Resicom

Perfection Isn’t What It’s Cracked Up to Be

John Fairclough — Tue, 28 Feb 2012 23:36:33 +0000

When success is not defined and perfection is the default, anxiety rises and performance falls.

Pursuit of perfection rarely feels good. Perfection is very expensive, and most people are unwilling to pay for something to be perfect. Also, it is subjective… By defining success at the onset, with constraints of time/money/etc, we make it objective – much less emotion and much more performance.

It does not mean to seek out mediocrity. It means seek out success.

Award Recognizes Redefining Normal

Laurie Ledonne — Mon, 05 Dec 2011 19:49:30 +0000

Honoring the connection between business breakthroughs and family foundation, Loyola University Family Business Center recently recognized Resicom as a finalist for the 18th annual Illinois Family Business of the Year Award. CEO John Fairclough accepted the award on Resicom’s behalf November 29th ceremony at Chicago Four Seasons.

Resicom was founded as a family venture over a decade ago. Today, the company relies on not only family members to drive growth and innovation, but many like-minded individuals to build a business together. Resicom’s employees are committed to opening possibilities that enable clients, vendors and employees the opportunity to experience what’s possible.

We are grateful and honored to be recognized by such a renowned organization. The award is dedicated to all the people at Resicom who both work and play hard to redefine normal.

Trust Encourages Growth

John Fairclough — Tue, 29 Nov 2011 19:36:42 +0000

Do you get the most out of relationships? If not, consider giving people 100% of the credit they deserve in their role.

Trust is earned. Having to prove yourself gets frustrating, not exactly the quickest route to a mutually trusting, beneficial relationship.

Assume people have already proven themselves in being offered and accepting the position will start the trust wheel moving forward.

Don’t worry, those people not worth trusting will lose chunks of the 100% credit quickly, but you will no longer stifle great relationships from starting.

Decision Making Role Play

John Fairclough — Tue, 29 Nov 2011 19:29:22 +0000

Managers have it tough – they need to create and foster performance without destroying their team’s dedication when discipline is required. Keeping in mind that people behave rationally to their own unique realities can help us understand their behavior better.

Consider that people make decisions using their experience, desires, and fears. Since everyone’s are different, we define what is rational and irrational differently. Sure, some things are common in most people. But many decisions we are most critical of are when our experience, desires, and fears tell us the other person’s decision makes no sense.

How can we expand our understanding of a topic by better understanding the decision maker’s perspective?

Info Hazards

John Fairclough — Tue, 29 Nov 2011 19:15:38 +0000

Information can cripple productivity. Too much of it can leave you feeling like you do not have enough of it – as clarity usually begs for more questions to be answered. In this way, information is really a tripping hazard. It’s value begins once it is converted into knowledge.

How can we convert the information we have into usable knowledge we can deploy?

Create a Less Flammable Work Environment

John Fairclough — Tue, 29 Nov 2011 19:12:55 +0000

Many managers suffer from proverbial fires being dropped into their laps. I’d like to challenge them to take a moment and resist the temptation to blame a person for the fire. Not everyone who passes a fire is an arsonist, although many companies have sleeper arsonists on their team, that is for another post!

Please take a moment to act and think like a fire. Consider the conditions it needs to start and spread and what extinguishes it. Often times, companies create flammable conditions without even knowing it. Examining your processes looking for those ideal fire conditions can help you identify and mitigate these risks.

How can we enhance our processes to lessen the likelihood of “fires” and how can we help our team become better firefighters?

Artisan Fest

Laurie Ledonne — Thu, 07 Jul 2011 17:58:35 +0000

Justified or Justifying – a relationship dichotomy

John Fairclough — Wed, 15 Jun 2011 21:26:18 +0000

When I hear people justifying their actions, my body goes into shock – my stomach turns, my eyes twitch, and I start to pace uncontrollably. Not really, but my blood boils and turns my face beat red. I am not sure of the science of it, but I think it is purely mental. For whatever reason, and I do not think I am alone, I view people justifying their behavior as people more concerned about how they look in a situation, rather than the state of the situation. It makes me question their motives and integrity. I judge them as being selfish and not focused on the betterment of our relationship.

On the other hand, when I can look at what was done, and someone shares why they did what they did in effort to have me understand why, not focused on how they look, my trust in the person grows. I do not need to figure out if there are ulterior motives or other unseen issues for me to deal with. I am able to gain understanding, get back on the same page, and move forward, with less effort.

In business, life, health, most everything, items providing better results with less effort are highly valued.

Justified or justifying is a critical juncture towards building a relationship. Improving our approach to challenges by seeking to be understood rather than trying to prove we are right goes a long way in strengthening relationships.

Try it!

Justified or Justifying?

John Fairclough — Wed, 15 Jun 2011 21:13:59 +0000

Are your actions justified or are you justifying your actions?

- John Fairclough, CEO Resicom

UIC Hosts Patent Seminar For Entrepreneurs

Laurie Ledonne — Thu, 28 Apr 2011 23:18:18 +0000

UIC announces a special event from the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. The program will clarify the differences among types of intellectual property and explain how inventors, writers, artists, and businesses can use the resources of the USPTO to protect their ideas. The program is free, however advanced registration is required. Please call (312) 747-4400 to register.

http://www.chipublib.org/events/details/id/62385/