helping solve people’s problems.

These suggestions are some approaches you should find effective:

• Never allow others to think you always have the best answers
  • This will only make them dependent on you.
• Ask questions. Help people to think through the entire process of their problem.
• Become a coach, not a king.
  • A king only gives commands.

A coach brings out the best in others, helping them to reach deep down inside and discover their potential.

• List their solutions on paper. Integrate your ideas with theirs until they have ownership of them.
• Ask them to decide on the best solution to their problem.
• Develop a game plan.
  • Ask them to take ownership and responsibility for the game plan.
• ...

Brought to you from the desk of Klark Brown (No AI was used in the creation of this blog) 

This is probably more relevant to business but it doesn't take much creativity to relate it to personal growth.

I was in a discussion with a few people. A mixed group of people from employees to a founder of a large company. Really large

And growth was a topic. The competition was also mentioned as if they were connected.

I know some people think that way and competition exists.

This conversation reminds me of the book and lecture by Simon Sineck-The Infinite Game.

Read it. You will understand.

When we think of pressure to GROW, it's often an arbitrary and imaginary pressure from competition and others.

Did anyone challenge you, really? Or did you manifest it yourself?

It really is You Vs You.

Simon talks about finite Vs infinite.

When we talk about being "The Best" that makes me cringe. Because it's ego.

What does it mean to be the BEST?

At everything? Some things?

Of all time or...

By Klark Brown  (no AI used in this writing)

We called it Paradise……

We can almost kiss it goodbye. 

“They call it paradise

I don't know why

You call someplace paradise

Kiss it goodbye”

Wrapping up our MUSIC SERIES this week, I wanted to share a musing I had as I traveled up I-85 in North Carolina a few weeks ago.

Don Henley and The Eagles wrote more than a lot of classics. The quality of music that practically any generation at least recognizes the melody.

Their most popular and best-selling album was Hotel California. Among the almost endless number of gems on that album was Last Resort.

The song itself has a very important message about the degradation of our native land. The overconsumption of The United States' beautiful resources for the sake of growth and expansion. 

The Curse of MORE. 

What I got from the message was our industry.
If you look at the quote above, which is near the end of the song, I think...

By Klark Brown  (no AI used in this writing)

WHO KNEW STING DEPLOYS ACCOUNTABILITY

Every move you make and every vow you break

Every smile you fake, every claim you stake, I’ll be watching you

Every move you make, every step you take, I’ll be watching you

“What in the absolute HELL do The Police have to do with anything?”

Give me 6 minutes and I’ll share it with you. I think it will be worth it. 

Every Breath You Take (link to the song on YouTube) is by far the most popular song ever written by the British Trio named The Police. The Lead singer/ songwriter is Sting ( birth name Gordon Sumner).
If you want to know how he got the name Sting, reach out to me and I will share that story as well. My useless music knowledge rivals Wikipedia. 

Released in 1983, it shot to the stratosphere of the music charts thanks to the introduction of MTV (yes, they once played music videos). 

The dark and sinister lyrics...

By Klark Brown  (no AI used in this writing)

I would love to think this blog post will be THE THING that finally helps you become a master at recognizing the things that we try very hard not to face or approach.

The phrase “Bandaid for Bullet Holes” sounds like a great anecdote by Mark Twain.
It’s not.

It sounds like something you would hear from a sarcastic comedy actor on your favorite show.
Again…No.

"Bandaids On A Bullet Hole" is a song by a wildly popular young country singer/ songwriter. Morgan Wallen also has a respectable mullet that proves that the 80s may indeed be making a comeback.

I am riding in my truck one day when this song comes on. I look over at my stereo and notice the title. I felt the proverbial WHACK across my face. The phrase seriously struck me.
In an instant, it reminded me of what I often do. I also can surmise that it happens with many people.

The idea or context that I attach to this is we often look for a...

Professional Series Part 3 - Being Structured

We are in our series on professional companies and professional people in the restoration industry. 

If you missed the first 2 parts, you can find the blogs here:
Part 1 - Technically Qualified Blog 

Part 2 - Leadership & Culture Blog 

The Podcast here:
Part 1 - Technically Qualified Podcast or YouTube

Part 2 - Leadership & Culture Podcast or YouTube

This is the third part of this series and I'm excited about this one because this is more in the lane of what I have spent my career doing and coaching. 

And that's being structured. 

Having an organized, responsible systems and process-oriented company.

Just because we're a small business, it doesn't mean we have to run like a small business. It's okay for a small business to have a big corporate structure and you can find that in a lot of different ways. 

I think it's easier to become a larger company when you have scalable  systems....