Phillip M. PerryPhillip M. Perry is a New York-based writer and consultant.ManagementWill Your Insurance Back You if Disaster Strikes?So now you’re thinking: All this advice about finding a reliable insurance carrier is great, but who has the time to do the research and legwork? It may not seem like a priority now, but as soon as disaster strikes and you’re at the mercy of the insurance company, your efforts will seem well worth the time. This is something Sheila McSwain and her husband, Michael, of Cincinnati, Ohio-based McSwain’s The Hardwood Floor Store Inc. learned last year when their offices, which they had recently moved into, were flooded in July with two feet of water and sewage. Their showroom on the second floor of the building was spared, but their offices and a room housing roughly $35,000 in recently reconditioned machinery, including big machines and edgers, was not.Now that you’re convinced it is worth the time and energy to find a reliable insurance carrier and broker, there is still more to know. Following are some suggestions from an industry distributor who has suffered two major disasters in the past.March 31, 2002ManagementThe Family Business: How to Keep It GoingMaybe you’ve always thought that your children want to take over the business — and maybe that’s a problem. The fact is, successors are often afraid to admit they want to go into another line of work. “There may be varying degrees of commitment by the second generation,” says Joe Paul, a family business consultant in Portland, Ore. “Some may be involved in the business out of a sense of loyalty, or they fear disappointing parents who may have always counted on the children taking over the business.” It’s better to find out the children’s real feelings early. Waiting until you hand over the reins to them can mean disaster for the business. Paul suggests getting the help of a third party counselor to interview the children, who may be reluctant to open up to their parents.December 31, 2000ManagementAnger Management in the WorkplaceIf you are feeling anger toward an employee who has been doing a bad job or who has failed to do what he’s supposed to, avoid the temptation to yell. Expressing anger by shouting or name-calling is counterproductive. “In the old days, intimidation was a fringe benefit of being a manager,” says Ronald T. Potter-Efron, a partner and therapist at First Things First Ltd. in Eau Claire, Wis. “Those days are over. If you yell at a subordinate, you are liable to be fired yourself, get sued for discrimination or spark violence.” At the very least, mistreated employees are much more likely to jump ship in this tight labor market.December 31, 2000ManagementHow to Save on Worker's Comp CostsIf you ask a hardwood flooring contractor about a scar on his hand, he'll probably recount a story of a table saw gone awry. Get several contractors in a room and pretty soon they're displaying scarred body parts and rehashing war stories involving nailers, saws, routers and other sharp, dangerous objects. Installing hardwood floors is a dangerous job, and no matter how many safety precautions you take, injuries are always a possibility, especially for new installers who are just learning the ropes. As an employer in the trade, you need to be concerned about not only the safety of your employees, but also the financial impact that workers' injuries can have on your business.1. Start a safety program.2. Use incentives.3. Explain the problem to employees.4. Respond quickly to accidents.5. Plan transitional work slots.6. Pay premiums on straight time.7. Reclassify your employees.8. Pay small claims yourself.9. Correct clerical errors.10. Shop for a carrier.11. Self-insure or join an association.12. Join a drug program.December 31, 2000ManagementDiscover the Secrets to Keeping Good EmployeesHow do you keep your best people? “It’s not rocket science,” says consultant Ian Jacobsen, president of Jacobsen Consulting Group, Sunnyvale, Calif. “It’s a matter of doing the right things right.” To find out what the right things are, Jacobsen’s staff interviewed 5,000 people attending job fairs, asking each why they were leaving their current positions. He came up with a list of eight commonlyencountered items on employee wish lists:November 30, 2000ManagementMotivating Your Employees is Crucial to Your ProsperityFrank Kroupa, part owner of R&R Hardwood Floors in Boise,Idaho, says that his company likes to be proactive by using anin-house apprenticeship program to align employees with thestandard operating procedures. "Once we hire a man, we sendhim through our program," Kroupa says. "Each week he tradesoff, and he's with a different crew boss. We have 10 crew bosses,so this allows him a lot of variety and also gives him a variety ofjobs, whether it be in installing or sanding and finishing.Here are some more resources on coaching techniques: Listening to Conflict, by Erik J. Van Slyke. Finding constructive solutions to workplace disputes, by really listening to individuals. American Management Association, 1601 Broadway, New York, N.Y. 10019.(1999). Price: $22.95.December 31, 1999ManagementManaging Conflict in the WorkplaceThe employee who shares an inner conflict with you is looking for emotional understanding, not rational explanation. In such situations avoid using common tools involving intellectual analysis.November 30, 1999ManagementHow to Work a Trade Show• Avoid wasting time standing in line behind other people at a booth. Start the show by going to the most vital booths and asking “May I come back at 2 p.m.?” Jot the appointment time on your card and leave it with the individual at the booth. When you come back you can say with authority, “Oh, excuse me. I have an appointment at 2 p.m. with so and so.” Go right through.December 31, 1998ManagementRetaining EmployeesIt’s easier to keep good employees than to attract new ones. “In a tight labor market, I tell my clients, ‘Let’s concentrate on retention; then you don’t have to worry about recruiting,’” says Don Schackne, president of Personnel Management and Administration Associates, a consulting firm in Delaware, Ohio. “That’s what it’s come down to.”December 31, 1998Previous PagePage 7 of 7Top StoriesContractingBlending Personality With Practicality: See the Winners of the 2025 WFB Truck and Van ContestGet ready to rev your engines and roll into the world of wood flooring pros’ work vehicles. 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