KeepingQuality People

(Continued from page 40) the type of clients you go after, and the kind of people you hire. For example, many leaders focus frantically on fire drill types of tasks, or the things that need to get done immediately. In the process, they allow the tasks that need to be planned and prepared for to go unattended and uncompleted. When the leaders operate in this rush, rather than in a coolheaded manner, they spread it through the entire organization.

Your actions and mannerisms reveal the mindset you maintain from day one. Even when you interview people, you communicate the corporate culture to them. So set your intrinsic values right away to avoid bringing in people with a work-herea-year-and-leave mindset. Rather than just covering benefits, rules, and vacation time. the most important part of your orientation process needs to focus on your culture, how you work with one another, how you cooperate with one another, and what kind of clients you pursue. Spend less time on the rules and more on the way of thinking.

The foundation of every organization is the attitude of the people within it. Therefore. the senior managers and leaders of your company must create the right mindset for the entire staff. They must determine how the organization's goals are established and communicated, the importance of those goals, and the way the employees work with each other.

a Z. Strenglhen the Structure

A strong organizational structure stems from strong focus. To strengthen your focus, set goals and objectives and then communicate them clearly throughout the organization. Limit your list to two or three realistic goals, rather than a laundry list of items. This focuses your employees on the most important things, rather than a cadre of different things. Then hire people who are open to changes, can focus on these goals, and can adhere to the culture you maintain. Many times people hire the skill set first and the attitude second. but it needs to be the other way around. You can teach skills. not attitude.

What about the people who have been in your organization for a few years and are already with the pro- gram but seem to be veering off course? If you're trying to change the organization's culture or make an impact on it because you're headed in a downward direction, then you need to communicate and work with everyone to show how things are changing.

Most importanl. communicate to your employees how they contribute to the new goals. What do the employees need to do to continue to grow with the company? What skills do they need? What attitude do they need to adopt? What personal investment do they need to make? How will the organization support that? While most organizations only cover these issues once a year, you should communicate this at least twice every year to maximize effectiveness without it becoming a burden.

^l J. Add the Finishing Touch

Once you've created a mindset and strengthened the focus of your organization, you must maintain these elements by staying involved with your employees. The employees need to trust that honest conversations can occur. Talk to them about what you

(Please turn to page 44)

'criralrs Vou'ro slrrpriscrl lo lrcair llrait iikry Creck lras rlrowr to ore of llre rp 50 lLnrlrcr coltp:rnl..;s il Norl lr trrrcrica, BLrt ts no slrock to rs,

.208) 263- 1551 rilevcreek. co rn

Wc krow tlritt olr l)eolr c lriit.tc lltc lrirllrcsl skill r:ilinrls ir tlre lrls loss, Wc know orrr llrrrrDer slrlrlr','lriis t qlrlur rlrain atnrl srrallcr krois, Wo know oLtr inveslntolls il lcclllo ()(J\ crc;rlc r;ot tsisl r,:r rl ly srItool I tr ;r. s1 r.i rllrl cr lr rrrlrcr. r lacl. llris srtpcrior rnix of Tintltrtr

Tirler rl alr I Tct;lrnolorly ltas ltr:ett rlLricl ri lrrrl rrrl uttl cxct:lrtior:rl

I rror llrcl f or son re tin ro now.

Wc r-r,: lLtsl r;lerrl lo lrc:rr llrc worltl is rrlo oLrr lillo slr;rcl

Depot Verdict Doesn't Stand

Home Depot won a $5.7 million appeal after being accused of copying a heavy-duty Christmas tree stand designed by Decorations for Generations. Turlock. Ca.

The previous finding in May 2003 was "not supported by substantial evidence," ruled the Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit in Washington.

The tree stand was designed in 1988 by James Boucher, DFG's c.e.o., from scrap steel parts in his garage. During the next holiday season, DFG sold the stand through various outlets-including Home Depot.

In 1990, Boucher applied for a design patent for the stand, which was granted in November 1992.

In 1999, according to court documents, Home Depot designed a stand "whose design was roughly similar to DFG's stand" and arranged to have it manufactured in China. When Home Depot discovered that DFG's stand was covered by a design patent, "it developed another design for its tree stand...to avoid infringing the DFG patent."

DFG sued Home Depot and its partners in February 2001 for infringement of its design patent.