10 | LMT BUSINESS JOURNAL
MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 18, 2006
MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 18, 2006
LMT BUSINESS JOURNAL | 7
Registration stickers product of comments, suggestions
SPECIAL TO THE TIMES
New CBP Office of Trade will consolidate functions
SPECIAL TO THE TIMES
Photo by Scott Shaffer | Laredo Morning Times
IBC executive vice president J. Jorge Verduzco, left, studies Insights personality profile system following LAHRM presentation by behaviorist Roy S. Case III.
Colors have meaning in personality types
By SCOTT SHAFFER
LAREDO MORNING TIMES
AUSTIN — Texans, TxDOT heard you. Thanks to customer comments and suggestions, the Texas Department of Transportation is introducing a new windshield registration sticker expected to be distributed statewide by early 2007. “We are very excited about the new design,” said Rebecca Davio, director of the Vehicle Titles and Registration Division.“ We listened to our customers, used their ideas, and believe we have a sticker Texans will be proud to display.” The sticker will debut in Randall County in August, followed by Williamson and Hays counties in September. After that, it will roll out
incrementally across the state. “Texans told us they wanted a sticker with a clean, uncluttered design that was easy to apply, and that is what we have developed,” said Mike Behrens, TxDOT’s executive director. The new design features a blue adhesive border, eliminating fingerprint marks that many customers found unsatisfactory with the translucent border. The blue back is imprinted with a friendly reminder to “Check the date, love your state” to help Texans keep their registration current. For the first time, the sticker features a Web address, www.texasinyourcorner.com, which offers more information about vehicle registration. “When Texans register their
vehicles they are helping the state and their local county,” Behrens said. “Registration fees contribute almost $1.3 billion dollars a year towards building and maintaining state and county roads.” The white window on the new sticker’s front allows the sticker’s important information — month and year of expiration, county of origin, license plate number and part of the vehicle identification number — to be clearly displayed. “The new design will make it easier for law enforcement officers to immediately identify whether a sticker is valid or in compliance,” said Commander Jesse Flores of the Motor Vehicle Theft Division for the Texas Department of Public Safety.
WASHINGTON, D.C. — U. S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) said Wednesday it has formed a new office, designed to spearhead its national trade policy, which will consolidate its trade policy, program development, and compliance measurement functions into a single Office of Trade. The Office of Trade, which will embark on its mission on Oct. 15, 2006, will provide greater consistency within CBP with respect to its international trade programs and operations, and further CBP’s ability to facilitate the flow of legitimate trade across U.S. borders while securing U. S. borders and protecting the American economy from unfair trade practices and illicit commercial enterprises. In addition, by consolidating these important functions under one office, CBP’s close working relationship with the trade community —already a hallmark of CBP’s
operations and programs — will be even further enhanced. According to CBP Commissioner Ralph Basham, “This is a significant event in the evolution of Customs and Border Protection, which has always had the twin goals of preventing terrorists and terrorist weapons from entering our country, while, at the same time, facilitating the flow of legitimate trade and travel. The newly constituted Office of Trade will further reinforce our commitment to the trade component of these goals.” “The creation of the Office of Trade underscores CBP’s strong conviction that partnerships and outreach are necessary to facilitate legitimate trade and to effectively enforce trade laws” said Basham. Currently at Customs and Border Protection, the functions of
trade policy and program development are split among three offices within CBP: the Office of Strategic Trade, the Office of Regulations and Rulings, and the Office of Field Operations. The new Office of Trade will consolidate the trade policy, program development, and compliance measurement functions of CBP into one office without creating dual reporting mechanisms or overlapping, redundant management structures that would disrupt the closely interrelated activities of CBP officers and operators processing arriving cargo at U.S. ports of entry. The Office of Trade will also develop national trade policies and programs that will guide the work done by the CBP officers in ports of entry, but managing and carrying out cargo processing operations on a day-to-day basis will remain the
responsibility of CBP’s Assistant Commissioner of the Office of Field Operations, working through his chain of command — the directors of field operations, port directors and front line supervisors. The consolidation and streamlining of CBP’s trade functions and the consequent enhancements to CBP’s trade missions has been championed by leaders of Congress, most notably Senate Finance Committee Chairman, Charles Grassley (R-IA) who has worked closely with CBP
on this concept and, according to Basham, deserves great credit for moving this forward. Basham has also announced his selection of Dan Baldwin as the Assistant Commissioner for the new Office of Trade. Baldwin, currently the assistant commissioner of CBP’s Office of Strategic Trade, will assume leadership of the new office upon its establishment. Baldwin brings a wealth of knowledge and experience in trade matters.
“Fiery red” personality types should probably leave coaching employees to “earth green” types according to Roy S. Case III, CEO of Texas-based Behavioral Design Management Group. Case described the color-coded Insights – Igniting Corporate Spirits personality profile program and its application during the monthly meeting of the LAHRM at Embassy Suites. “Red” or competitive, demanding personality types are normally better driving a business than teaching employees, according to Case who described “green” personalities as caring, encouraging and patient.
tious and deliberate “cool blue” analyst and expressive, enthusiastic “sunshine yellow” salesman. Use personality profiles like the Insights program to “know who you are talking to” and “how to work with them,” Case told his audience. “There are many kinds of behavioral programs out there. If you like a different one (from Insights), use it. That’s what’s important,” Case said.
Selling Laredo
Case, who has been associated with Laredo businesses since the 1980s and lives in the city part-time said he has heard local CEOs, mangers and entrepreneurs talk about “how hard it is to get people to come down here to Laredo.” But Case doesn’t buy it. “Local recruiters have to show some enthusiasm for Laredo. It’s not just pay and benefits,” Case said. “They can’t just wait for people to walk through the door.” “I’ve got to have all my human relations people behaviorists,” Case said. Case has a convert in Rosie Ramirez, IBC human resources supervisor and senior vice president and LAHRM member. The Insights program is a “really great management tool” for those who want to better understand themselves, motivate employees and improve interactions with customers, Ramirez said. (Scott Shaffer may be reached at 728 2547 or by e-mail at sshaffer@lmtonline.com.)
Behavior means results
“Behavior dictates results” said Case who uses the color-coded Insights program developed by Andrew Lothian in Scotland 38 years ago to help managers better understand behavior and improve individual and team performance. Company-wide use of personality profiles can help employees “adapt to and connect” more successfully, Case told the local human relations professionals. “Hire and develop people with these tools. Don’t use them to hammer people,” Case encouraged. Case demonstrated other personality “colors’ as he walked across the meeting room as a cau-