While my pondering (reflecting) normally runs to words starting with p’s, e’s and c’s, I’ve actually gotten hung-up this morning on b’s; best business, basics, backbone, boldness, blunt…hmmm.

Before I get going, I’d like to further express a previous comment I made ….. about writing this blog; “I want us to get to know each other.” If we don’t know each other; we’ll never get to know each other’s values; we’ll never develop a culture that survives, much less flourishes. And as John Glenn mentioned yesterday, “remember, this is our last rodeo.”

Back to Best Business Practices and the “B’s”….

Backbone: it takes backbone to practice Best business. Sticking to your Core Ideology (mission and values) because they are the right things to do, even when they don’t make money, takes Backbone. Making tough decisions takes Backbone; confronting others well, takes Backbone. Alethes’ upper management is going through a process where we are “evaluating forward” our abilities to do our jobs; evaluating forward takes Backbone.

Boldness: this is one I’ve done very poorly over the years. I’ve been bold with some, yet timid with others. Being consistent takes Boldness. Boldness, or lack of, is harmful when we let our temperaments miss-guide us; not confronting some while easily confronting others is not good practice. We need to do Bold well.

Being Blunt: this is another trait that can be used for good or bad. Personally, I’d rather someone just be blunt with me so we can get on into good conflict (a function of good Teamwork). Otherwise we tend to not want to hurt each other’s feelings and never get to the real guts of a problem. Many times I know I have to soften my bluntness and work through a series of questions (respond – don’t react, assume the best, go to the person, seek clarity). I also know that my Bluntness can cause others to not engage well with me and that is a problem if two people are going to Trust; I’d suggest reading the chapter on Smart Trust in the book Speed of Trust. Doing Blunt well can be the difference between being nice vs kind; “nice” is not telling someone about a piece of food stuck in their front teeth while being “kind” is telling them (I resisted much more graphic analogies). Bluntness can be rude and that is not what I’m talking about; good Bluntness is not being a bully. Bluntness can and should be kind. Do Bluntness well.

Basics: this is what I’d originally intended to focus on today; the basics I learned about the mortgage business. When I was hired by Lomas & Nettleton in 1984, my first week was spent reading agency manuals; FHA, VA, Fannie, Freddie (It took me 3 days to figure out the acronym things). They then had me filling out loan applications after loan applications after loan applications after loan applications.

From there it was good faith estimates; hundreds of them (or so it seemed). The most important thing they pushed was “fully disclose EVERYTHING to the applicant.” They didn’t say be honest, that leads to differences of opinions about honesty. L&N taught me to disclose everything; that’s Boldness and Being Blunt – it takes Backbone. Oh, and filling out the GFE (and TIL), was by HAND. I learned real quick how to work an HP 12C calculator.

Finally, the training I was sent into the field with was about disclosures; RESPA, TIL, ECOA, and FCRA. I believe HMDA came along later. L&N drilled me with disclosing these documents properly to the borrowers. My first loan application took 3 ½ hours because I was so intent upon getting the GFE and TIL correct (remember, no computers). And my processor tore me up because I’d made a mistake and she had to re-disclose; that’s accountability.

In summary, the mortgage business starts with the loan officer. I’m still a loan officer at heart and my Best Business practices starts with having Backbone and Being Blunt about the Basics of Becoming and Being a good loan officer; from there our Business grows outward well.

Best Business Practices at Alethes continues as we extend Smart Trust in building our culture.


I look forward to getting to know you,


Danny