The Richly or Poorly Show
Show Transcript
shdawson-20260519.mp3
Episode 05/19/2026
05/19/2026
Hello! Welcome to The Richly or Poorly Show!
My name is Dr. Stephen Dawson, and I am your show host.
Thank you for joining me.
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The show's motto is unmistakable: RICHLY IS GOODLY!
Please consider how you define the term good as we journey through life together in your pursuit of defining the term richly in your life.
Last week, I presented on the topic of Determine Quality. I shared that this topic is where most people ignore the consideration of quality altogether. I voiced caution that the result of this choice is unnecessary money flying out of their pocket. They then wonder why they are not living their life more richly. I also voiced concern that the listener would most likely not like the episode. Operating on trust alone is an unwise choice. I urge listening to last week's episode to further explain why trust alone is an unwise choice.
We have now completed all of the steps necessary for you, as the team leader, who is also the project leader, who is also the buyer of supplies for materials and services, to either purchase and begin the work or either pause, merge, or cancel your proposed work. You and you alone must decide your readiness to act in a purchase.
If you are ready to purchase, then it is time for you to monitor your receipt of what you have purchased.
Today, I will present on the topic of Determine Progress. The topic operates on the success of each of the six covered topics that must be accomplished in linear order only. Again, the six topics are Determine Duration, Determine Trust, Determine Scope, Determine Team Members, Determine Compensation, and Determine Quality.
The entire boundary formation of your Determine Progress topic consists of the six preceding topics. This boundary is both to help you and protect you, all while not causing any form of either interruption or harm to your sellers. Here is how it works.
You cannot go to the workers of your seller and instruct them. Neither can any of your supplier's workers come to you with information. All communications and governance of your agreements with your sellers occur only between you and the person who signed the sales agreement with you. An authorized representative of the seller has the authority to act on behalf of the seller, so they are the person who answers all of your questions by supplying you with answers.
The same is true for the sellers of your materials. You buy something at the sales counter, go to the loading dock to get it, and it is not what you purchased. It is not the fault of the person loading the incorrect box into your vehicle. You stop, go back to the sales counter, and resolve the problem there.
Now, let's continue with this receiving problem by way of several examples of often-occurring scenarios. If this happens, you do this. If that happens, you do that. The intended outcome of these examples is to help you understand how to operate within the boundaries comprising your six topics that form your agreements to purchase materials and services from your sellers.
I presented on December 9th, 2025, the first principle I have found as paramount, undeniable, and non-negotiable to living life more richly:
Understand Your Data Lifecycle
I presented on January 20th, 2026, the first aspect of The Truth:
Arrogance Precedes Anger
AND
Anger Precedes Violence
You, as the buyer, are about to be overwhelmed with both data and arrogance from your sellers. The sellers want to complete their part of the picture as soon as possible so they can go and use the money they received from you as agreed during the Determine Compensation topic. So, they are going to move fast. Fast, as in hoping to overwhelm you with activity, where you do not accomplish the Determine Quality topic as you agreed. You will have many people moving here and there, doing this and that, as an outcome of the Determine Team Members topics. Again, more data to process in the form of activity and work progress. The massive amount of activity will strain your ability to accomplish the Determine Scope topic of your agreement with your sellers.
Now, here are several often-occurring scenarios for you to consider as a means to achieve your Determine Progress topic.
If you cannot check on the work progress of your sellers daily, then you cannot accomplish your part of monitoring the progress of your project. You have a risk that is too big for you to bear. I suggest you stop the work from progressing, regardless of how much it costs you to stop the work.
If you see a worker who is doing something that is not accomplishing the scope of your project, then you communicate with the seller of that material or service immediately.
If you cannot reach the seller of that material or service, then you activate STEP THREE of THE INSPECTION TIMES of Determine Quality. This will cause the work to stop at some point in the process. I suggest you be ready to activate STEP ONE of THE RETURN POLICY of Determine Quality. This will help the seller that you cannot reach find the focus to respond to your contact efforts.
If you are asked to accept inappropriate work for less money, then you have a change order. You and you alone have to decide the merit of the offer contained in the change order. You have the option to either accept the change order as is, reject the change order as is, or offer your version of the change order to the seller. It has been my experience that one charge order leads to more and more change orders. I suggest that you be ready to activate STEP ONE of THE RETURN POLICY of Determine Quality. Money is a wonderful motivator for action. Action, in the form of a seller realizing they are facing not only no profit from the sale but also having a loss of money from the sale by you denying further payment and having your paid money refunded to you.
If you have to activate STEP ONE of THE RETURN POLICY of Determine Quality, then you are experiencing a strain on Determine Trust. Also, you are experiencing a strain on Determine Duration. A change order can be shaped to resolve the trust and duration problems, so it is on you to decide what is acceptable to you. I suggest you do not let the pressure of being forced into a decision come to you. It is not your fault that a seller of either materials or services failed to deliver what you purchased from them. If they want to walk away, then let them. Things will not improve when a supplier is willing to not deliver. A seller that cannot manage their business, where they claim circumstances are not their fault, is simply lying to you, themselves, and anyone else who hears such statements.
Now, let's consider some of the unstoppable matters. Matters such as weather, an act of war, or the sudden death of a stakeholder involved in your team.
You cannot control these matters. What you can do is respond to them with a prepared plan. This plan is called your contingency effort. Contingent, being the else part of an if statement.
If you are faced with an unstoppable matter, then the best thing you can do is to limit your losses. First, ensure as best as possible all people and all materials are safe from harm. Second, stop all other aspects of the project. Third, send all team members away from the project to decompress from the events related to the unstoppable matter. Finally, determine your ability to continue your project with your team.
You, as an outcome of the unstoppable matter disrupting your project, must now return to the Determine Duration topic. You must decide your ability to continue to accomplish the scope of work based on the availability of time, money, materials, and services. You may need to cancel the work. You may need to pause the work. You may be able to continue the work. Regardless, you must modify in writing all of your dates in all of your agreements with all of your sellers so there are no misunderstandings. Clarity is key here, so do the work to be clear in all aspects of your agreements.
Now, wrapping up the episode today. If you are viewed by your sellers as being anything but valuable to them, then you have purchased poorly. Anyone who would belittle you as a buyer has no interest in your welfare, in obtaining your referral of their offering to others, and has destroyed all aspects of the Determine Trust topic. I suggest you operate as a buyer within your agreement. Either accept what you purchased and move on in life, or activate STEP ONE of THE RETURN POLICY of Determine Quality as you both can and want to do.
The Determine Progress topic is my favorite part of the team formation process. It helps me know what I did or did not do as an act of wisdom. I profess this statement based on the reasoning that the seller who has insufficient interest in my welfare will be discovered along the way in this six-step process of Determine Duration, Determine Trust, Determine Scope, Determine Team Members, Determine Compensation, and Determine Quality. How do I know this statement is the Truth? Simple. Only a person who is willing to sacrifice for me as a seller has my interest at heart. All sellers sacrifice something to sell to a buyer. They take the risk that I am trying to steal from them. They take the risk that I will cause them some form of embarrassment, which damages their reputation. They take the risk that I am a member of some part of some government agency sent to audit their behavior. I, as a seller, have been robbed by buyers over the years. It hurts me each time it happens. It has been many years since it last happened to me. The six-step process I have presented to you has enough evidence in it to prove it is solid enough to provide the process to you as you perform your Determine Progress activity.
Well, that's it for today.
RICHLY IS GOODLY!
Are you understanding more about the terms richly and goodly in your life and how you want to apply them in your life?
Please consider all you have heard from me today.
I hope you are excited about how you can apply the material I present to you on the show to your life, so you can live your life more richly than you have ever known!
Try to settle in your mind my role in your life. Doing so will help you be ready to continue your journey with loads of joy and excitement about the good results in your life gained from experiencing all I have to share with you.
Thank you for joining me for this episode of The Richly or Poorly Show!
I have enjoyed presenting to you today.
Until the next episode, I hope you will be safe and join me next week.
Until then.
© 2026 SH Dawson. All rights reserved.