PREVENTING THEFT

(Continued from previous page)

Employees should be treated with courtesy and consideration. Show an interest in them as individuals. Then back that interest - to mention an example or two - by keeping restrooms and other areas clean and attractive and by providing fresh uniforms, if your business uses them. Respecting employees may not reform the hard-core thief. But it will help keep many others from straying.

Finally, the owner-manager should not expect his people to achieve the impossible. Giving an employee an unrealistic goal is an invitation to cheat. When you do, you give no alternative. It is either cheat or admit failure and risk losing his job.

. Provide the Incentives

A third step in upgrading personnel is to enable employees to live up to your expectations. The following practices can be helpful.

Make certain each person is matched to his job. An employee should not be put in a position where he is forced to lie or cheat about his performance because he is unable to do his work. Lying and cheating, even on a small scale, is just a step away from theft.

Set reasonable rules, and effirce them rigidly. Loosely administered rules are more harmful than no rules at all. The quickest way to undermine employee respect for you and for the store's assets is to show softness and permissiveness.

Set clear lines of authority and responsibility. Each employee needs a yardstick by which to measure his progress and improve his performance. To fulfill this basic human need, his duties should be spelled out - preferably in writing. When he does not know who does what. there will be error, waste, and the kind of indifferent performance that breeds dishonestv.

Employees should be given the resources they need to achieve success. Whether he is a salesperson, or stockboy. nothing is more frustrating to any employee than to see his goal blocked by circumstances beyond his control. To perform well, an employee needs the proper tools, the right information, and guidance when it is required. Denying such support and expecting him to produce is a sure way to weaken morale.

Be fair in rewarding outstanding performance. The top producing salesperson who receives the same treatment as the mediocre employee is apt to become resentful. Individuals who make a worthwhile profit contribution are entitled to, and expect, a fair share of ego and fi nancial satisfaction. Honest recognition of merit by the owner-manager triggers more honest effort on the part of the employee.

Finally, you should remove the templalion to steal. One organization is noted for its good employee relations. It treats people fairly. It displays faith in their integrity and ability. But it also provides uniforms without pockets.

Remove the opportunity to steal and half the battle is won. There is (Please turn to page 85)

TIIE WAY IT WAS-circo188?. This isthe Valley Lumber Co., corner of H & Mono Streets in Fresno, Ca. Our thanks to Mr. Robert Kinble, Sequoia Lumber Co., Visalia, Ca., whose grandfather F. Dean Prescott appears in the photo, for this rare look at our western past.

Good service is as important now as it was in the past. As a new company, we made sure that customer service was the keystone of DMK-Pacific's foundation.

O Whether you are our biggest customer, smallest, or in between, we'll take extra special care of you. () For all your needs in western softwooddand plywood, try DMK-Pacific, the company that was born with sawdust in its veins and is staffed by people who share your enthusiasm for this business.

Ilwight Cunan

Sawmill Employment Off

A new lumber industrv survev of a sample of wesrern milis indicires their employment was off about 15%r and production l3%r ar rhe year's end 1979, as compared with normal. But indications are also that n.rost producers are carefully tailoring operations to nratch what the current econonric situation warrants.

The first in a series of monthly reports to the Western Wood Products Association, covering 225 mills in l2 western states. shows 4,453 workers in those nrills have been temporarily idled by industry cutbacks.

These are prinrarily the result of a decline in the nation's homebuilding caused by federal monetary policies, WWPA said.

H.A. Roberts, WWPA executive vice president, noted "the imnortant fact is that 24.263 people were continuing to work in those nrills at the year's end in spite of the facr that the lunrber industry's most lmportant nrarket was slowine dranrat ically. "

As of Dec. 31, 16 of rhe reporting mills had halted production to await the return of better markets, while 7 5 reported nraking adjustnrents in shift hours. in cutting back the number of workers per shift, or in eliminating shifis from the work day.

For 1979, WWPA preliminary estinrates are that the western lumber industry production will be only about five t)/r, below the 1978 volume oi 18.9 billion board feet.

Positive Thinking for Firm

The best way to stop recession is to talk good times. get away from the pessinristic attitude rhat helps create a decline in business. according to Dave Ferrari. the head ntan at Virginia Harcl woocl Co., Monrovia. Ca.

To back his thinking. he has all employees, including the head honchos, wearing large blue and white buttons with the phrase "Busirress is Goocl" encirclecl by the company nanre, address, and telephone number. Badges along with a copy of A Parable ./br Our T-imes are being distributed to custonrers as well.

The parable, which brings a chuckle with a solid business philosophy, tells of a mitn with a thriving hot dog business and a son