13. Don't make me feel that my mistakes are sins. I have to learn to make mistakes without feeling that I am no good.

14. Don't nag. When you do, I shall have to protect myself by appearing deaf.

15. Don't demand explanations for my wrong behavior. I really don't know why I did it.

16. Don't tax my honesty too much. I am easily frightened into telling lies.

17. Don't forget that I love and use experimenting. I learn from it; so put up with it.

18. Don't take too much notice of my small ailments. I may learn to enjoy poor health when it gets me much attention.

19. Don't protect me from consequences. I need your guidance to learn from my experiences.

20. Don't put me off when I ask honest questions. When you continue to do so, you'll find that I'll stop asking and start seeking my information elsewhere.

21. Don't answer my "silly" or meaningless questions. I just want you to keep busy with me.

22. Don't ever think that it is beneath your dignity to apologize to me. An honest apology makes me feel surprisingly warm toward you.

23. Don't ever suggest that you are perfect or infallible. It gives me too much to live up to.

24. Don't worry about little amount of time we spend together. It is HOW we spend it that counts.

25. Don't let my fears arouse your anxiety; then I shall be afraid. Show me courage instead.

26. Don't forget that I can't thrive without lots of understanding and encouragement. But I don't need to tell you that, do I?

Treat me with respect you treat your friends, then I'll be your respectful friend, too. I learn more from a model than from a critic.

Remember: When we maximize our potential, everyone wins. When we don't, we all lose.

* Adapted from "Memorandum from Your Child", author anonymous.

© Etienne A. Gibbs, MSW

If you are downsizing, use PVT to help retain your best people, your business processes, intellectual property, and energize your remaining staff!

"You can't shrink your way to greatness." -- Tom Peters

PVT can help you build your business to survive hard times! (But, it is best to act before your company becomes a "sinking ship.")

If you're enduring uncontrolled growth, you can use PVT to gain balance. PVT helps you accelerate product development. You can inspire new action in project management...

...You can create new products for changing markets. You can change low production into high per^formance. You can streamline production for manufacturing problems.

PVT helps you turn dissatisfied customers and skeptical executives into loyal fans.

And, Profitable Venture Tactics help you relieve pressure and worry - so you can sleep at night.

============================================================ Why Vanishing Technology happens repeatedly... ============================================================

I'm sure you recognize that problem of Vanishing Technology is not new. Imagine frustration of watching companies sink like leaky ships. You point to leaks. But, their crews say,

"We have no time to patch leaks. We're too busy sailing for gold."

When you suffer Vanishing Technology, your company is like that sinking ship. And you know you cannot sail a leaky ship...very far.

To develop a "seaworthy" business, you - or someone - must write right stuff to help you build your business like a leak-proof hull.

Documenting your business is work of "business development."

Yet, when business booms people say...

"We don't have time to write ... too many projects ... it is not a priority n0w... we'll get to it later... yada... yada... yada..."

But, have you noticed when there's a business bust, people have plenty of time to write CYA Memos and resumes? Bottom line: Nobody writes documents vital to your business!

That's why you see Vanishing Technology happen repeatedly.

============================================================ What can you do? ============================================================

To prevent Vanishing Technology, you must develop your business to survive hard times.

This means you must curtail dependence on "key people" and their tacit "tribal knowledge." (If your business needs exceptional people, you cannot hope to produce consistent results.)

This means you - or someone - must write down your key business processes! This means you must work ON your business as you work IN your business. As they say, "Publish or perish!"

You must develop and document a result producing system - a SYSTEM that amplifies ordinary skills and abilities into extraordinary results.

Profitable Venture Tactics can help you create right documentation to integrate four steps to success:

1. Organizing, 2. Planning, 3. Developing, and 4. Operating your business.

============================================================ Summary ============================================================

Are you risking loss of your most valuable assets ... your people ...your business processes ...your intellectual property? The plain truth is most people hate to write documentation...And this leads directly to Vanishing Technology.

When you suffer Vanishing Technology, your company leaks like a sinking ship.

By applying business development techniques I call "Profitable Venture Tactics," you can protect yourself from Vanishing Technology and build your business like a leak-proof hull.

Documenting your business is work of "business development." This means you must work ON your business as you work IN your business.

Don't let Vanishing Technology stunt growth of your business!

Best Regards,

Mike Hayden, Principal/Consultant

Your partner in streamlining business.

PS. If you're not on our P V T Roster, sign up (fr#e) at: http://www.SeniorManagementServices.com

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(c) 2004 Mike Hayden, All rights reserved. You may use material from Profitable Venture Tactics eZine in whole or in part, as long as you include complete attribution, including live website links and email link.