Business Advice Daily

Reprint and Repost Policy

by Robin R. Mueller
Play by the rules? How about work with good rules?
Rick Favaloro, in his trial law practice, life experiences, and intense study of linguistics, mathematics and art came to the conclusion that good rules achieve goals—all the time.
“Syntax rules language, the scale and notes make music, mathematical equations arrive at consistent answers, DNA and RNA direct biology and good rules help people to reach goals,” he says passionately. “Everything in life is directed and works by rules.”
Favaloro founded Rules-at-Work in 2004 to help companies enact (create), instruct (learn), ignite (motivate to want to achieve) and achieve (follow) good rules that align with their mission statements. “The culture on the front lines should be consistent with the one in the front office,” he adds.
Businesses fail, employees falter and disputes erupt when there are no rules or poor rules. “A rule is always an instruction, a step toward a goal,” says Favaloro. “When you use good rules, you meet your goals. In fact, the more rules we have, the easier it is for us to do our job. The details are very important.”
Favaloro explains that bad rules—stated or unstated—are vague, inconsistent (meaning that one or more are wrong), don’t progress toward the goal, and/or are written in the passive voice, not listing responsible parties.
Effective rules that work toward business goals—HR practices, sales quotas, factory output, etc.—work best when written and agreed upon by employees who will be following them, he adds.
“Everybody talks about buy-in, but the ultimate buy-in is inspiring employees to write rules that meet company goals and bring job satisfaction,” he says. “Rules also should be flexible and revised, as needed, based on new goals.”
“The best scenario is when a person starting a business calls me in from the beginning to help him or her write a vision and mission statement and align all the rules toward the goals,” he says. “If you’re already running a business and not meeting goals, it’s because you don’t have rules, or you don’t have clear, good rules that define and direct your work.”
For instance, when there were work tensions at the Pelvic Pod at Barnes-Jewish Hospital (a team of nurses, doctors and techs who work in the Urology, Colon-Rectal and OB-GYN departments), Favaloro facilitated and inspired brainstorming, team-building and consensus-building.
Favaloro, in a motivational and fun presentation, demonstrated the value of rules by engaging everyone in a game of “Simon Says,” and using his harmonica to first create noise and then a song, showing the power of rules of musical theory.
Using random numbers or cards, cliques were separated into new groups, and teams were encouraged to write rules to improve the workplace. Favaloro helps them discover that “rules are interactive, beautiful, powerful, inspiring, motivating and fun!”
The Pod’s goals became apparent in its new mission statement, which was based on the Golden Rule—“Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.” The mission became “follow the Golden Rule to: cohesive teamwork, cooperation, cost-effectiveness, doctor satisfaction, patient satisfaction and staff satisfaction.”
During a four-month process, six task forces created rules to reach each goal. For instance, when one person on the Staff Satisfaction Task Force suggested “Make more money,” the rule became “Do your job with the excellence that will justify earning more money.”
Favaloro edited and rewrote the rules so they “would interrelate and be consistent, professional and well-organized, and integrate with the vision, mission and values of Barnes-Jewish Hospital.” All the Pelvic Pod employees agreed to them and enthusiastically put them into practice.
The Pelvic Pod also created a slogan, “Happy are the peas in the pod,” and a mascot called the Podster, wrote a legend, “an inspirational folk tale based on the true story of their rebirth.”
In its second edition, The Pelvic Pod Rule Book features a four-page dedication to the people who served on task forces and outlines six virtues—encouragement, greetings, humor, listening, manners and organization.
Each week the Pod appoints one CEO for each virtue. For instance, the virtue CEO for humor follows rule 5 under that job description, “Each day, make three people laugh out loud.”
The environment changed so dramatically that, in 2005, the Pod had zero sentinel events (problems in the operating room requiring response) and a waiting list of potential employees. In 2006, the hospital recognized those achievements with a Management Award.
Beyond his roles as a company rulebook writer, executive coach and charismatic corporate speaker, Favaloro also resolves disputes, between individuals or between companies.
In his nine years as a civil trial lawyer, and three years teaching the law, Favaloro was “a visionary idealist, who wanted to make the world better, one case at a time.”
He believed that the legal system (rules) commands our justice system (officials) to “do the right thing.” But they function within a litigation system that “presents truths and falsehoods.”
Based on that experience, he encourages companies to avoid litigation and trust employees to explain their views and reach consensus. “In the end, a dispute has the same root: a broken rule,” he states. “The rule may actually be broken, or is perceived to be broken, or someone may simply assert that it’s broken.”
Favaloro uses his investigative experience, cross-examination techniques and listening skills to counsel two parties individually, referee, mediate, arbitrate and finally agree on rules, which not only resolves their conflict, but prevents future disputes.
Prevention also motivates Favaloro’s peace consulting, a proprietary process to help companies “culturally immunize themselves from conflict.”
He likens the litigation process to someone who’s had a heart attack—they’ve not followed the rules for good health and it’s too late. He compares dissension and dispute resolution to a company with clogged arteries—bad habits are in place, but healthy rules can alleviate the damage.
Peace consulting is for the “heart-healthy” company or one that has successfully resolved a dispute—one practicing good habits. Favaloro diagnoses “weak points or potential problems” that could occur with increased growth, additional staff, internal change or external economic realities.
He proactively writes rules to help instill “a positive, streamlined and inspiring mindset that lives by the rule, ‘bring peace, keep peace, make peace.’ ”
Favaloro markets Rules-at-Work through his website, a brochure and networking. He’s joined Toastmasters, the Webster Groves Rotary Club, various chambers of commerce and the International Society for Performance Improvement. His Chamber of Commerce Rule Book, one double-sided folded page, concisely shows all the credibility and format of a rule book.
Favaloro smiles, summing up his business and philosophy with an arithmetic equation: “Your goal, minus where you are now, equals the rules you need to get to the goal.”
Robin R. Mueller, president of Write Direction, writes newsletters, brochures, direct mail letters, proposals and more for diverse corporate clients.

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