Principles for Operation

Fundamental principles used to operate the company. Adaptable for other businesses or professions.

Centratel’s 30 Principles
Sam Carpenter
Updated October 18, 2007

1. Company decisions must conform to the Strategic Objective, 30 Principles, and Working Procedures Documents.

2. We are the highest-quality answering service in the United States. The quality of service to our clients is literally unmatched anywhere.

3. “Get the job done.” Can the employee do his or her job or is there always a complication of one kind or another? This ability to “get the job done quickly and accurately without excuses or complications” is the most valuable trait an employee can possess.

4. Employees come first. We employ people who have an innate desire to perform at 110 percent. We reward them accordingly. The natural outcome of this is that we serve our clients well.

5. We don’t manage problems; we work on system improvements and system maintenance in order to prevent problems from happening in the first place.

6. Problems are gifts that inspire us to action. A problem inspires the act of creating or improving a system or procedure. We don’t want setbacks, but when they occur, we think, “Thank you for this wake-up call,” and take action to prevent them from happening again.

7. We focus on just a few manageable services. Although we constantly watch for new opportunities, in the end we provide “just a few services implemented extremely well,” rather than a complex array of average quality offerings.

8. We find simplest solutions. Ockham’s razor, also called the Law of Economy, states, “Entities are not to be multiplied beyond necessity … the simplest solution is invariably the correct solution.”

9. The money we save or waste is not Monopoly money. Consciously or unconsciously, we are careful not to devalue the worth of a dollar just because it has to do with the business.

10. We operate the company via documented procedures and systems. “Any recurring problem can be solved with a system.” We write everything down. We must take the time to create and implement the systems and procedures, but in the end, it is well worth it. Our staff must know exactly what management expects and if there is a problem that happens repeatedly, a system or procedure has been/needs to be created to stop that problem from recurring. On the other hand, we don’t bog down the organization with systems and procedures that target once-in-awhile problems. We sometimes elect to not create a procedure — or to discard an existing procedure altogether.

11. “Just don’t do it.” Eliminate the unnecessary. Think simplicity. Automate. Refine to the smallest amount of steps or discard altogether. Would a simple “no” save time, energy, and/or money? Outright elimination of a system, protocol, or potential project is often a good thing.

12. Our systems, procedures, and functions are “off the street.” This means that anyone with normal intelligence can perform the documented procedures unassisted. The real-world evidence of this is we can hire an individual “off the street” who has good typing skills, and have him or her processing calls within three days. Before we implemented our systemized training protocol, it would take six weeks to train a TSR. For this result, systems have to be efficient, simple, and thoroughly documented.

13. All actions are built on “point-of-sale” theory. Just like any major retail outlet, we update inventory and databases at the exact time the transaction takes place. We base everything we do on this theory of automation and real-time task completion. No paperwork is floating around the office after a physical transaction. We ask, “How can we perform the task now without creating lingering details that we must clean up later?”

14. We glean the Centratel mind-set from Steven Covey’s books including The 7 Habits of Highly Successful People, First Things First, and The Eighth Habit. As well, we consider From Good to Great by Jim Collins, The E-Myth Revisited by Michael Gerber, and Release the Giant Within by Tony Robbins.

15. We pattern personal organization upon the Franklin -Covey theory. We use personal organizing systems that are always at hand. We prioritize, schedule, and document. The system is always up-to-date and we use it continually. (For Centratel, this system is Microsoft Outlook, which for some staff members is enhanced with a synchronized PDA.)

16. Sequence is critical. We work on the most important tasks first. We spend maximum time on “non-urgent/important” tasks via Steven Covey’s time-matrix philosophy.

17. We double-check everything before its release. If a penchant for double-checking is not an innate personal habit, then it must be cultivated. Double-checking is a conscious step in every task, performed either by the individual performing the task or someone else.

18. Our environment is spotlessly clean and orderly, simple, efficient, functional. No “rat’s nests,” literally or figuratively.

19. Employee training is structured, scheduled, and thorough. Assertive client contact is also structured, scheduled, and thorough.

20. We are deadline-obsessed. If someone in the organization says they will be finished with a task or project by a certain date and time, then they commit to finishing by that deadline, or at least advise their manager well in advance that the deadline is impossible.

21. We diligently maintain equipment and keep it 100 percent functional at all times. If something is not working correctly, fix it now — fix it now even if it’s not necessary to fix it now. It’s a matter of good housekeeping and more importantly, of maintaining good habits. This is just the way we do things.

22. Mastery of the English language is critical. We are constantly aware of how we sound and what we write. We do whatever we can do to improve. We are patient as a co-worker corrects us.

23. We study to increase our skills. A steady diet of reading and contemplation is an important part of personal and job self-development. It is a matter of self-discipline.

24. As opposed to “doing the work,” the department manager’s job is to create, monitor, and document systems (which consist of people, equipment, procedures, and maintenance schedules).

25. The General Manager oversees department heads and systems. It is the GM’s job to direct, coordinate, and monitor the entire operation.

26. When communicating with someone else, we are 100 percent present. We give full attention to the person in front of us. We focus on listening and understanding. We avoid multi-tasking activities. It is ineffective for the individual and the organization, and one will lose friends. Read the classic Treating Type A Behavior and Your Heart by Meyer Friedman. “Mindfulness” is paying 100 percent attention to one thing at a time: Read Full Catastrophe Living by Jon Kabat-Zinn.

27. When in the office, we work hard on Centratel business. We keep our heads down; we focus, and in turn, the company pays very well. That’s “the deal.” The workweek is a maximum of 40-45 hours.

28. “Complete” means complete. “Almost” or “tomorrow” is not “complete.” This is particularly germane to administration staff’s use of Outlook task functions and to TSR message delivery.

29. We draw solid lines, always avoiding gray areas. This gives everyone involved a good idea of where any one issue or process stands. Documented procedures are the main defense against gray area problems.

30. This can’t be legislated, but we strive for a social climate that is serious and quiet yet pleasant, serene, light, and friendly.