Good Morning: Thanks again Jason and Curtis for the job you’ve done.

Thinking back about yesterday I remember evaluating forward on regular intervals and I’ll spare you the replay of the mental gymnastics, yet, I want you to know I can’t get a good picture of how well we stick the landing. And I just realized I can’t get “that” picture, because it is in the future and as I evaluate forward I do so based upon the results of the past and our past does not show that we change well.

The “forward” is our mortgage business, our type of business, without what has been our typical 1st time homebuyer. Forward is the world of automated underwriting. If it wasn’t so serious, this would be a bit humorous because the world of AUS is where we transitioned from! A place we did not think we could compete well. So, here we are again. Can we compete well? Can we change whereas we can compete well?

To evaluate forward we do so on a foundation of the results of our history and how well we believe we can change based upon the people and systems we have. How Well we can learn to operate out of the box with the boxes we have, or change boxes. What am I so concerned about? Engaging? Empowering? Persistence? Performance? Results? Fun? Mission Statements? Values? Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, and more yeses. But what scares me is Change. I’m concerned about changing. I’m concerned about how well you can change. I fearful about the results of not changing Well.

And change we must. Change you must.

But not from manual underwrites to AUS. Not from one system to another. Not from one process to another process.

You must change in the area of Trust, and Conflict, and Accountability. You must come to accept that you have to learn how to work together. The key word here is learn. Learn. Learn. You must accept that you have not arrived. You must accept that you influence others and that your influence either lifts others up or puts others down. You must come to accept that this is not about YOU. Hmmm….maybe the key is accept, not learn. But both you must do.

This isn’t about just underwriters, closers, account executives, processors, managers, loan officers, supervisors, teams, and a CEO changing. This is about Alethes changing. This is about every person, every position, the entire org chart. Chas and JohnG can talk till they are blue in their face about Together Everyone can Achieve More (T.E.A.M.) but until You decide to change You, good teamwork will never happen. We aren’t born with the ability to be good team players. We WORK and LEARN to be good team players.

Change is about reaching down inside of yourself and becoming something you have not been before. I know there is a better you. My bible tells me there is and that is the premise that drives me everyday. You are important. Your job is important. The person you stand behind at the copier is important. The person on the other end of the email is important. Look around the office…right now…every person you see is important. Every person that sets in every chair and walks those isles is important. Their jobs are important. Look at them. They are important. The job they do is important.

How important is their job? Your job depends upon how important they accept the importance of their job.

Is your job important enough to influence others well? As I evaluate forward, can I depend upon you to change so that we can achieve better results than we’ve had in the past?

My focus today is about change and I pray that you take this very personal. I’m writing to you personally asking you to change.


Sincerely yours,


Danny