Construction Business Owner, April 2009

Q:

In reading your "Mediocrity" article I picked up on some great tips about the importance of maintaining a good relationship with clients. I would like to send a thank you letter to a few clients that we recently completed projects for. I feel that this letter needs to have something more than just a generic thank you in it. Can you offer any suggestions? Your input would be greatly appreciated.

Chuck Anselmo

Allstates Building Systems

Tags: 2009 April Issue , George Hedley

Construction Business Owner, August 2006 

One of my law partners is fond of explaining that lawsuits do not simply "happen," but rather, they walk in on two legs and apply for work. The founding partner of our law Firm, Ike Fisher, took this analysis one step further and concluded that employers could nearly eliminate their employment lawsuits, frivolous workers' compensation claims, government investigations and union drives if they would avoid hiring three types of employees: the "marginal employee," the "perpetual complainer" and the "unofficial supervisor." Clearly, employers should zealously seek to screen out such individuals using the most sophisticated and legally defensible tools. Of course, therein lies the rub-"lawfully" using tools in an era when many employers feel that they will run afoul of the law if they ask a candidate for much more than their name and current address.

Tags: 2006 August Issue , hiring , human resources , legal