For instance, I actually try to have dialogue on Facebook from time to time.  I’m a glutton for punishment – what can I say?  The thread involved the idea that people receiving food stamps and similar assistance should not be allowed to buy junk food and only nutritious, wholesome foods.

At first glance, this sounded like a great idea to a [...]]]> Perceptions are a funny thing.  Perceptions are the foundation we build our lives on and yet, just how accurate are they?

For instance, I actually try to have dialogue on Facebook from time to time.  I’m a glutton for punishment – what can I say?  The thread involved the idea that people receiving food stamps and similar assistance should not be allowed to buy junk food and only nutritious, wholesome foods.

At first glance, this sounded like a great idea to a lot of people.  However, having extensive knowledge of family conditions for families that receive and require this kind of assistance, my reaction was one of frustration and aggravation at the lack of understanding behind these food choices.

The juice boxes and Little Debbie cakes that were the basis of this thread mean so much more than junk food and adding to the obesity problems in this country.  What I know to be behind that food cart that started such a smilingly innocent conversation is so many things:

1. Families who work too hard and too long and don’t have time to cook.
2. Mothers leaving children at day cares long hours and odd hours and many of them do not suplly meals or offer microwave services so the children can have hot meals.
3. Parents and older siblings so depressed that the idea of cooking anything that requires more than 60 seconds is so overwhelming, that if convenience foods were not available, they would just not eat at all.
4. Families that are so worn out and so discouraged that the sugary, non substantial foods they have easily and CHEAPLY available are some of the FEW pleasures they have to look forward to.

The thread continues on Facebook as does the problems that began the thread.  But we were talking about perceptions.  One perception is one of bad choices due to ignorance, laziness and lack of caring for themselves and their families.  Another perception is one of bad choices due to inabilities to make other choieces and not having the ability to make other choices due to physical and/or emotional limitations.

So before you decide what you think, think about what you perceive.  And then ask yourself WHAT or WHY you think the other person is doing what they are doing.  Walk a mile in their moccasins and see how your perceptions change.  And then change your perceptions to dreams – dreams of what you can put into action to make your world around you a bit better for those you come into contact with.  Not only will your perceptions shift, you will have less time to form them.

“We must not allow other people’s limited perceptions to define us.”
Virginia Satir

For instance, last week, I was scheduled to teach my monthly class about Best Hiring Practices to a group of new business owners.  They had broken for lunch prior to my time and were fifteen minutes late getting back.  I was fifteen minutes later starting [...]]]> I recently had surgery a few months back and woke up from a three day fog with what feels like amazing clarity about all things around me.  And I haven’t been shy about sharing my observations.

For instance, last week, I was scheduled to teach my monthly class about Best Hiring Practices to a group of new business owners.  They had broken for lunch prior to my time and were fifteen minutes late getting back.  I was fifteen minutes later starting my class as I took their actions as an opportunity to really teach them – about respect and setting proper examples.  I am not accustomed to being shown disrespect and I shared my thoughts with the class on this subject.

I explained to them that with everything they were learning, no matter how well they learned it and then put it into practice, they would find their worlds not quite as bright and shiny as they might hope for and the reason would be simple enough.  The world just goes a little smoother when you practice the “Golden Rule”.

Disrespecting others and being disrespected is a fast sliding chute ride that leads you straight to the trash heap.  Lack of respect breeds resentment.  Resentment breeds so many things, but they are usually never good.  People look for ways to avoid those who make them feel disrespected, and in the work environment, it leads to a lack of productivity, a braking down of team effort and can even lad to internal theft and finally, with employees leaving and going to work for the competition, taking their fresh new attitudes, talents you once found to be desirable and all things, both good and bad, that you taught them during their time with you.

Losing an employee can cost a company 1750 to 12,000 dollars per EMPLOYEE to replace them.  Most companies cannot afford that kind of hit to their bottom line.  New and small business owners most certainly cannot afford this kind of loss nor can they afford to waste their time in training good people, only to lose them to another company in less than a year.  Surveys show that most employees in the lower paying job market leave their job, not because of money but because they do not feel valued or appreciated by their employer.

So the next time you do ANYTHING, in the work place, ask yourself, “would I want to be treated or talked to this way? “.  That 5 second think break could save you money.  But even if it doesn’t, you will like looking in the mirror more every day.

I have been very fortunate in that what I have done most of my life has let me [...]]]> Every time you come into contact with someone, you are promoting.  It could be as simple as promoting who you are, as a person.  You could be promoting what you think or believe in or just about anything that passes in your head.  Or you could be promoting your abilities and expertise’s and utilizing that time to maximize your ability to make money.

I have been very fortunate in that what I have done most of my life has let me do things that I am good at by choice and also things that I enjoy and also has given me the ability to help others.  That is why handwriting analysis and handwriting formation therapy was a great addition to my repertoire of talents and services both professionally and also as a humanitarian.

So how can YOU promote your talents and abilities and let the world know what YOU can do and HOW you can help them?

First, make sure all your support circle (your friends and family) know what you are now trained and certified in and how that is a benefit to MANY type of people with many KINDS of problems.

Be sure to :

1. Tell them about it in one on one conversation – “Hey, did you know I just finished some continuing education and was certified as a……  I can’t tell you how excited I am”
2. Send out a mass email to your friends, colleagues and exiting business relationships.  Tell them how excited you are and WHY you are excited and also offer a free demonstration or consultation.
3. Print up cards – not business cards but something that is catchy like – “Hangman – it’s not just for kids and I will tell you why.”  Then just have your name and email and phone number below it.  Give it to everybody!!!  I mean it!
4. If you Tweet or Facebook, talk about it.  Tell people about your training and then draw the attention away from you and start talking about examples of handwriting, cases, etc you see in  the media.  If one of our group talks about it, “share” their post as well to stimulate conversation.  (Let me tell you a secret about Facebook.  If you entertain people 85% of the time and make them think 12% of the time, you get to talk about yourself 3% of the time and every body not only allows it, they appreciate it and that is all it takes to get new clients when you have a network that is expanded by making your posts available to the public.)
5. Call your local newspapers and offer to submit articles about cases or subject matter pertinent to your expertise.  They may not all get accepted but it just takes one or two to get you some exposure and to add to your credibility.
6. Check out professionally conferences in your field(s).  For example, as an investigator and a mental health advocate, I have spoken at conferences in both arenas.  Treyce has some ready- made presentation or you can easily make a PowerPoint presentation to cover an hour talk about so many subject matters from so many perspectives.  And most conferences never have enough presenters and would love to have you submit.  It is also a great place for you to network and find new clients for yourself.

Here is just a few ideas.  Don’t’ be nervous and don’t be afraid to ask for help!!!!  My best to you all!!!

These liability exposures can be broken down into different categories. Two main issues are employment and liability exposures.

With employment, there is the exposure of hiring the wrong person.  Wrong person can be defined as the wrong personality, a peson who lacks the proper skills or someone who brings their [...]]]> When does a non-profit need to worry about liability and exposures?   The day it opens for business. A non-profit organization faces most of the same liability exposures as a for profit corporation.

These liability exposures can be broken down into different categories. Two main issues are employment and liability exposures.

With employment, there is the exposure of hiring the wrong person.  Wrong person can be defined as the wrong personality, a peson who lacks the proper skills or someone who brings their own liability issues by having a criminal history.  This includes paid staff and also volunteers that are often the backbone of a non-profit organization.

Many organizations are not aware that volunteers have the same rights to protection as do paid employees.  As well, non-profits can be exposed by the actions and activities of volunteers.

EMPLOYEMNT ISSUES

Much of the liability from inefficient hiring practices can be prevented by performing pre-employment background checks on both volunteers and staff. The purpose of screening is to aid volunteer and non-profit organizations and agencies in determining whether prospective volunteers and staff have a pattern of criminal behavior that would make it unwise for them to be working with vulnerable populations.

Pre-employment background checks

      Helps protect non-profit organizations from negligence claims

      Helps ensure safety of vulnerable populations such as children and the elderly

      Helps protect non-profit organizations from negligence claims

Although the majority of surveyed nonprofit human service organizations conduct some screening, most agencies that serve vulnerable populations could benefit from more thorough and comprehensive volunteer screening practices.

The urgency of such questions has risen in recent years, as millions of volunteers (61 million in 2006)(1) donate billions of hours, sometimes serving in roles previously reserved for paid staff.  Thorough security practices, play a critical role in protecting vulnerable clients from harm and nonprofit organizations from liability.

Organizations that do not screen volunteers reported a variety of reasons, including the cost of screening, questions about the usefulness of screening, and concerns about offending potential volunteers.  Of those that do screen, nearly 50 percent had identified “inappropriate” volunteers through screening.

LIABILITY ISSUES

Liability exposure is the peril of not having the proper insurance policy and coverage to cover the people that work for the non-profit and also those that are served by the non-profit, along with the general public.

These categories are defined really by the insurance coverage that responds to them. The main liability exposures to non-profit organizations are as follows:

      General Liability Exposure

      Workers Compensation

      Professional Liability

      Employee Benefits Liability

      Auto Liability

      Directors Liability Exposure

_____________________________________________________________________________

General Liability Exposures

Bodily Injury

Property Damage

Personal Injury

Worker’s Compensation Exposure and Coverage

Worker’s Compensation provides coverage in two parts. Part one is the statutory benefits for the injured employee. Part two is the “Employer’s Liability” coverage.

Worker’s Compensation coverage is REQUIRED by law.

Professional Liability

Directors and Officers Insurance does indeed provide coverage for Professional Liability. However, there are two very important reasons why you should look at a separate policy for professional liability

Directors and Officers does not provide for Bodily Injury claims.

The directors and officers policy may specifically exclude coverage for certain business practices of a non-profit organization.

Employee Benefits Liability Exposure and Coverage

Employee Benefits Liability applies to errors made by the human resources individual in your organization responsible for administering the employees benefits. Liability arising from providing erroneous information concerning group health, COBRA, worker’s compensation, and other employee benefits can be insured by purchasing an employee benefits liability policy.

Fiduciary Liability Exposure

Fiduciary Liability arises when promised results are not met, or when you are accused of giving bad financial advice.

Auto Liability Exposure and Coverage

Liability arising out of the ownership or use of an automobile. If you own vehicles, purchase the insurance. If you do not own vehicles, add hired and non-owned auto liability to your General Liability coverage. If you frequently rent vehicles, add hired physical damage coverage to your auto policy and avoid paying the rental car waiver fees.

Directors & Officers Liability Exposures & Coverages

The exposures facing directors and officers are unique and complex. Any action taken by a board member can be legally challenged by a third party. In addition, the scope and impacts of the directors and officers duties are continually expanded by the courts. Direction of the non-profit organization has an impact not only on the organization, but on the employees and volunteers of the organization. Directors and Officers are now held accountable for the business practices of the organization such as hiring and firing of employees. 

Nonprofits are vulnerable because they are mission driven. Everyone is working based on the belief that the mission is important and everyone in the organization is passionately working for the cause.  No matter how deeply you are engaged in your mission, how much you hate dealing with the money, or how short staffed you are, never ever entrust one person to handle all the matters. 

ISGU can help you make safe, informed decisions about the people you work with, the companies you contract with and the policies and procedures needed to help you make these decisions.

Statistics from the National Institute of Drug Abuse and the Department of Labor show that:

1.  70% of drug abusers are employed. 

2.  8.5 Million employed persons are drug abusers.

3.  One out of ten employees has a drug problem

4.  Pre Employment drug screening, without continued random testing defeats the purpose of screening.

Methods of [...]]]> Drug testing is of major importance in the hiring process.  Just as important is continued random screening to reduce the possibility of having employees working under the influence of drugs. 

Statistics from the National Institute of Drug Abuse and the Department of Labor show that:

1.  70% of drug abusers are employed. 

2.  8.5 Million employed persons are drug abusers.

3.  One out of ten employees has a drug problem

4.  Pre Employment drug screening, without continued random testing defeats the purpose of screening.

Methods of drug testing are by urine, the most reliable, and saliva, a less restrictive method.  There are outside agencies that can test for you, however, one of the least expensive and a reliable method is on site testing.  Certification of in house Human Resource personnel is quick and easy, SBI, Inc. can arrange for your product, urine or saliva testing devices, and certification.

Depending on individual state laws as to when you can test, either before hiring or after a contingency job offer has been made, you can do in house drug testing which is more prudent than sending someone to an outside lab.

With the exception of applicants or employees that fall under the Department of Transportation (DOT), regulations, in house testing is a cost saving alternative. 

Whether your drug tests are for DOT employees or not, if you choose to use an outside laboratory or a doctor’s office a main consideration for getting reliable results is to never let an applicant or employee go for testing without an escort.

Why?  If you check on line there are more methods of contaminating or making a drug test inaccurate than there are methods of drug testing and detection.  In our experience over twelve years we have seen and heard of some astonishing ways to avoid detection.  Convenience stores, health food or vitamin outlets have products such as Clean Whiz to adulterate a specimen.

Some chronic drug abusers may use one of the following methods to avoid detection:

1.  They carry small vials of clean urine on their body in the event they are tested.  By carrying it on their body they hope that the temperature will be close enough to body temp to fool the collector. 

2.  They carry packets of products to put into the specimen to adulterate it. 

3.   Some wear a belt that wraps around a bag to hold clean urine that has a “hose” that extends down their body.  By using this method, even with an observed collection they hope to avoid detection.

Your drug collection site must have a strong, consistent protocol to protect you from inaccurate drug test results.  Ideally a person in management should go and request a demonstration of their protocol.  Men should not be allowed to wear coats or jackets, belts, or take their wallets into the area that is secured for testing.  A secure area for collection means color tinting in the tank and bowl of the commode.  There should not be any cleaning or other chemicals of any type left in the collection area.  Faucets should be taped so that water cannot be drawn to dilute a specimen.  Women should not be allowed to wear jackets or coats into the collection area, and purses should not be allowed.  Ingestion of water should be limited.

There are convenient, reliable products for urine or saliva testing for in house testing.  For non DOT applicants or employees in house testing catches the applicant off guard and may generate more reliable results.  Your in house collection site must be secured in the same way as a lab or doctor’s office.

Urine is more sanitary than saliva, the collector should protect themselves with latex gloves, and the subject being tested can also wear gloves and be asked to seal the cup, tilt it, and if it is negative dispose of the urine and cup.  Results of the testing takes five (5) minutes, cups from 5 to 10 panels of detection are available. 

Saliva testing takes approximately two to four minutes for collection.  Protection with latex gloves should also be used.  SBI, Inc. strongly recommends that if you choose to use saliva testing products that they are NOT instant result devices.  Testing has proven that these instant saliva tests are NOT reliable.  Saliva tests should be sent to a lab for proper testing.

Urine testing shows drug use over an extended period of time, saliva only detects usage generally within the last 24 to 48 hours.

It Is Tough Times for the People in Blue:

By CNN Ann On’Neill

As police in Florida prepared for the funeral of two Miami-Dade County police officers gunned down in the line of duty, shots rang out Monday in St. Petersburg, on the other side of the state. Two other officers fell dead and a federal marshal was wounded. Follow updates on CNN and affiliate WFTS-TV.

On any given day, such violence against police officers would [...]]]> The following story saddens me on many levels.

It Is Tough Times for the People in Blue:

By CNN Ann On’Neill

The process of gathering information you need to know can be summed up in two words – Due Diligence.

Due diligence is the process used to investigate and evaluate a business opportunity of all kinds. [...]]]> Youve heard it over and over. The best defense is a great offense. Knowing what problems may arise and how to avoid them is sometimes the whole war being won. Know who to hire and what tools to use, is the key to having the right team.

The process of gathering information you need to know can be summed up in two words – Due Diligence.

Due diligence is the process used to investigate and evaluate a business opportunity of all kinds. This can be from the process of hiring an employee, to the point of making a business acquisition or anyone in the process or offering or accepting venture capital.

The term due diligence describes a general duty to exercise care in any transaction. As such, it spans investigations into all relevant aspects of the past, present, and predictable future of the business of a target company or the person you are interested in making an offer to. Due diligence sounds impressive but ultimately it translates into basic commonsense success factors such as “thinking things through” and “doing your homework”.

What does Due Diligence Involve? Due diligence involves a detailed research into a company and its plans. It involves:

     The business’s identity.

     The business’s financial health.

     The credibility of the business’s owners, directors and senior managers.

     The future potential of the business.

     An assessment of the risk involved in your business.

Due Diligence of an individual includes much of the same thing:

     An Individuals’ Identity – Verifying the person is who they say they are.

     A background includes confirming basic identifying information such as name and SS#.

     An individual’s financial health, can include litigation records, UCC filings, liens and bankruptcies and credit history.

     An individual’s credibility – Criminal records, verification of past employment and business relationships, education and activities in the community

This information helps to establish if this person is the right choice for the position you are considering them for. An assessment of the risk involved in your business based upon an individual, can be further analyzed by doing just that, assessing the individual with an in depth assessment or personality profile. One of the best reasons for Due Diligence: To prevent any unnecessary surprises while conducting business and to eliminate the cost of employee turnover!

Well, in Texas at least, the answer [...]]]> Until this country comes to some consensus on same-sex marriage, and the states adopted uniform laws on the subject (or laws that are at least as uniform as those governing opposite-sex marriage), state courts are going to be faced with a confounding problem: if a same-sex couple gets married in a state that recognizes such unions, what happens if they move to a state that doesn’t recognize them, and then want to get divorced?

Well, in Texas at least, the answer is “you can’t.” A same-sex couple married in another state, and then moved to Austin. They had adopted a child, and owned a business together, which needed to be apportioned between them.

Texas doesn’t currently recognize same-sex unions in any form. However, there’s a big difference between granting a same-sex marriage, and ending one.  It would seem that a state opposed to same-sex marriage would have no problem ending one. But, the Court’s reasoning went, a divorce is the dissolution of a valid marriage. Since the marriage wasn’t valid under Texas law, no divorce could be granted.

This seems to leave the couple in a bizarre position where they are not legally married, but saddled with many of the legal issues that come with being married, and they cannot end their non-marriage under the laws of the state in which they reside. I’m sure Schrodinger’s Cat can sympathize.

I think that this is a very unfortunate situation – it puts couples in a state of legal limbo that can be difficult to untangle. Now, as much as I’d like to see marriage equality equalized nationwide, I recognize that, for the time being, states are free to decide if they wish to recognize same-sex marriages.

At the same time, one of the most basic freedoms that American citizens enjoy is the freedom to move about the country at will, without significant legal impediments. Obviously, the State of Texas didn’t actively stop this couple from moving there, nor could they. If they had tried, I’m sure we’d be having a totally different conversation.

However, refusing to grant divorces to a significant portion of the population certainly puts up practical barriers to the right to travel, which most of us take for granted. And considering the fact that people usually have very compelling reasons for moving to a different part of the country (school, a new job, family obligations, etc.), these impediments can make a person’s life very difficult.

As a practical matter, it might be easier for everybody involved if states would simply grant divorces to same-sex couples, even if they don’t grant same-sex marriages.

After all, if a state government is, for whatever reason, morally opposed to same-sex marriage, it seems like they would be over the moon at the opportunity to strip a same-sex marriage issued in another state of its legal effect. On the other hand, they might view granting same-sex divorces as giving some legitimacy under their own laws to marriages which they can’t recognize under their own laws.

There are already a few states that don’t grant same-sex marriages, but do recognize those performed out of state, including California (for those performed before Prop. 8 was passed), Maryland, Rhode Island, and New York. These states, presumably, will also grant divorces to same-sex couples married elsewhere under the same terms they’d grant divorces to opposite-sex couples.

Now, one could simply argue that the couple could just file for divorce in the state in which they were married. And that’s certainly true. But why should a couple have to incur the expense and inconvenience of traveling (possibly) thousands of miles, just to exercise a basic legal right that almost every other resident of a state is entitled to?

Being realistic, I recognize that it will probably be a long time before every state (or even a majority of states) has legalized same-sex marriage. However, states could make everybody’s life easier if they’d grant divorces to same-sex couples married in other states our countries. After all, courts would be able to collect more filing fees, family lawyers would have more work, and same-sex couples wishing to end their marriages would be able to divide their property and other assets in an orderly manner, allowing them to move on with their lives, and likely make use of that property which is far more economically efficient than (for example) spending a few years fighting over it.

http://lawblog.legalmatch.com/2010/09/07/texas-refuses-to-grant-same-sex-divorce/