Batman is unique among the super heroes because his intelligence and innovation are key to his ability to overcome obstacles. The resources available to Batman from his Bat-belt are iconic. As a person in a position of leadership, you must exercise your growth mindset and add resources to your managerial tool belt. 

We discuss how positive behavior intervention and support (PBIS)  professionals approach their work with children and how we can apply that to our work in managing people in business. The PBIS system has been set up with three tiers of prevention with plans of support associated with the needs of the student at each tier:

• Tier 1 (all) is universal prevention with support dispersed in alignment with core vision.
• Tier 2 (some) is targeted prevention with more specific supports for deficit areas.
• Tier 3 (few) is intensive and individualized prevention.

In behavior, which has so many applications to the modern workplace, how do we define the will, the chill and the skill? 

• For property restoration and service based industries including auto repairs, remodeling, retail, food service, construction, etc, people skills are core to a leaders ability to succeed. 
• Being intentional to develop a process for expanding upon our will to succeed, to consistently produce the skills to succeed within our teams and the chill to succeed under pressure. 
• Just because we respond to chaos in disaster mitigation, this does not mean that we should allow for chaos within our organizations. 

Additional Resources:

• The full article covering this topic can be found HERE

Time is invaluable. It’s the only thing that we cannot purchase more of. In business when we are able to reduce wasted time we are able to increase our efforts in profitable endeavors. Wasted time is money bleeding out of your organization.

For those who have written estimates for an insurance claim, you know what it feels like to have your line items questioned by adjusters or your estimate picked apart by claims reviewers. Property restoration contractors often perceive the claims review process as a constant bleeding out of effort, energy and sanity.

It’s hard to produce for clients when you feel like you are always treating the wounded in your estimator bullpen.

How often have do restoration estimators say:

• “They’ve shredded my estimate!”
• “How do they expect us to make any money?”
• “I give up, there is no winning this battle with these made up rules.”
• “&#@$%”

Maybe this hasn’t happened to you but you’ve heard your peers complaining. Just wait, every estimator knows that their estimate will soon be the next victim of the insurance review gauntlet. The next time you send an estimate to a reviewer or hit upload in Xactimate, the process will run its vicious cycle with you.

For those willing to admit it, are your bruises still turning purple or are your wounds still bleeding? We all have choices to make. We can play the status quo game and complain about the system or we can work to find answers.

What would the typical response be as this scenario plays itself out?

• “Who are they to question me?”
• “They have no idea what it takes to run a business.”
• “This claims review ‘professional’ has never been to this job – they’ve probably never been to any job site ever.”
• “*&?^$”

Funny enough, this is both one of the issues as well as one of the keys to resolution as well. The person reviewing you claim has never been to this job. They typical claims reviewer works from a claims center half-way across the country. You are correct, they likely haven’t been to any job and possibly never will. It’s not their job.

This is a fact of the process and it does no good to complain about it.

Your roles should not put you at odds. One of you writes an estimate for the claim and the other reviews the estimate for the claim. Either of you may view your responsibilities to be at odds with each other but that is not inherent to the task at hand. The presiding principle should be to restore the client to pre-loss conditions and both parties should be working together to make this as expedient as possible.

The difference between what should be and what is leaves a lot of room for us to work towards a process that is clear and consistent.

As restoration professionals we can start by asking better questions.

• “What are the objections of the claims review?”
• “It appears that the claims reviewer has composed a detailed list of their reasons for the rejection of your estimate. What is the next objection?”
• “Did we utilize the correct line items?”
• “Did you call the adjuster to discuss the rejections?”

As an estimator you have the responsibility to learn how to tell the story of the loss through the estimating tool. The estimate has a language.

Whether you like it or not, for the majority of insurance claims, Xactimate has become the recognized story delivery tool. When your story does not resonate with our audience you need to learn how to communicate more clearly. In serving your client, it is necessary to use the resources in your tool bag to assist them in achieving a well executed outcome.

If your estimate is not compliant with basic carrier requirements, rejection is not the result of sadism its self-sabotage.

How do contractors gain ground in the claims review process?

• Develop your process intentionally.
• Do some research.
• Tap into your peer network.
• Communicate with the adjuster.
• Make progress in your process.

Start the process of reviewing your rejections for trends.
You can do this as a team or you can do this as an individual estimator. To assist you with collecting data we have developed a FREE PDF download -Tracking Claims Review Worksheet. Gathering this information will help you to make informed decisions about your process, adjustments for your team’s approach as well data to discuss with adjusters, claims reviewers or carriers.

I find it interesting that the students that teachers are dealing with today in their classrooms are going to be the work force of tomorrow that business leaders will be working with. In this way, our efforts and futures are aligned. Educators must find ways to reach and teach young children from a variety of backgrounds, needs and cultures. Employers must find ways to attract, develop and retain individuals entering the labor pools.

A good friend of ours works in the school system helping with positive behavior interventions. What is a behavior intervention you may ask? Simply put, when a student is having an issue at school and acts out, how do we assist them to a positive outcome?

I would like to point out that first, this is not a deep dive into the behavioral sciences or our education system. This is a dip of the toe into another arena to explore issues, discussions and solutions that may assist us in our own progress. We ran through a similar exercise with an article published with The Institute of Workplace and Facilities Management (IWFM) in reviewing best practices in the criminal probation system.
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Secondly, opinions, like belly buttons, are abundant. I am sure the reader has their opinions on these matters. If you are willing to journey for a moment into this scenario, I believe you will learn something that will be helpful to your personal and professional development. 

As a member of the behavior team for a local elementary school you have been trained in positive behavior intervention and supports (PBIS). The system has been set up with three tiers of prevention with plans of support associated with the needs of the student at each tier.

• Tier 1 (all) is universal prevention with support dispersed in alignment with core vision.
• Tier 2 (some) is targeted prevention with more specific supports for deficit areas.
• Tier 3 (few) is intensive and individualized prevention.

Does this sound familiar in the workplace?

As a team we establish our vision and operate out of our core values. For the majority of our team members the culture provides a “universal prevention” that inspires alignment within the team. Those in a position of leadership (PIAPOL) know the feeling of working with “some” who need targeted plans and “few” who need intensive efforts.

Teachers, para educators and staff will have had training with universal preventions and resources for supporting students. When a student has been identified as needing Tier 2 or Tier 3 support, the process includes getting all stakeholders which may include parents, school specialists and professionals who are working with the student together to design a support plan.

To reach our goals as an organization we outline our follow through with these tiers in language such as followed by all (FBA) or key performance indicators (KPI). In the world of PBIS the language they use states that implementation must be practiced with fidelity.

So, let’s take our journey into a PBIS scenario with our eyes and ears open for nuggets of truth that are applicable to our roles and responsibilities in business.

You are called to a classroom to assist a teacher who is working with a student that has escalated beyond their control.

You arrive in the classroom.

The teacher is upset.

There is a small child who is upset.

The rest of the class is unable to be managed properly due to the disruption.

You ask the teacher, “What transpired?”

The teacher explains, “I instructed the class to color a rainbow and to start with the color purple.”

The child declared, “I don’t want to start with purple, I want to start with orange.”

In that moment, the teacher had a choice.

As an important piece of background, we should note that this particular student has oppositional defiant disorder (ODD). We may be losing some of you who are starting to think that sounds like a made up issues that simply describes a disobedient child.

How many of you are thinking that this child just needs better parenting, real consequences or any number of common opinions (belly buttons)?

Oppositional defiance, in base terms, means the child will do the opposite of what they are instructed. If the situation escalates, the child will escalate as well. Hopkins Medicine outlines that the scientific community has not unanimously agreed, as with many behavioral complexities, whether the sources of ODD are developmental or learned. Even the health community has their belly buttons in a jam.

​Back to the teacher’s choice.

The guiding principle is supposed to be the behavior support plan. All of the stake holders for this student have developed a plan that is unique to the student and has been agreed to by all. Fidelity in implementation is key to PBIS progress.

​The will to succeed is different than the desire to achieve success. As we have discussed before, Vince Lombardi, regarded as one of the greatest football coaches of all time, has said, “The will to win is not nearly so important as the will to prepare to win.” 

If we want to develop our will to succeed, we have to clarify our vision and work to get everyone rowing in the same direction. We prepare to win.

At moments like this, our will to succeed is tested. Our will to follow the plan is directly associated with our ability to progress in our process.

The teacher can choose to go with the plan, which in this scenario of opposition by the child would mean they should say, “Do it or don’t,” and then proceed with classroom instruction. Easier said than done in the moment but having the will to succeed means following the plan especially when the plan is tested (fidelity). 

On this day, the teacher choose not to go with the plan. This can be a reaction out of frustration, exhaustion or any number of factors a teacher faces when instructing a class full of students.

How often does this happen in a work setting as well?

“I just want my class to move forward smoothly and this child is being oppositional about a very mundane instruction,” would be a natural thought.

So, the teacher engaged, “Please don’t use orange, I told you to use purple. The rest of the class is using purple.”

The student responded, “I don’t want to use purple, I am using orange,” and went on to color more vigorously.

​“Look at this student, they are using purple,” the teacher appealed to positive peer pressure hoping to get a better response even though they know the situation was beginning to escalate.

As this situation unfolds, the student with oppositional defiant disorder is responding to the rising tension which naturally frustrates the teacher. Teacher knows they should be following the plan, engaging the will to succeed with the chill to succeed in the moment.

“Please do as you are told, you are making a scene,” the teacher states.

“No.”

Now the attention is fixed on the child which adds fuel to the fire. The plan was not followed. Fidelity misfired and progress is stilted. Please understand this is not meant to pick on the teacher in this scenario, only to point out the disconnect.

We are back to the point where the behavioral support team arrived. Behavior support staff are not better than teachers, they just have a specific area of training to assist in these areas of need.

The behavior support team member says, “We need to clear the room.”

The teacher knows this is in accordance with the behavior plan. In this scenario the child needs space to de-escalate so that the plan can be brought back into play.

The keys to success with positive behavior interventions include understanding the unique needs of individual children, developing relationships, creating personalized plans and equipping stake holders to carry out the process.

​Skill alone does not lead to success. All three elements are necessary. As a team, each member needs to have the will to succeed, the chill to succeed and the skill to succeed. We commit to clarifying our vision, executing our plan consistently and holding each other accountable to rowing in the same direction. 

The will to succeed.

When working with behavior support it is important to understand that it is a battle of the wills. The end game isn’t a clear win but making progress towards being peaceful and productive. In an escalated situation, a successful outcome will result from an endurance of the will. Long term progress requires clarity of vision and consistency in execution.

The skill to succeed.

Training and development of staff to understand the plan and consistently follow the plan is critical in behavior as well as business. Individuals are unique and the team must work together to clarify the approach, adjust as needed and hold each other accountability to execution.

The chill to succeed.

​Humans make mistakes. Whether you are a teacher, a behavior support specialist or a person in a position of leadership, you will make a mistake. The chill factor usually comes from making these mistakes, being willing to discuss our failures and adjusting our effort moving forward. When we survive our mistakes and failures we develop our chill to succeed. 

This article was featured as part of the monthly Intentional Restorer segment with Restoration & Remediation (R&R) Magazine.

Can you name a single team that has succeeded without people?
 
No people = No team = No success.
 
Understanding how to work successfully with people is a skill that every leader has to intentionally develop on a continual basis. In a tight labor market, recruiting, developing and retaining good people is essential to success.

​Who do people work for?
 
People work for people.
 
You work for someone, right?
 
If you are somewhere on the ladder of leadership roles, you likely work for someone and have someone who works for you. Perhaps you have a lot of someone’s who work for you.
 
If you are a someone who has someone’s who work for you, it’s important that you be the best someone you can be in as clear a way possible.
 
Having clarity about who you are, what you do well and what you need assistance with creates opportunities for others. Leaders who are confident in their role and abilities can assist others to learn new skills, express their creativity and find their spot on the team.
 
Your ability to develop a team starts with your effort to develop yourself. Continue that process of clarifying your identity so that you can attract and build with good people.

When you are clear on your vision, values, goals and traits as an organization you can seek out candidates who embrace as well as enhance your culture. Hiring is one of the most important aspects of a leader’s job as an individual as well as an essential mechanism for any organization to achieve consistent pursuit of excellence.
 
Remember that you don’t always control how an employee turns out but you do have control of who you let in the door. Industries that are service based are competing with each other to attract the available labor force. Think outside the box and be willing to train candidates who exhibit core character traits such as:

• Honest – you can teach skill but you can’t force someone to have integrity
• Hard working – you can train people to succeed but you cannot give them the desire to work
• Willing to learn – we can teach you, but you have to want to learn 

​Do you remember when you were had an entry level position and you were treated poorly by a supervisor?
 
What did you tell yourself?
 
After you told yourself that if you ever had the chance you would knock some sense into them, you probably told your future ladder climbing self that you would never be like them.
 
“I’ll never be like that,” was your journal entry from that day.
 
So, here’s the tough question, how would you rate yourself in your effort to not be like that terrible leader? How would your team members rate you?
 
Comparing ourselves to the worst manager we have ever had is a bit of a straw man. At the same time, often what we swear we would never become can creep up on us and when we stop to evaluate ourselves we are more like that person that we’d like to admit.
 
We need to constantly be checking ourselves against our vision, values and goals. Are we living out what we say or do we need to spend some time getting back on course? If we have veered away from living out our vision and values this could be a reason why we are struggling to attract, develop and retain good people. 

• It helps to have good mentors and/or peers who give you honest feedback
• Create opportunities to engage and listen to your team members
• Exemplify the values and changes you want to see to encourage your team
• Accountability has to flow from the top-down so that all are rowing together

 
For more on this topic, check out our video Tips for Recruiting and Hiring More Effectively
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