Get people doing what they are good at!

We are all different.  Some people who struggle with this or that, are great at something else.

We are all great at something.  We have a natural talent for it and do it with far less effort than other things.

Leaders and managers are in the business of developing their teams.  The first mission is to discover what people are naturally good at.  They will like doing things they feel competent in.  Hopefully, your multi-interview process when you spend lots of time hiring will uncover this.

When you get them operating in their strength zone, they will do it well, will like it, and create little friction for the team.

When someone is struggling in a job, ask “Did I give them the wrong job?”

If you can move them around your organization into a job that is better for them, you could solve the problem.  Perhaps you could try it.  Say “Hey would you like to work in this department for a week?” and see what happens.

We are all worthy valuable contributors – when we are in the right job for us.

Strong employee/weak manager – ut oh…

When you have a strong employee and a weak manager, it’s not going to go so well.  

The employee will present new ideas and try to advance quickly.  The manager will ignore them, hold them back, or not keep up.  The employee will come to disrespect the manager’s abilities.  

If the employee wins the struggle the manager will feel disempowered and drama will ensue.  If the manager wins the struggle the employee will realize this is not the place for them and they will leave.

If you chose a weak manager when you are small, as you grow the chances of this happening grow.

You want strong people, but managers have to be great at developing (and promoting) strong team members.

Evaluating weak team members

You only have so many spots on the team.  The best team will win.

Ask – “If this person worked for my competitor, would I be worried?”

Weak employees rarely get better with age.

Letting someone go.

To succeed, we have to get the right people in the right seats.

Often that involves removing someone from a seat to make room for the right person.

When the current person in the seat is failing miserably, it’s easy.

When they are “OK”, that’s when it’s hard.  

When they are “OK” and a friend, it’s real hard.

When you remove someone and the other employees on their team come forward and say “Thank you!  Finally!”, you know you waited too long.

I usually wait too long.  I have never had the others come up to me after I let someone go and say “Why the heck did you do that?”

How about you?

Calling the future into reality

“Our words do not merely describe reality, they create it.”

How are you talking to your team?  Are you vision casting?

Are you talking about what you want in the present tense?

Be it.  Say it. Today.

How are you going to repspond to that?

Stuff happens all the time when you are running a business.  Often it’s something that didn’t go well.

“Between stimulus and response there is a space.  In that space is our power to choose our response.  In our response lies our growth and our freedom.” – Viktor Frankl

How are you going to respond?  Is it just a personal emotional response, or is it going to make things better for your organization and your people now and into the future?

Correct, without crushing people

A leader must learn to say “I disagree” without also sending the message “How could you be so stupid?”

Can you do that?

Do you?

Make you proud.

Relative to your business and who you are in it, do you like yourself?

Make you proud.

Businesspeople are community leaders

Be a conscious entrepreneur.  

Treat people well and be a friend to the community.

Stepping over gold coins for bronze ones

Many of us can get caught up in doing stuff that we lose sight of what is most valuable.

We are stepping over gold coins to pick up bronze ones.

It’s different for everyone.

What is a gold coin for you?