Things The Marines Can Teach All Of Us

By Curt C. Anderson, Alternate Director, PAR, Ltd.

There are many lessons I learned during my time in the Marines, and it’s always reassuring to realize how they often apply to “business life” as well. With regard to PAR, here is one lesson I feel is particularly suitable:

The more you sweat in training the less you bleed in combat.

While E&O issues hardly approach the level of true warfare, the analogy is still appropriate. If your firm follows the QMP principles and operates with an understanding of their importance, you’ll not only avoid many E&O issues altogether, but you’ll be better prepared to address any legal challenges. Having documentation and full accounting of your actions leading up to any occurring problems may also aid in having lower settlements or payouts.

Making these QMP principles part of your regular day-to-day routine leads to them becoming second-nature. It may be difficult when these new procedures are first implemented, but the extra work up-front can reduce many problems in the long-run.

Everything you do should have a purpose/ objective/ learning opportunity.

This is another Marine lesson which emphasizes that procedure just for the sake of procedure is only busy work. The QMP principles are based on sound experience and proven methods. We’re not interested in adding to your workload, but we are interested in adding to your work performance.

Lead from the front.

PAR firms are among the best in the business. We believe a large part of any PAR firm’s success is based on the top management’s commitment to PAR principles. You can’t expect others in your firm to follow the QMP’s guidelines if you don’t understand and embrace them yourself. Leading from the front gives you the best view of potential problems, shows your own dedication to procedures, and leads to greater buy-in.

So that’s my two cents from the front lines this quarter. Please know that everyone at PAR strives to ease your concerns or address any problems you might encounter. With that said, don’t hesitate to contact myself or anyone else at PAR if we can ever be of assistance.