Note from Paul Jones, LPC: At the FMI conference in March, I heard an interesting presentation made by David George from Harris Teeter who frames a piece of the organized retail crime equation that has been missing from our national dialogue. David shares his perspective in this month's column. If you're like me, you are exhausted from hearing all the bad news regarding organized retail crime (ORC). Sure, we hear about large arrests made on ORC rings, but we all know that as soon as one ring is dismantled, the power vacuum sucks in the next in line to open…

Coming from someone whose mouth has often been likened to the proverbial sailor, an article discussing cussing in the workplace is fitting. In a recent Harvard Business Review blog post, Anne Kreamer discusses how cussing has become commonplace in our "anything-goes" culture. Let's face it, if Stephen Colbert and Jon Stewart are our societies' heroes, and they swear nightly, why can't we? As managers, executives, or more specifically loss prevention professionals, are we truly doing the best service to our message by cussing to covey it?   Power of Words The heart of the issue, as Kreamer describes it, is…

One of the most challenging obstacles for an organization to overcome is a culture that runs counter to its goals. A basketball team cannot win while some of its players are shooting at the wrong basket, and an automotive manufacturer will not compete successfully while one of its factories makes chocolate bunnies. It should be obvious that everyone on the team must execute the same game plan in order to achieve positive results. We've all worked with organizations that failed in some way to cultivate shared values among their team members. These companies frequently misfire, not because their processes and…

I can't remember the exact moment when I made the decision, or which of the "bunch of little things" that tipped the scale, but there came a day some time back when I realized I was living to work rather than working to live. And it was time for a change. But change, particularly in a leadership role, does not come quite as easy as it did when I was further down in rank. For most, the decision to make a change in your career — or in life — can be made with little input from, and little impact…

Policy Change within the Dallas Police Department It has been a long time practice for Law Enforcement agencies to cover up and minimize issues by changing policy. In Oklahoma the felony limit was once $50 and over. They amended this to $1000 to reduce the number of felony cases they funneled through the court system. This had no effect on reducing theft. The thefts at $50-$999 were still occurring, however, the penalty was far less and loss prevention was still doing the same amount of paperwork. This affected the amount of restitution received as well. Felony restitution is almost double…

My 14-year-old daughter Hunter tagged along when I drove off to run some errands. We parted ways at a national chain anchor store at our local mall so she could buy some khaki pants and other items needed for school. She's at the age where autonomy is a big deal. When we reconnected for the drive home about an hour later, she had a couple of shopping bags tucked under her arms. With a smile, she confirmed that the items her mother asked her to purchase were in the bags. We chatted as I rounded the corner out of the…

  As industry professionals and leaders, we know loss prevention is much more than shrink percentage and apprehensions. But do our leadership, peers, and organization recognize our true contribution? Are you operating in a manner that promotes your full value and worth? I'm asking you the same question I had to ask myself in 1991: if you removed the traditional evaluation metrics bestowed upon LP—shrink and apprehensions—how would the company stakeholders respond? Would they recognize your value and continuing to invest in LP, or would they feel the resources could provide a better ROI invested in another part of the…

Your Superiors Can Impact Your Career in So Many Ways: 5 Ways to Make Them All Positive. I am writing this article to inspire all LP professionals (young and old) to continue your Loss Prevention education. If it does not inspire you, it will most certainly motivate your superiors. Our superiors are our mentors and we trust them with our careers. In turn, they trust us to uphold the reputation and integrity of the company. This has to be a two-way street for the Loss Prevention department to thrive. Please do not think ill of your superior or become disrespectful…

Thou Shalt Not Steal   First and foremost, let me tell you that I am not attempting to be the "Tim Tebow of Loss Prevention"; however, I am proud of my faith and spirituality. In all things we do, there is a greater cause. We rarely realize this in the beginning. It keeps our enthusiasm and effort at a normal level of expected acceptance. What if you knew the higher purpose of your endeavors? Some may choose not to take on such tasks while others would be elated to know the exact effect on their efforts. This article was written…

Have you had professional pictures of your family taken at Sears, Wal-Mart, or Babies R' Us? If so, you have experienced CPI Corp. With more 3100 locations in North America, CPI Corp. is the leader in the digital portrait photography industry. Though the company has been in business over 60 years, the Loss Prevention Department started in 2007 when Barry Grant joined the company as Vice President of Loss Prevention and has since been promoted to Senior Vice President, Loss Prevention, Store Operations, & Operational Support. Within a short period of time, Barry created the company's first shrink report, loss…