Sea Lawyers - Your Business Demon

It is rare that I stumble across a term or phrase that just fits a situation perfectly. I usually am constantly seeking them out, but one was recently dumped in my lap.

In a conversation with a friend of mine the term "sea lawyer" was used. The term immediately just struck a cord with me and I realized how businesses deal with sea lawyers all the time.

Sea lawyers usually come disguised as dedicated employees, but once I give you a thorough explanation, you'll realize what they are really dedicated to. They are dedicated to themselves, not you or your company.

To break this term down we'll first take a look at the word "lawyer." There are a lot of jokes about lawyers and I admit that some of them are quite humorous. The humor comes from the reality of the stereotype.

Lawyers are known for going into a courtroom and arguing the smallest of details. One tiny sliver of evidence in a court trial can be blown up to be the pivotal point. (Refer to the O.J. trial if you can't get a handle on what I just stated.)

The "sea" portion of the term comes from the Navy and popped up in a recent conversation as I mentioned a moment ago with an ex-Navy guy.

The word is most likely not part of your daily lexicon, but could be used to describe a number of people that you encounter during the course of your day. To be more specific, there seems to be a sea lawyer in every business. They don't always stay, but they do pass in and out of the doors over time.

It was told to me that the term sea lawyer is part of the Navy jargon and used at the Naval Academy, often to describe Navy personnel and even Naval officers who somehow dig and find minor technicalities or other inconsequential reasons to get out of a jam, screw-up, debacle, and any other assortment of reasons for not having to take responsibility for something that has gone wrong.

Now it's time for you to take a look around in your business and see if you have a sea lawyer, or more than one. Sea lawyers can cost you dearly in productivity and profit.

Who in your business or in a business relationship, such as a supplier, has a habit of weaseling out of responsibility, shifts the blame, or uses the most insignificant piece of news, an unrelated event, or minor technicality to wiggle out of taking the heat for a snag in a transaction?

Sea lawyer sounds like such a complimentary term, but in reality it's the type of person, employee, or acquaintance that you want to distance yourself from.

Do you want a sea lawyer as a link in your chain of command?

Is a sea lawyer embedded in your shipping department or in your sales department?

I never really knew what to call these people who just refuse to admit to a mistake or worse, shift the blame on someone or something else in a most remote way.

If you are serious about productivity and profits, give some thought to weeding out the sea lawyers who constitute the fiber of your business or working relationships. You want people who take responsibility for their actions because;

1) Responsible people are more careful about what they are doing, because they know their "behind" is on the line.

2) Pride spreads and if one employee shows respect for what is being done, others will follow the lead.

3) You'll have fewer problems, because admission of a mistake can cut the correction time and save money, despite the loss due to the mistake.

4) It's easier to address a problem properly if you really know how it originated and by whom.

5) You'll sleep better and that's worth a lot.

Sea lawyers, avoid them, dismiss them, and become aware that they're swimming among us in the business world.

Lazz Laszlo is a former Investment Executive and Radio & Television Financial Reporter with many entrepreneurial endeavors to his credit. He spends his time as an emcee, public speaker, enjoying life and writing articles and eBooks about business, travel, retirement, strategy, and pleasure. To learn more, please visit Lazz's website; http://www.925-wage-slave-alternatives.com

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