. . . they’ll do what you inspect.

I am normally not a complainer – or at least I try hard not to be. I have always believed that rather than complain about something try to find a way to fix the something that is the source of your desire to complain. I have been in the business of businesses for a while now and certain business acts, or lack there of, just rub me the wrong way. I walked in to a local gas station to pick up a bottle of water. Since the advent of the “Pay at the Pump” technology, I can’t tell you the last time I actually set foot in a filling station and I’m sure some of you are like me. I had to look around a bit to find the upright cooler with the water and grabbed a bottle. When I went to the counter to pay I began to realize how dirty the store was. I don’t mean just a little either – if the floor had seen the working side of a mop within the past month I would have been shocked. Dust was on everything displayed on the counter – especially those energy drinks we all see. And I don’t know what was worse: the worker pouring water into a coffee maker with the carcasses of bugs long dead on it or the fact the cashier was smoking while on shift, right there, in front of everyone – cigarette burning in a makeshift ashtray right next to the cash register. Seriously?

Where do I begin! It was obvious to me to me that the business owner wasn’t present, hadn’t been present for some time and there existed no danger of the owner showing up unannounced any time soon. Need I state the obvious?

If you are a business owner you NEED to be present; YOU need to know what’s going on in YOUR business. You should know if your business is clean, your employees are friendly and presentable, and they are doing what you are expecting them to do. (And no one can tell me any business owner would find this acceptable). But here is a hint – many employees won’t. Unfortunately, a number of your employees won’t do what you expect, they’ll do what you inspect. That philosophy is similar to what Ronald Reagan said –“Trust, but verify”.

Your business’ bottom line depends on your involvement in the company. Don’t leave your investment in the hands of someone who looks like they ironed their shirt with a rock.

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