Ten Things I Did With Results I Liked

Ten Things I Did With Results I Liked

Steve Orr

1. Writing and editing
I am engaged in an ongoing process of writing fiction. I create my characters and the situations in which they find themselves. I am responsible for the plot, the narration, and all of the words. In the process, I submit my work to other writers for editing and critique, and they to me. I have opportunity to help other writers improve their works, and receive the same in return. Satisfaction comes from (A) the creation process, itself (It's a joy to see my thoughts turn into a story), (B) the mechanics of writing, choosing just the right word, putting the sentence in just the right place in the paragraph to be most effective, (C) having writers and non-writers praise my work (tell me things like, "I have really come to care about this character." or "I can't wait to find out what happens next!"), (D) having other writers tell me how much they appreciate my critiques of their work and actually seeing those show up in later printed versions of their work.

2. Leading my staff to over $2 Billion in sales
Over a five-year period, I hired, developed, and led a staff of financial professionals in the evaluation, marketing, and sale of over $2 Billion in loans. Some of the staff were already in place when I came on board. Still, I read several hundred application packages, and conducted an equal number of interviews, to select the best people to fill out the remaining positions. I trained the staff to perform the basics of their jobs, something a bit different for each person. I worked with each person to create an Individual Development Plan that would help them grow in ways that would benefit the mission as well as their particular interests. I ensured they received the training and developmental activities necessary to accomplish this. After creating teams, I selected team leaders and developed them in their roles. Utilizing the staff, I coordinated the creation of a sales manual to guide everyone in the required milestones of the process. I provided guidance, cheerleading, counseling, strategy, etc., to move them toward the accomplishment of our goals. In the end, they amazed themselves at what they accomplished. The satisfaction came from different sources: (A) actually selling over 45,000 loans, overcoming all the obstacles to get there, (B) taking the risks and being proved right by the results, and (C) having many of my staff thank me for what I did to help them do all that (I especially enjoyed staff who moved to other managers come to me and tell me they never realized how good they had had it when they worked for me.).

3. Developing tracking and reporting methodologies for sales.
There was considerable discord among the various stakeholders in the loan sale process throughout our office. Some of this was endemic and could not be cured locally. However, it occurred to me that we might be able to ameliorate the situation with improved communications. I worked with my staff to create databases which reflected each stage of the loan sale process. Then, I worked with the local IT staff to make these data available on the network. Today, we would call this publishing on company's intranet. Consequently, an account officer could quickly determine if his/her loan was segregated into a sale package, and if so, what stage of the sale process it was in. Satisfaction came from (A) devising the databases, actually deciding which data to include and where it would be located, (B) devising the presentation of the data on the network, how it would look to the viewer, (C) determining how the viewer would be able to search for his/her loan, (D) praise from managers, peers, stakeholders, and most importantly, my own staff for significantly reducing the atmosphere of animosity.

4. Stage Manager for “Fiddler On The Roof”
I worked with all pre-production managers including the Director, Set Designer, and Construction Crew Leader. My job was to make their work actually happen, as planned and on time, during rehearsals and actual performances. I worked with various production team leaders (e.g. Prop Master, Costume Mistress, Lights Master, Stage Crew Master, etc.) to produce the show. After dress rehearsal, the show was completely my responsibility. Satisfaction came from (A) knowing the Director hired me for the job because he had confidence in me, (B) overcoming numerous challenges including personnel problems as well as those with materials and equipment, (C) the realization of a well-crafted and executed production when the show was presented to paying audiences, (D) the praise of actors and non-actors for a job well done.

5. Designing, and shepherding the development of, The Asset Marketing System (AMS)
I served on a team who designed (for the FDIC) a proprietary software to inventory, evaluate, price and track the sale of loans. I co-wrote the proposal to get approval to pursue its development, worked with the programmers to build the initial framework of the software, and oversaw every aspect of its development until completion. Later, as the Chairman of the User Group, I worked with users from throughout the country to enhance the product so that it was better tailored to real world use. Every phase of this provided satisfaction (A) Brainstorming with the other members of the design team and co-writing the actual design specifications, (B) figuring out how to communicate to the programmer what it was we were seeking, (C) balancing the various wants and needs of national stakeholders and still ensure the product met the original design standards.

6. Teaching courses/classes to financial professionals
For example, I completely overhauled a course in performing Present Value Analysis using the Hewlett-Packard HP-12C calculator. I changed it from a half-day course to a two-day course. On Day One, I taught them the fundamentals of cash-flow analysis, ensuring they left with a clear understanding of the concepts. On Day Two, I taught them how the calculator performed its functions, then brought it all together by teaching them to perform the various analyses using the calculator. The satisfaction came from (A) perceiving the inequities in the ‘old’ course and recreating it to actually accomplish educational objectives, (B) being there when the students actually ‘got it’, (C) having students thank me for teaching them something they could use the rest of their careers (Several told me they had taken the ‘old’ class and learned nothing more than which buttons to hit in which order versus now actually understanding what it is they were doing.). I have repeated this process many, many times for other classes, courses, training sessions, etc.

7. Creating curriculum for, and teaching, Bible classes at church
For example, I conceived and developed a course I called “Elijah: A Man Just Like Us”, drawing the concept from James Chapter 5. I built a six-week study (six Sundays) where we viewed Elijah’s life (from 2 Kings). Each week, we focused on a different aspect of his person and then discussed how we could apply what we learned to our own lives. There were approximately 200 people in the class divided into tables of 12 to 14, with table discussion leaders. Each Wednesday night, I met with the table leaders to share how the previous Sunday had gone and to prepare them to lead the next Sunday morning discussion. Satisfaction came from (A) leading my own table discussion each week and learning, first hand, the effectiveness of the discussion questions I had developed, (B) having the table leaders tell me, at the weekly recap sessions, how well things were going at their respective tables, (C) creating a situation where we all came to understand how much we have in common with one of God’s specially chosen emissaries.

8. Reduced delinquent accounts from over 7% of loan base to less than 0.5% in six months.
I was working as a collector in a bank's credit card department. By allowing the delinquency to climb to 7%, the previous collector had allowed the delinquencies to become a problem. The national average, at the time, was only 1%. I instituted a multi-pronged approach. First, I mailed out notices each time an account became, 10 days, 30 days, 60 days, etc., delinquent. Then, I began a telephone campaign reminding people that they were delinquent. In my conversations with people, I always treated them with respect, never taking a negative tact. This was an unusual approach in the field. Some of my peers were skeptical. I varied my workday so I could call from 7:00 AM to as late at 9:00 PM. That way, I could actually converse with almost everyone who was delinquent. These simple steps, conducted with respect toward those I was dealing with, produced a massive reduction in delinquent payments. Satisfaction came from (A) crafting the approach and tracking the incremental results from week to week, (B) being proved right in the approach I chose, (C) being praised by my boss for doing such a good job.

9. Fatherhood
This has been an ongoing activity since November, 1977 when my daughter was born. In conjunction with my wife, I have participated in every aspect of her upbringing. Key activities included teaching her to read and to love reading, helping her learn the value of physical activity, teaching her to love the Lord, providing the structures within which she grew to maturity, and giving her room to make mistakes. Satisfaction came from (A) having her express her thanks for the way I raised her, (B) having her in my lap when she first printed her name, (C) cheering her on when she accomplished successes in her life, particularly academic ones, (D) having adult conversations with her and realizing she actually is one, i.e. knowing we succeeded.

10. Taught myself databases and spreadsheets by "computerizing" several processes at work.
I was working in a part of the FDIC that managed the processes surrounding the closing of failed banks and several post-closing activities. Traditionally, each activity required the production of a typed report memorializing the work and attesting to its completion. These were produced manually. Each workday, I stayed one additional hour. During that time, I used a borrowed computer and taught myself Lotus 123 (for example) by migrating the work onto spreadsheets. I created templates I was able to re-use at each bank closing and during the follow-up phases. Several calculations were involved in producing these reports. The templates allowed me to just enter the 'raw numbers' for automatic calculation. I did something similar with databases. As a result, I reduced the amount of time needed to accomplish these activities. Also, I increased the accuracy of them, a hitherto unrealized problem. Finally, I was able to provide my colleagues with copies of these electronic templates for their use in doing the same kinds of work. Satisfaction came from (A) trying things I had read in the book and finding they actually worked in the spreadsheet, (B) being praised by various managers and peers for streamlining the closing and post-closing processes that way, (C) seeing my new approaches adopted region-wide, and later, nationwide.