1.20.09.  The Good Rules Consultant™: a closer look.

As the Good Rules Consultant™, I've made a lifelong commitment to rules: appreciating rules profoundly, examining rules analytically, and using rules practically. I research rules mathematically, analyze rules linguistically, and explore rules scientifically. I picture rules artistically, apply rules commercially, and write rules professionally. I follow rules religiously. I use rules to understand the world. I live rules as a way of life. I believe in rules.

I used good rules to earn American and Belgian diplomas and academic honors in high school, college, and law school. As a commercial trial lawyer and law professor, I've studied, taught, and litigated rules: civil and criminal rules, in state and federal courts, at trial and appellate levels. Within the legal establishment, among judges and lawyers, I've earned a reputation as a lawyer who knows the rules and follows the rules, in spirit and to the letter: statutory rules, procedural rules, ethical rules, court rules, evidence rules, professionalism rules.

I'm founder and principal of the management consulting firm Rules-At-Work. I proved the Good Rules Theorem™, invented the Good Rules Way™, and develop good rules technologies. I'm a member of rule-based organizations including: Rotary International, Toastmasters International, and my local Chamber of Commerce. I've helped people in these organizations, my clients, and many others, to understand rules, use rules, and use good rules to meet their goals.

Rules really do make the world go 'round. Good rules make the world -- mine, yours, ours -- a better place. I help people use -- enact, instruct, ignite, achieve -- good rules to meet their goals. I do it professionally, through Rules-At-Work, as the Good Rules Consultant™.

© 2009 Rick Favaloro, J.D., The Good Rules Consultant™  rick.rulesatwork@mac.com

1.21.09.  The Good Rules Way: Teamwork: choose team goals.

Organizations value teamwork and teams. The Good Rules Way™ insists on mathematics, theorems, and deduction (goodrulesblog 1.14.09). What does the Good Rules Way say about teams? It may surprise you. It may motivate you as a team!

Assume the Good Rules Theorem:

When you use good rules, you meet your goals.

Deduce the "Your Team" Version of the Good Rules Theorem:

When your team uses good rules, your team meets your team's goals.

Notice the last part, "your team's goals", and the last word, "goals". What are your team's goals? Whoops! That's where a lot of teamwork fails, or doesn't even start, or doesn't even have a chance of starting. The Good Rules Theorem focuses you on the point of teamwork:

Teamwork is about meeting goals.

In the Good Rules Way, you can choose any goals (goodrulesblog 1.10.09). Your team can choose any goals. When you want teamwork: Choose team goals. Do it as a team.

© 2009 Rick Favaloro, J.D., The Good Rules Consultant™  rick.rulesatwork@mac.com

1.22.09.  The Good Rules Way: Teamwork: use good rules.

Say you want teamwork. You've chosen team goals. You've done it as a team. Now you're inspired to write your Teamwork Rule Book. What should you do?

Assume the Good Rules Theorem:

When you use good rules, you meet your goals.

Write a version of the Theorem that focuses first on team goals:

Your team's goals are met by your team when your team uses good rules.

Deduce Your Team Good Rules ("use" good rules means: enact, instruct, ignite, achieve):
1. Your team: enact good rules (your team enacts these rules for your team to achieve).

2. Your team: instruct good rules (your team instructs your team to achieve these rules).

3. Your team: ignite good rules (your team ignites your team to achieve these rules).

4. Your team: achieve good rules (your team achieves these rules your-team-selves).

The Good Rules Way point pops right out at you: A team using rules is a team (ArtBethCliff) enacting, instructing, igniting rules, as a team, for the team to achieve, to meet team goals. A team is NOT "Art telling Beth and Cliff what to do" -- and Art calling it "teamwork".

A team enacts as a team. It instructs as a team. It ignites as a team. It achieves as a team.

When you as a team use good rules, you as a team meet your team goals.

© 2009 Rick Favaloro, J.D., The Good Rules Consultant™  rick.rulesatwork@mac.com