Wednesday’s posting has created some good comments. If you haven’t been back to that discussion, please do so and give us your input.
I’ve written and had comments the past couple of weeks about communication, listening, disclosures, values, trust, audits, software, hiring, underwriting, processing, loan officers, do’s and don’ts. There have also been a few concerns about my management, or leadership, abilities; thank you – I welcome the comments and know I have blind spots that need to be pointed out.
Today, and over the weekend, I’d like to hear from you on what you believe to be the “Basics of Best Practices.”
Have a great weekend,
Danny
Friday, June 6, 2008
Wednesday, June 4, 2008
Best Practices – Definition and an Example
I apologize for the delay in getting back to these discussions. I’ve had some questions poised in reference to Best Practices and its definition, and why I’ve been talking about “soft” subjects such as communication, listening, mission statements, values, core ideology. There have been some good emails and even a couple of phone calls about this subject and I appreciate the conversations; email and phone. Any phone calls and emails will be kept confidential if at all possible, but if the subject matter is not private, please respond via the blog comments below.
Wikipedia, the free online encyclopedia defines Best Practice as: “Best Practice asserts that there is a technique, method, process, activity, incentive or reward that is more effective at delivering a particular outcome than any other technique, method, process, etc. The idea is that with proper processes, checks, and testing, a desired outcome can be delivered with fewer problems and unforeseen complications. Best practices can also be defined as the most efficient (least amount of effort) and effective (best results) way of accomplishing a task, based on repeatable procedures that have proven themselves over time for large numbers of people.”
Over the past few months we’ve been looking within Alethes, but also outside the company for what are Best Practices; culturally, but specifically to departments, areas, branch operations, companies, individuals, and leadership/management styles. We are looking for those practices that meet the standards of integrity, intent, capabilities, and results that can sustain a company through good and bad times. In particular to culture, we’ve been considering those companies that have survived 10, 20, and 50 years to determine their commonalities.
As we continue with this analysis, we’ll discuss three distinct processes: people, strategies, and systems. Through these processes, it will help to remember that we never get far from the foundation of our mission and values (core ideology).
A specific reference material for these three processes is “Execution,” by Larry Bossidy & Ram Charan. Another helpful reference on how to properly establish, implement, and continue to carry out the three processes is ”The Speed of Trust,” by Stephen M. R. Covey.
While Alethes has performed well over the past 9+ years, many parts of the industry have changed and this is a great time to take a look at how we are conducting our business and in what areas we can achieve better results.
So there is no misunderstanding, establishing Best Practices is a constant process, though we also know there are many Basic Business Practices that are consistent through our industry. We’ll be discussing those in particular in the coming days and weeks through this blog, round table discussions, conference calls and general Best Practice postings on our web site.
Best Practices will be recognized and written for every aspect of our business; hiring, loan origination, processing, underwriting, closing, funding, post-funding, general administrative at the branch and corporate levels, human resources, benefits, and leadership/management.
So, moving on from theory, what how does Best Practices come into play in our daily lives? Here is an example of a conversation I had yesterday;
Chas – “I need some help in where this LO fits best with a processor? He has 5+ years of mortgage experience, but no FHA experience. She is in North Houston.”
Danny – “What is her compensation split arrangement on FHA loans and who is her manager?”
Chas – “Well, that’s the problem. Best Practices have not been followed very well because He is on a 100% split. He claimed experience and his references checked out he had FHA experience, but it turns out his previous processor did all the work, and he can’t even do an FHA GFE very well (which means he can’t qualify the borrower properly.)”
Obviously, Best Practices have not proven out in this situation and now we have a problem. What do you think is the appropriate “Best Practice” at this point?
Please reply via comments below,
Danny
Wikipedia, the free online encyclopedia defines Best Practice as: “Best Practice asserts that there is a technique, method, process, activity, incentive or reward that is more effective at delivering a particular outcome than any other technique, method, process, etc. The idea is that with proper processes, checks, and testing, a desired outcome can be delivered with fewer problems and unforeseen complications. Best practices can also be defined as the most efficient (least amount of effort) and effective (best results) way of accomplishing a task, based on repeatable procedures that have proven themselves over time for large numbers of people.”
Over the past few months we’ve been looking within Alethes, but also outside the company for what are Best Practices; culturally, but specifically to departments, areas, branch operations, companies, individuals, and leadership/management styles. We are looking for those practices that meet the standards of integrity, intent, capabilities, and results that can sustain a company through good and bad times. In particular to culture, we’ve been considering those companies that have survived 10, 20, and 50 years to determine their commonalities.
As we continue with this analysis, we’ll discuss three distinct processes: people, strategies, and systems. Through these processes, it will help to remember that we never get far from the foundation of our mission and values (core ideology).
A specific reference material for these three processes is “Execution,” by Larry Bossidy & Ram Charan. Another helpful reference on how to properly establish, implement, and continue to carry out the three processes is ”The Speed of Trust,” by Stephen M. R. Covey.
While Alethes has performed well over the past 9+ years, many parts of the industry have changed and this is a great time to take a look at how we are conducting our business and in what areas we can achieve better results.
So there is no misunderstanding, establishing Best Practices is a constant process, though we also know there are many Basic Business Practices that are consistent through our industry. We’ll be discussing those in particular in the coming days and weeks through this blog, round table discussions, conference calls and general Best Practice postings on our web site.
Best Practices will be recognized and written for every aspect of our business; hiring, loan origination, processing, underwriting, closing, funding, post-funding, general administrative at the branch and corporate levels, human resources, benefits, and leadership/management.
So, moving on from theory, what how does Best Practices come into play in our daily lives? Here is an example of a conversation I had yesterday;
Chas – “I need some help in where this LO fits best with a processor? He has 5+ years of mortgage experience, but no FHA experience. She is in North Houston.”
Danny – “What is her compensation split arrangement on FHA loans and who is her manager?”
Chas – “Well, that’s the problem. Best Practices have not been followed very well because He is on a 100% split. He claimed experience and his references checked out he had FHA experience, but it turns out his previous processor did all the work, and he can’t even do an FHA GFE very well (which means he can’t qualify the borrower properly.)”
Obviously, Best Practices have not proven out in this situation and now we have a problem. What do you think is the appropriate “Best Practice” at this point?
Please reply via comments below,
Danny
Thursday, May 29, 2008
Best Practices – Communication
I promised yesterday that we would continue with “communicating with the loan applicant,” yet, I’ll take a different approach than you might have imagined. We’ll come back to the returning phone calls, being up-front and honest, and returning phone calls, straight-talk; demonstrate respect, returning phones, etc.
Today, I want to emphasize Best Practices, Communication, and Initial Disclosures. While this will come up again in the near future, today let’s briefly consider how these disclosures are part of the Communication Process with the potential borrower.
So that you don’t think I’m taking too many liberties by bringing this topic into play here, we invariably find disclosure problems along with customer complaints about “what they were told, not told, or thought they were told.”
If you are a loan officer or processor you should know how to communicate effectively with the borrower. You must know which disclosures are to be sent and within what time frames.
To communicate effectively, you must know what constitutes “3” days (if a disclosure has to be sent within 3 days).
To communicate effectively, you must know if the disclosure are to be signed?
To communicate effectively, you must know the definition of “sent.”
At some point in time, your effective communication will be tested by a compliance auditor; Alethes personnel or state or federal. Do you know how they test to insure you communicated correctly?
Communicating all aspects of the transaction effectively is at the foundation of a good mortgage loan. Proper disclosures are paramount to a good mortgage loan.
References materials include:
www.alethes.biz : go to documents and see compliance folder
Various industry materials available at www.mbaa.org and www.namb.org
At the risk of being blunt, I’m not sure why any hard working and honest loan officer would NOT properly give out disclosures. The disclosures reinforce a great deal of what you’ve said to the applicant. These documents should be used to “clarify” your conversations and if there is a misunderstanding that needs to be cleared up, it can get cleared up now before you get too far into the deal and spend valuable time and effort.
Set yourselves up to win.
Communicate well,
Danny
I promised yesterday that we would continue with “communicating with the loan applicant,” yet, I’ll take a different approach than you might have imagined. We’ll come back to the returning phone calls, being up-front and honest, and returning phone calls, straight-talk; demonstrate respect, returning phones, etc.
Today, I want to emphasize Best Practices, Communication, and Initial Disclosures. While this will come up again in the near future, today let’s briefly consider how these disclosures are part of the Communication Process with the potential borrower.
So that you don’t think I’m taking too many liberties by bringing this topic into play here, we invariably find disclosure problems along with customer complaints about “what they were told, not told, or thought they were told.”
If you are a loan officer or processor you should know how to communicate effectively with the borrower. You must know which disclosures are to be sent and within what time frames.
To communicate effectively, you must know what constitutes “3” days (if a disclosure has to be sent within 3 days).
To communicate effectively, you must know if the disclosure are to be signed?
To communicate effectively, you must know the definition of “sent.”
At some point in time, your effective communication will be tested by a compliance auditor; Alethes personnel or state or federal. Do you know how they test to insure you communicated correctly?
Communicating all aspects of the transaction effectively is at the foundation of a good mortgage loan. Proper disclosures are paramount to a good mortgage loan.
References materials include:
www.alethes.biz : go to documents and see compliance folder
Various industry materials available at www.mbaa.org and www.namb.org
At the risk of being blunt, I’m not sure why any hard working and honest loan officer would NOT properly give out disclosures. The disclosures reinforce a great deal of what you’ve said to the applicant. These documents should be used to “clarify” your conversations and if there is a misunderstanding that needs to be cleared up, it can get cleared up now before you get too far into the deal and spend valuable time and effort.
Set yourselves up to win.
Communicate well,
Danny
Wednesday, May 28, 2008
Best Business Practices – Listening
Listening well is one of my many struggles. Studying this behavior the past few months has helped (I pray!). Stephen M. R. Covey describes it as: not only to really listen, but to do Listen First – to include understanding, respect, and mutual benefit.
Mr. Covey depicts Listen First as the 13th Behavior of “Leading at the Speed of Trust” and further explains its opposites and counterfeits.
Opposite:
• speak first - listening last
• not listening at all
• focusing on getting your own agenda
• not considering whether others may have information that could influence you
• ignoring other’s needs to be understood
• self-focused, ego-driven behavior
Counterfeit:
• pretend listening
• spending listening time thinking about reply
• waiting for turn to speak
• listening but not understanding the other person’s point-of-view
Listening well builds trust and is vital to good sound teamwork. Experts like Covey and Maxwell insists that listening is essential to building trust while Lencioni insists that building trust is paramount to well functioning teamwork.
Reference materials include;
• The 17 Essential Qualities of a Team Player, by John Maxwell
• The Five Dysfunctions of a Team, by Patrick Lencioni
• The Speed of Trust, by Stephen M. R. Covey
• Bible: 1 Samuel 3:1-3, 1 Samuel 26: 1-25, Job 2:11-13, Habakkuk 1:1-11, Luke 2:42-52, James 1:19
Are you listening to the message you are putting forth? Are you putting forth the clear message you want others to hear? What about silence? When another person is listening and only silence is the response - that too is heard.
Seek clarity in listening well (me too),
Danny
PS: tomorrow – Communication with the loan applicant
Listening well is one of my many struggles. Studying this behavior the past few months has helped (I pray!). Stephen M. R. Covey describes it as: not only to really listen, but to do Listen First – to include understanding, respect, and mutual benefit.
Mr. Covey depicts Listen First as the 13th Behavior of “Leading at the Speed of Trust” and further explains its opposites and counterfeits.
Opposite:
• speak first - listening last
• not listening at all
• focusing on getting your own agenda
• not considering whether others may have information that could influence you
• ignoring other’s needs to be understood
• self-focused, ego-driven behavior
Counterfeit:
• pretend listening
• spending listening time thinking about reply
• waiting for turn to speak
• listening but not understanding the other person’s point-of-view
Listening well builds trust and is vital to good sound teamwork. Experts like Covey and Maxwell insists that listening is essential to building trust while Lencioni insists that building trust is paramount to well functioning teamwork.
Reference materials include;
• The 17 Essential Qualities of a Team Player, by John Maxwell
• The Five Dysfunctions of a Team, by Patrick Lencioni
• The Speed of Trust, by Stephen M. R. Covey
• Bible: 1 Samuel 3:1-3, 1 Samuel 26: 1-25, Job 2:11-13, Habakkuk 1:1-11, Luke 2:42-52, James 1:19
Are you listening to the message you are putting forth? Are you putting forth the clear message you want others to hear? What about silence? When another person is listening and only silence is the response - that too is heard.
Seek clarity in listening well (me too),
Danny
PS: tomorrow – Communication with the loan applicant
Tuesday, May 27, 2008
Best Business Practices – Communication
I’d like us to consider all the ways we communicate everyday; verbal, written, facial, body language, etc, and what communication, or lack of, says about us as an individual and company.
Here are some questions to ask yourself:
Am I purposeful in my communication? Do I project the tone of what I want people to think of me? Do I project the proper influence in my communication method?
Am I respectful in my communication? Do I offer win/win results?
Is my communication objective in nature? Am I open to listening in my communication?
Am I vulnerable and transparent? Am I instructive and insightful?
Is my communication dependable and reliable and trusted?
Am I engaging and empowering? What can I do to engage better; am I not just hearing but listening?
Does my communication coincide with my actions? What does my communication methods say about who I am?
Does my communication show character and competence? Is my message clear? What can I do to make my message more clear?
Without doubt, our communication and actions should go hand-in-hand. The number one complaint I’ve received in my entire mortgage career has been about communication; or lack of. From Realtors to borrowers to underwriters to processors to closers to……! I’m sure you’ve received the same complaint – “why won’t he/she return my phone call!”
Most of our communication is impulsive, but there are times when our communication is more mandated in nature. Such as disclosures; being in a regulated industry we are required by law to give out certain disclosures. Other mandates are deemed “normal business practices;” rate sheets, uw action sheets, web sites.
There are great books available on this subject. A recent book I’ve found interesting is “Lincoln’s T-Mail.” President Lincoln’s use of the telegraph during the Civil War and how he used it to “help” in his communication was revolutionary and a good example of basic, yet precise, means to achieve good communication. Mr. Lincoln wasn’t trying to use the latest fads, nor did he use it because it was innovative and new. He used the telegraph to help his communication.
I’m suggesting that we all consider the multiple ways we can communicate; phone, face-to-face, mail, groups, individually, email, etc, and how we are influencing each other in our methods. We each have our preferred methods, yet our preferred method is not always the best practice to achieve the desired results.
Look forward to hearing from you,
Danny
I’d like us to consider all the ways we communicate everyday; verbal, written, facial, body language, etc, and what communication, or lack of, says about us as an individual and company.
Here are some questions to ask yourself:
Am I purposeful in my communication? Do I project the tone of what I want people to think of me? Do I project the proper influence in my communication method?
Am I respectful in my communication? Do I offer win/win results?
Is my communication objective in nature? Am I open to listening in my communication?
Am I vulnerable and transparent? Am I instructive and insightful?
Is my communication dependable and reliable and trusted?
Am I engaging and empowering? What can I do to engage better; am I not just hearing but listening?
Does my communication coincide with my actions? What does my communication methods say about who I am?
Does my communication show character and competence? Is my message clear? What can I do to make my message more clear?
Without doubt, our communication and actions should go hand-in-hand. The number one complaint I’ve received in my entire mortgage career has been about communication; or lack of. From Realtors to borrowers to underwriters to processors to closers to……! I’m sure you’ve received the same complaint – “why won’t he/she return my phone call!”
Most of our communication is impulsive, but there are times when our communication is more mandated in nature. Such as disclosures; being in a regulated industry we are required by law to give out certain disclosures. Other mandates are deemed “normal business practices;” rate sheets, uw action sheets, web sites.
There are great books available on this subject. A recent book I’ve found interesting is “Lincoln’s T-Mail.” President Lincoln’s use of the telegraph during the Civil War and how he used it to “help” in his communication was revolutionary and a good example of basic, yet precise, means to achieve good communication. Mr. Lincoln wasn’t trying to use the latest fads, nor did he use it because it was innovative and new. He used the telegraph to help his communication.
I’m suggesting that we all consider the multiple ways we can communicate; phone, face-to-face, mail, groups, individually, email, etc, and how we are influencing each other in our methods. We each have our preferred methods, yet our preferred method is not always the best practice to achieve the desired results.
Look forward to hearing from you,
Danny
Friday, May 23, 2008
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
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
Tuesday, May 20, 2008
Today begins a series of discussions titled “Best Practices.” We’ll be exploring in detail what that means in the coming weeks and how these practices are incorporated into our daily work.
I believe we’ll find that as we focus on these practices, we’ll become clearer about how we conduct our business for the “long-haul.”
Though I can not put my hands on the source of this data, I’ll go ahead and give the quote; “Less than 2% of companies make it to their 10 year anniversary and those that do are supported by a strong corporate culture guided by first be its values.”
Alethes’ corporate values of Trustworthy, Respectfulness, Uncompromising, Teamwork, and Healthy form the acrostic Truth. Hopefully, since you are all employees, you are all aware that Alethes is the Greek word for Truth and have read and agree with our Core Values Statement. When we were forming the corporation in 2001 and choosing the name, there was a serious “uh-oh” when I realized how convicted I was about this name. I was convicted to the point that I knew if I was serious about being grounded in values that I had to go with such a name.
Mortgage fraud is the #1 white-collar crime in America. It is my determination that we uphold the truth in all of our endeavors, small and large, and we can stay above this stigma.
There are many resources for how values play out, but the bottom-line is we should follow values because they are right, not because they make us money. David Moore, in his book “The Last Men’s Book You’ll Ever Need,” talks about this issue. I invite you to pick up a copy and read the two chapters about work; great lessons titled “Loose Your Job Everyday,” and “Be More Impractical.”
Best practices start with values. Obviously I can not know all of your personal values, yet hopefully, you have all paid attention to Alethes’ corporate values and know how important it is to keep those values in mind as you practice your work.
Let’s be the best in the business together,
Danny
I believe we’ll find that as we focus on these practices, we’ll become clearer about how we conduct our business for the “long-haul.”
Though I can not put my hands on the source of this data, I’ll go ahead and give the quote; “Less than 2% of companies make it to their 10 year anniversary and those that do are supported by a strong corporate culture guided by first be its values.”
Alethes’ corporate values of Trustworthy, Respectfulness, Uncompromising, Teamwork, and Healthy form the acrostic Truth. Hopefully, since you are all employees, you are all aware that Alethes is the Greek word for Truth and have read and agree with our Core Values Statement. When we were forming the corporation in 2001 and choosing the name, there was a serious “uh-oh” when I realized how convicted I was about this name. I was convicted to the point that I knew if I was serious about being grounded in values that I had to go with such a name.
Mortgage fraud is the #1 white-collar crime in America. It is my determination that we uphold the truth in all of our endeavors, small and large, and we can stay above this stigma.
There are many resources for how values play out, but the bottom-line is we should follow values because they are right, not because they make us money. David Moore, in his book “The Last Men’s Book You’ll Ever Need,” talks about this issue. I invite you to pick up a copy and read the two chapters about work; great lessons titled “Loose Your Job Everyday,” and “Be More Impractical.”
Best practices start with values. Obviously I can not know all of your personal values, yet hopefully, you have all paid attention to Alethes’ corporate values and know how important it is to keep those values in mind as you practice your work.
Let’s be the best in the business together,
Danny
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