CULTURE BUILT ON CHARACTER

We Coach Character… Then Collections!

American Agencies strongly believes in the importance of developing a solid ethical and moral foundation in its team of debt collectors and support staff. We accomplish this in a number of ways which are expounded upon in the following pages - But first an explanation of the Pyramid of Success and how it is used to shape our corporate culture.

As a company, American Agencies has adopted and embraced the principles and values of legendary basketball coach John R. Wooden and his Pyramid of Success. The early beginnings of the Pyramid started after John Wooden took a position teaching high school English at the age of 24. He soon grew frustrated with the grading system he was required to use, and felt compelled to help his students better understand success as a result of effort. He thought of his father's advice, that he should, "Never try to be better than anyone else, but never stop trying to be the best you can be." This led Wooden to eventually coin his own definition of success:

"Success is peace of mind, which is a direct result of self-satisfaction in knowing you made the effort to do your best to become the best that you are capable of becoming."

The definition satisfied Wooden for a short while, but he quickly realized it was insufficient. He needed something more concrete - more visual. So he spent the next 14 years identifying 25 behaviors he believed were necessary to achieve his idea of success. This search culminated in a simple but profound diagram Wooden called "The Pyramid of Success", which he completed in 1948. Nearly six decades later these foundational behaviors have weathered the test of time - unchanged, full of wisdom, as rock-solid as the first day Coach established the cornerstones of Industriousness and Enthusiasm.

Once we welcome a new employee to the American Agencies team and introduce them to the timeless value system of Coach Wooden, there can be no mistaking the fact that the team member has joined a debt collection agency whose ideal is to treat others as we would like to be treated. Entitled to at least the same common courtesy and respect that should be afforded during any business transaction, the consumer is viewed as the customer of the agency, rather than an "opponent" or "debtor". Every new recovery team member quickly comes to realize that success at American Agencies can only be achieved by finding a balance between firm, fair and compliant collection practices while maintaining realistic recovery standards for our clients.

The Coach Wooden standard of success can never be measured by merely overcoming opponents or others, but by doing your best and consistently striving to improve yourself. At American Agencies, success, growth and job security are not simply determined by recovered dollars, but on finding that balance of "Right Result, Right Way."

"It is difficult to antagonize and persuade at the same time."

Click on the following link to visit Coach Wooden's website: www.coachjohnwooden.com

American Agencies adoption of Coach John Wooden's philosophy is mentioned in a Los Angeles Times article. Click on the following link to view the article:
LA Times Article