The Speed of the Captain is the Speed of the Crew

Roy Cammack

Iclearly remember the day a client said those words to me.

I have never forgotten them and have since inculcated them into our Notary practice.

We as Notaries are indeed the captains of our own ships, carefully sailing them to avoid the rocks and forever hoping to put up more sail. To be successful on our oceans of documents, we mariners need founded experience along with a capable and loyal crew to help us get to where we are destined.

These days, the most challenging aspect of business is the “human resource element.” We can no longer simply drop a penny into the ale of a future conscript that will then be “Shanghaied” and taken aboard in forced servitude. Staff is the largest cost of operation and accordingly deserves our greatest focus.

Our policy is to research the marketplace and that involves contacting our competitors to see what they are paying their staff so we can be confident and fair to our own employees. That involves a thorough survey of pay scales and benefits, with the promise that if the principal of

These days, the most challenging aspect of business is the “human resource element.”

the other office agrees to participate, he or she will receive the confidential results. Armed with that information, we can begin recruiting, knowing we are paying adequately. • When we have received applications from potential employees, we review their resumes and, if acceptable, we contact their references. • If those references are positive, we then invite that person to meet with us and our office manager after which we discuss among ourselves the applicant’s suitability. • Before hiring, we have the applicant meet with our other employees (especially those with whom the applicant will be working) to have frank discussions for compatibility purposes. • We then speak with our staff before we make our offer of employment.

With our new crew member properly vetted and welcomed aboard,

©iStockphoto.com/RobertBreitpaul

we embark on a training mission to ensure the employee thoroughly understands our systems and feedback mechanisms so we will all have safe travels working together.

We check in frequently to make sure we are sailing in the right direction and that all on board are happy to continue our journey.

Similarly, we want our clients to be content they retained a qualified crew to deliver on their documentation needs.

Our names may be inscribed on the letterhead, but we want our staff to be capable, caring, and always proud of where they work and for whom. Similarly, we want our clients to be content they retained a qualified crew to deliver documentation needs.

Otto von Bismarck is credited as saying we are all travelling in the river of time that we can neither stop nor control but only in which we can navigate with skill and experience.

Bon voyage! s Roy Cammack, MBA, CPCA, is a BC Notary Public (1982), past Chamber of Commerce’s “Independent Businessperson of the Year,” and Peace Arch News Reader’s Choice Award Winner 2018/2019.