California LiveScan – A Great System, Almost

California LiveScan is the state run system administered by
the California Department of Justice for criminal
background checks and is available only on workers whose
work includes working with children, the elderly and
disabled. These include law enforcement agencies, public
and private schools, non-profit organizations and in-home
supportive care agencies. There is no other statewide
criminal check available for employers. All school
teachers, public and private, recreational workers and
nursing home workers must be LiveScaned.

Church pastors and nursery workers are also eligible to use
the program. Most churches use LiveScan if they already use
it for their affiliated church school. Organizations who
use this program send their applicants who have been
conditionally hired pending the background check, to a
LiveScan vendor who fingerprints the applicant (the
applicant puts their fingerprints on a scanner which
electronically scans the fingerprint, hence the name)
submits the applicant’s data online to the state
where a statewide criminal check is performed and, if
chosen by the organization ordering the report, a
nationwide NCIC (FBI files) check is performed. The
resulting information is then sent to the participating
organization.

This system is one of the best in the in the country, but
the purpose of this article is to point out that it does
have what I consider to be major flaws that very few people
know about. I think that it is very important, especially
for parents, to know the system’s limitations in
hopes that someday the state will tighten the loopholes and
more children will be protected.

The LiveScan system places strict limitations on what
information is available and how that information is
distributed. The criminal history report is sent to the
organization’s Records Custodian, which may or may
not be the person making the hiring decision and in larger
organizations it us usually not the same person. The
Records custodian is only allowed to tell the person making
the hiring decision that the person has passed or failed
the LiveScan. They don’t even get to know why that
person has failed the background check.

SURPRISING FACT # 1. CALIFORNIA LIVE SCAN DOES NOT REPORT
ALL CRIMINAL HISTORY The state of California has mandated
that only records related to the following categories are
revealed by LiveScan: 1. Crimes relating to child abuse or
elder abuse 2. Sex Offenders 3. Convictions or
incarcerations in the last 10 years as a result of
committing: theft, robbery burglary or any felony.

Now, on its face the list above looks pretty good, but
let’s go over some of the crimes that it
doesn’t cover and as we go through the list try to
think of your child’s nanny or her Sunday school
teacher engaged in these crimes. Here’s a partial
list: Assault, Accessory to a crime, Aiding and abetting,
Bad check writing, Carrying a gun without a license,
Contempt, Domestic Violence, False impersonation, Medicare
fraud, Stalking, Drug possession, Indecent exposure,
Misdemeanor Prostitution, Lewd conduct, Disorderly conduct,
Disturbing the peace, Vandalism, Trespassing, Malicious
mischief, Public drunkenness and the list goes on. I
don’t know about you, but before I would hire someone
to work with children I think I would want to know if they
are a pot-smoking, bar-fighting drunk-in-public type
person. Most people would agree.

SURPRISING FACT # 2. LIVESCAN DOESN’T CHECK FOR ANY
CIVIL RECORDS. OK maybe now you are thinking that this
California LiveScan doesn’t cover as much as you
thought and you would be correct. It also doesn’t
cover any civil court rulings against a person such as
Restraining orders, Non-molestation orders, Order for
Protection and Injunctions (for things such as stalking).
You don’t think that is important? The Family
Violence Prevention Fund estimates that up to three million
women are the victims of domestic violence each year and
restraining orders are one important way that they can
protect themselves.

SURPRISING FACT # 3 LIVESCAN DOES NOT CHECK THE CALIFORNIA
SEX OFFENDER REGISTRY (also known as the Megan’s Law
registry). THE PRECEEDING SENTENCE IS NOT A MISPRINT;
IT’S TRUE! You can verify this by calling the
California Department of Justice and asking them. Their
number is 916 227-4974. By now you are probably asking
yourself, “How in the world can this be true? A state
system designed to protect children doesn’t even
check for drug offenders, wife beaters and sex offenders?
That is unconscionable!” Even as I write this I find
it hard to believe myself. It doesn’t even check the
Megan’s Law list for sex offenders who have moved to
California from another state who are required to register.

BUT WAIT; THERE’S MORE. There are even two more area
that LiveScan does not check or report. When it searches
criminal records, it only searches records where a person
was fingerprinted. For a minor, non-violent crime people
are sometimes issued a notice to appear, just like a
traffic ticket. People who are arrested in that way are not
fingerprinted. I understand that when big cities do things
like prostitution sweeps that they sometimes use that
method for both the prostitutes and their
“clients”. Also, if an arrest is found on
someone’s criminal history and there is no
corresponding disposition such as a trial verdict, plea
agreement or sentencing information, they withhold the
information from you. The following quote is off their
website: “Unless otherwise authorized by law, where
only an arrest record exists but the Department is unable
to obtain corresponding disposition information, the
Department shall suppress that arrest information and
provide the authorized agency with a response that no
criminal history information exists.”

As a person who has been in the background check business
for 13 years and the father of two college age daughters, I
would have designed the system very differently to say the
least. I certainly would not have designed in holes big
enough to drive a truck through and potentially let
criminals have access to children. The more I study this
information the more I am convinced that the State of
California is more interested in protecting the rights of
criminals than protecting children and the elderly. In all
my dozens of conversations with pastors, school
administrators and law enforcement people I have only
spoken to one person, who was truly aware of the built-in
limitations of the LiveScan system. Most people assume
that if it is the state-run system then it must be the best
and most complete.

As I was re-researching the data to write this article I
also found that it is possible for someone to have their
sex offence crime expunged after serving their sentence,
but would still be required to be registered as a sex
offender. That is one more very convincing reason to check
the Megan’s Law list.

Again, if someone was background checking my
daughter’s teacher, coach, counselor or pastor I
would want a more thorough check and I expect better from
the State of California on behalf of all children.

THE ALTERNATIVE: Most organizations who use LiveScan have
to by state law, but if you have a choice you should
consider a private sector background check from a reputable
company that gives you all of the criminal information on a
county by county basis, checks the civil records, the
Megan’s Law list and records from any other state
where a person may have lived.

----------------------------------------------------
Kit Fremin is the owner and founder of Background Check
International. Since 1994 BCI has served clients a varied
as: the LA Times, Department of Defense, Mars, Inc., the
UN, the NTSB and Calvary Chapels nationwide. His website
is: http://www.bcint.com and he can be e-mailed at
kit@bcint.com.

Eight Bad Assumptions We All Make and How To Remedy Them

These eight assumptions have the potential to get us in
trouble - big trouble. They destroy clarity, create
distrust, and stand in the way of organizational success
and personal success. These assumptions are the ones we
make based on our own behaviors, attitudes, and skills. We
start by assuming that others think, act and have skills
similar to our own. In fact, each of us is so unique that
assumptions based on behaviors, attitudes and skills will
result in being wrong at least 70% of the time

An example:

A client had a manager who was highly intelligent, very
energetic, demanding and always looking for new approaches
to problems. Not a bad combination of attributes in a
manager. He was also firmly convinced of the rightness of
his ways. The business he was managing was in crisis - it
needed firm direction. The problem was the frequency of new
initiatives. He would direct his limited staff to new
issues requiring action and resources on a weekly basis.
The stretched thin, survival trained staff did all that
they could to keep up - but they invariably fell behind.
Lots of balls in the air - lots of activity - no additional
resources. The manager assumed that since he had instructed
his people on what to do that they were doing it - and they
were afraid to tell him the truth.

He assumed his people would act the same as he did when his
boss told him to do something. He would make his boss's
request his first priority, and do whatever had to be done
to get it done. He assumed his people would do the same
when he made the same kind of demands.

That was a bad assumption.

He was very proud of all the things he was doing to turn
this business around, and for the first few months,
progress - measured by activity - was good. And then the
cracks started to show. Shipments delayed, quality issues,
turnover of critical people, earnings estimates missed. His
response was to turn up the pressure to get the things done
that he had assumed were either done or well on their way
to completion. He was stunned to see that very little had
really changed. His people were bogged down - too many
balls in the air - too many things to focus on. He was
fired.

So much of what had happened could have turned out
differently, if he had assumed less, and verified more.

What follows are eight of the most dangerous assumptions we
all make in our work - every day. They have the potential
to be fatal to our careers.

The assumptions, a short narrative and a suggested remedy
for each follow.

Assumption 1 - My boss and I are on the same page.

The newer the relationship, the better the chance that this
assumption is wrong. Often very wrong.

Remedy - Ask your boss to write down the 3 to 5 most
important things that you must do , and you do the same.
Exchange your answers being in agreement on 2 to 3 out of 5
is very good.

Assumption 2 - My people and I are on the same page.

Once again, the newer the relationship, the better the
chance that this assumption is false - and really dangerous.

Remedy - Do the same thing with your people that you did
with your boss - do the boss thing first.

Assumption 3 - I shouldn't have to ask.

Why not? Every one else has to. The very idea that other
people should know what to do or how to act is so far from
the truth that many, many relationships are destroyed by
the assumption that someone should know enough to keep you
from having to ask.

Remedy - Ask. If asking sticks in your throat - and it does
for a lot of people, read the "Aladdin Factor" by Victor
Hansen. Terrific book Then ask.

Assumption 4 - People will do what I tell them to do.

Not necessarily. There are lots of reasons that they may do
something other than what you anticipated. More pressing
work, a misunderstanding about what is to be done,
conflicting priorities, you name it, it exists.

Remedy - Create goals with the end in mind. Then
communicate the goals, then hold regular updates - formally
or informally, depending upon the culture of your
organization.

Assumption 5 - People see things the same way I do.

Not true. Put a group of people in a room - show them the
same picture. Watch the different interpretations,
conclusions, ---. And yet they were all in the same room -
given the same instructions - looked at the same thing.
Amazing.

Remedy - Create goals that clearly state the result and the
steps to take to reach it. Involve the people who will
participate in meeting the goal in the development of the
goals.

Assumption 6 - My managers have all the freedom they need
to accomplish their goals.

Probably not. Reminds me of a highly experienced manager
hired to run a Canadian acquisition of a US. His boss, the
CEO, told everyone he had complete authority. Actually, he
couldn't approve even a $10 expenditure without corporate
accounting's approval. As soon as that became apparent, he
lost a lot of influence with his people. The CEO said
accounting had to be involved. His idea of involvement, the
new manager's and the accounting department's take were
very different. It never got resolved. The new manager
resigned after 6 months.

Remedy - This is where the bureaucracy needs to be checked
carefully. The boss assumes their people have the same
approval and indirect reporting relationships and
understandings as they do. Not. The boss needs to lead in
developing effective, consistent working relationships up,
down and sideways for their people.

Assumption 7 - People who speak with conviction are experts
on the subject.

Not necessarily. Often the person speaking the loudest and
with the most conviction is in fact drowning out the real
expert who doesn't share the same behavior profile.

Remedy - Make sure all have the opportunity to voice their
contribution. Be skeptical of all inputs until all the
players are heard. Don't let anecdotal feedback overly
influence the decision. How often have we all heard about
the mysterious "they" that said something and it got play
way out of proportion to its value and substance? Check any
newspaper for examples of that dynamic.

Assumption 8 - People will see the same opportunity the
same way I do.

No they won't. In fact, roughly 70% of the population will
see consequences and problems before they see opportunities
- if they see opportunities at all. That leaves 30% that
may see things the same way you do. Both consequence and
opportunity people are valuable, contributing people in
every organization - value both of their inputs.

Remedy - Be sure to communicate what you see as the
opportunity in terms of your people's interests. And be
sure to listen to and value the issues and problems the
pessimists will bring up - better to get them on the table
than have them fester in the group without recognition or
resolution.

Assumptions can be the biggest hurdle every manager and
leader has to overcome in their career. Assumptions made
about them, assumptions they make about others, all have
low probability of being accurate. Start by checking your
own thinking against the 8 assumptions stated in this
article. Then act to replace them with goals; to create
communications that align effort with expectations; to
create clarity Start today.

----------------------------------------------------
Andy Cox helps clients align their resources and design and
implement change through the application of goals focused
on the important few elements that have maximum impact in
achieving success - as defined by the client. He can be
reached at http://www.coxconsultgroup.com or
acox@coxconsultgroup.com

Alternatives to Plumbers

Robert Kiyosaki has made a curious assertion in one of his
many books. He says that the tax system, the legal system,
in fact the whole economic system, has been set up to
favour entrepreneurs. He says that everything is there to
encourage people to take risks, borrow money, set up
businesses, build factories and houses and create jobs.
Why? Because that's what the country needs. We need
employment and housing, so we need enterprising individuals
who can make that happen. We need these top people.
Everything else has to serve their needs, and the system
exists to support them.

Down at the bottom of the pile, things look different. 'The
bosses need us', say the workers, so ask for bigger pay
rises. That's not going to work out. These days, those
bosses have a choice. If you're not willing to work for the
dollar rate offered, they'll find someone who will, often
from overseas. In Britain today the argument is about all
the East European countries who have joined the European
Union recently. It means that their residents now have the
right – yes, the legal right – to travel to
Britain and offer themselves for work. The problem for us
locals is that these new arrivals are used to working for
less money than we need and are grateful for any jobs they
can get, no matter how second-rate or poorly paid. They are
also willing to work hard and don't demand time off and
holidays. From the point of view of the employers, they're
just what they need.

The example most often quoted is 'Polish plumbers'. In the
last few months, many plumbers and other skilled people
have arrived in Britain from places like Poland, and are
offering their services. They work hard and they don't ask
for much money. They are suddenly in demand. Everybody
wants them. English plumbers are up in arms. 'Not fair',
they say, forgetting that the economic system doesn't set
out to be fair. It exists to make things, deliver
services, create new businesses and provide profits. It
never sets out to be 'fair'. If you want fairness in
society, you have to vote for a government that will do
something about that. Economics isn't in that business of
being 'fair'.

English plumbers have forgotten one thing. People don't
like them. People in Britain know that when their washing
machine goes mad and starts pumping water all over the
kitchen floor, then they are in trouble – mainly
because it will be practically impossible to find anyone to
come round and fix the problem. You will be standing up to
your ankles in water, telephone in one hand and Yellow
Pages in the other, and you can go down the list for quite
a way before even getting an answer. Then there's the
reply, 'It will be £60 to come out and £20 an
hour after that' – too expensive. There's a lot of,
'Sorry, too busy right now. I can maybe fit you in sometime
next Tuesday' and the question of time: it's unheard of to
get a plumber out of his cosy house after 6 o'clock at
night. After all, he has a family too. He likes watching
TV, just like you. He doesn't want to miss the football, as
you don't. Well, no, he's not exactly like you. He's set
himself up as a plumber, that's how he earns a living. To
do that, he needs customers. Polish plumbers know that, and
are willing to work to please their customers, not
themselves. That's the difference.

Plumbers in Britain have a different take on reality. They
think that everything was great, life was good, and then
these guys from Poland started arriving – and it
ruined everything. Most British people know the opposite.
'Things were great'? For plumbers! 'Life was good'? For
them, not for the customers. English plumbers complain that
these new arrivals 'work for less money'. Money isn't
everything – especially when water is dripping down
your walls. When that happens, the main issue is getting it
fixed. Oh yes, at a reasonable price, but someone –
please – come and sort it out. English plumbers
weren't prepared to do that, to put themselves out or make
an effort, and the customers got fed up with them. It's
always been that way. In the 1960s Japanese motor cycles
started arriving in Britain and swept the market. They were
welcomed. People had got fed up with British bikes. They
were too heavy, difficult to start, and leaked oil. The
Japanese bikes were light, easy starters, and clean. Of
course people bought them.

This is the great truth. British plumbers complain of their
prices being undercut and say it's all 'unfair
competition'. There's no such thing as 'fair competition'!
But that's not it. A new service, new invention, new
product, doesn't catch on unless it's better than what's
out there now. So if your plumbing services are no longer
required, maybe it's because you weren't doing a very good
job, and people are gladly taking up the alternative. So
what's that got to do with taxes, the legal system, and the
things we started with? Because customers are always
looking for a better product or service and we need to
encourage the people who are hoping to provide it. We want
those entrepreneurs, hungry, anxious to get on and find the
new big thing. We want new factories, new jobs, new
opportunities. It might mean disruption for workers as old
established industries collapse. It might mean re-location,
re-training, re-skilling, but the system can provide that
for those who are willing. It's the only way the economic
system progresses and it's made a good life for millions of
people in the last few generations. The lesson is clear: if
you are a British plumber, you should have had an eye over
your shoulder, just in case someone came along who could do
a better job. And if it kills your job, then you need to
change. Maybe, even, you need to become the new
entrepreneur that's going to make a killing out of the new
trend when it comes along, as it surely will.

----------------------------------------------------
Mike Scantlebury is an Internet Author, with novels and
stories to his credit, loaded onto the web from his current
home in Manchester, England. However, he was also spent the
last 20 years as a Small Business Advisor and has something
to say to would-be entrepreneurs. Find out more at his web
site and follow the links. Try
http://www.mikescantlebury.info

Sell More by Expressing Gratitude

Who does not value genuine appreciation? Who does not enjoy
a warm smile and a sincere thank you after doing something
for someone else. In a sales context, that "something"
might be as simple as another person agreeing to meet with
you.

One begins to transmit our thanks in the expression of our
initial greeting. A sincere smile, a firm handshake, direct
eye contact and expressing genuine appreciation for their
time is always a winning way to start off a meeting.

Once a sale is completed, salespeople have an unhealthy
tendency of paying less attention to their customers. A
follow up call or subsequent visit goes a long way toward
guaranteeing customer satisfaction.

Service after the sale is often critically important. It is
via this attention to their overall satisfaction that we
say thank you as well. People will long forget their
purchase but not their experience. We also say thank you
when we seek their best interests, keeping them abreast of
new products or services that will benefit them.

After several meetings with the plant engineer, project
engineer and machining-cell manager, I sold a
machine-vision system which was intended to ensure critical
measurements and overall product quality. These particular
individuals, though familiar with the technology, had no
practical experience using it. They purchased the system
from me not simply because of the merits of the technology,
but because of the promised support after the purchase,
support which they would need to successfully implement the
system.

Being a capital goods purchase, they were sensitive to the
scale of their impending purchase and the fact that they
were "sticking their neck out" working with an unproven new
vendor.

This was my first sale to this new customer. I remember the
purchasing manager calling me, wanting reassurance that
their purchase was indeed what they needed and would work
for their application. She was concerned about the price
and the fact that I was a new vendor. I explained to her
that the product was only part of the sale, that we would
fully support this technology with proper training and
working with their engineers to ensure the results they
were looking for. Our engineer would not leave their plant
until the vision package was working as promised. I further
explained that this sale was our first opportunity to be of
service to their plant and we were determined to provide
more than they expected so that they would feel comfortable
about working with us in the many additional applications
in various departments in their plant. I thanked her for
both her interest and scrutiny.

Not only is this customer appreciated, but they know they
are. I have made it a point to show my appreciation for the
opportunity to serve their needs. This is not done through
buying meals or gifts, but by verbally saying than you and
delivering more than they expect. They know that our
company values their business. Furthermore, they know that
they can count on us to so what we say.

One more thank you opportunity, often overlooked these
days, is a thank you note. Whether it is an email or a
rare, memorable, genuine hand-written card, customers
notice. They notice because so few salespeople do it. Be
different.

Saying thank you and demonstrating your appreciation is
always a winning strategy. People do business with people.
People also like to be appreciated. Remember that, and you
will enjoy what you do and your customers will enjoy doing
business with you.

----------------------------------------------------
Daniel Sitter, author of both Learning For Profit and
Superior Selling Skills Mastery, has garnered extensive
experience in sales, training, marketing and personal
development spanning a successful 25 year career.
Experience his blog at http://www.idea-sellers.com

What If You Receive More Than One Offer For a Job?

More than one offer – caught off guard

In a tight job market multiple offers sounds too good to be
true. So, what's the problem? Choose the one that pays the
most and move on. Wrong! If you don't take time to evaluate
the offers you could find yourself right back in job search
within a short time.

Pat began his job search two months ago with minimum
responses. He had interviews, even second and third
interviews, but no offers. Then, all of a sudden, within
one week, two companies called and made good offers. He is
taken by surprise and caught off guard.

How does he go about choosing the right one? He needs to
get back to work and start paying off some bills, but he is
anxious about the present economy. Which of these companies
is going to survive and even thrive? He's done his research
and knows the backgrounds of the companies, but there is
something missing. Something he needs to do before he makes
his decision.

Assessing your wants and needs

He seeks out the help of a friend who is in the recruiting
business to get some advice. Together they lay out a
strategy to evaluate the offers. They put together a
spreadsheet with the companies names across the top. Down
the left side of the page they list Pat's values and needs.
Under each company's name they assign a score from one to
ten for each

1. Security - Pat has been layed off twice in the past five
years, and is looking for a home with a solid company.

2. Balance - One of Pat's top personal values is his
family. In his last job he worked over 60 hours a week. He
is not eager to get back into that work frenzy again.

3. Job Satisfaction - Pat wants to feel his work means
something in the bigger picture; that he is contributing
and making a difference.

4. Location - This goes hand-in-hand with balance. If he
has to spend three to four hours a day commuting it will
mean time spent away from his family. Telecommuting a
couple of days a week may be a possibility.

5. Salary and Benefits - Important, but not as important as
the other values. He wants to be paid what he is worth, but
would be willing to negotiate to get some of his other
needs met.

After totaling the columns they compare the companies'
total scores. The totals reveal that even though Vandaley
offers more money, the risks are higher and the time away
from his family will not be worth the extra dollars. Pat
can see how his priorities will affect his decision and
feels more confident having a tool to work with to make the
best decision for him and his family.

There are always variables that cannot be predicted when
accepting an offer, but using an analytical approach can
make the decision more objective. Making a bad decision can
result in your being miserable and feeling unfulfilled, but
unable to leave because you have only been in the job for a
few months. It is always best to evaluate any offer, but if
there is more than one offer to choose from – it is
essential!

----------------------------------------------------
Carole Martin is a celebrated author, trainer, and mentor.
Carole can give you interviewing tips like no one else can.
Try her practice interview and pick up a copy of her FREE
9-part "Interview Success Tips" report by visiting Carole
on the web at http://www.interviewcoach.com

Virtual Outsourcing Can Make Your Business More Profitable

Virtual Outsourcing Can Make Your Business More Profitable
Many successful entrepreneurs believe that they are
actually being frugal by not getting the help they need.
Some assume that by doing everything themselves, they are
saving money and thus earning more. In most cases, this
simply isn’t true. When you use your valuable time
performing the tasks that generate the most profit for your
company, you are using your time to its full income earning
potential. If you are like most small business owners
however, a great deal of your time is likely spent on
paperwork and other administrative functions that are
necessary to the success of your business, but don’t
directly generate income. Imagine how much more profitable
you could be, if you could virtually erase this clerical
time from your task set.

In order to illustrate this point, let’s use the
example of an entrepreneur who works an 8 hour day, and
earns on average, $400 per day. This would mean that this
business owner earns an hourly wage of $50. But, 2.5 hours
of his or her day is spent on administrative functions. If
we were to eliminate the time spent on these tasks, the
entrepreneur would be earning close to $73 per hour for the
remaining 5.5 hours. Now imagine if the entrepreneur could
spend a full 8 hour work day on the tasks that generate the
most revenue for their business. He or she could
potentially be earning $584 dollars a day minus the cost of
outsourcing the clerical work, which should be
significantly less than the $184 per day gained.

Until recent years, the thought of getting the
administrative aspects of your business off of your plate
meant that you had to hire an employee. But, for many
entrepreneurs this was not feasible due to lack of space or
monetary concerns. This left many business owners with few
options, except to continue doing it all themselves.
Luckily, in today’s world of advanced internet
technologies, there are alternatives. In fact, there are
very few tasks today that can’t be outsourced. There
are companies that specialize in customer service, Virtual
Assistants for a variety of administrative functions and
Accountants and Bookkeepers for financial matters. A
simple Google search for just about any task on your to-do
list should give you a variety of companies that specialize
in the outsourcing of this service.

Virtual outsourcing is a means to accomplish the tasks you
need performed without the significant cost of hiring an
employee. Contracting the clerical aspects of your
business on an as-needed basis means that you are paying
only for the exact task you need accomplished. If this is
a couple of hours of bookkeeping or administrative duties,
it shouldn’t cost you a fortune, and in fact will
likely cost you much less than the money you could be
earning by using this time on your company’s primary
income gaining functions.

How much is your time worth? If you do the math, you might
be surprised at how much you could benefit from getting
qualified help. Virtual outsourcing will likely make your
business more profitable.

----------------------------------------------------
Kelly Sims is a Virtual Assistant and Owner of Virtually
There VA Services. To sign up for her free newsletter
providing useful information that enhances and simplifies
the lives of busy entrepreneurs, visit her website at =>
http://www.virtuallythereva.com .