One wounded apple and the entire bag is affected.
The same goes for your team or as I like to say – your tribe. And when I say your “tribe” I also include your suppliers and subcontractors. All it takes is one non-performing tribe member, and one way or another, your entire organization is at risk, your patience is running thin and you’re becoming a time bomb waiting to explode. You end up picking up the slack and fixing it yourself by working harder, ’cause let’s face it, no one can do it as well as you, right? Wrong. I see it all the time and believe me when I say that I speak from experience.
Here’s the thing. First, you need to take responsibility for the results that are showing up in your life and in your business. Second, you need to roll up your sleeves and learn the tools and methodologies that will help you make pivotal shifts to create the powerful support you need to be able to share the load to allow your business to grow; creating a focused team that works with purpose and motivation.
You cannot afford to waste time and precious financial resources on tolerating bad apples. A non-performing team player is going to cost you a lot more time and money in the long run than you can ever imagine. There is no such thing as a “great company”. There are only “great people”.
THE PROBLEM:
Most small business owners (SBOs) are more “reactive” than “strategic + proactive”…and not just about hiring. What does this mean? Well, it means that most SBOs don’t plan to hire…they just DO when they absolutely feel like they will go nuts if they don’t. Most SBOs don’t plan to create an effective print ad, nope, they just DO it when they get a Yellow Page deal in their email one morning and decide that today is the day to create an ad.
So start by asking yourself:
Would I enthusiastically re-hire every one on my tribe?
If your answer is YES, you are part of a very rare breed. Only about 3% of entrepreneurs or business leaders would “enthusiastically” re-hire every member of their tribe.
If your answer is NO…then here are a few things you can do.
1. Take a deep breath, it’s not the end of the world.
2. Make a list of everyone on your tribe that receives a NO and do the following for each.
3. Look back to when you first hired each person and write down your TOP 5 needs at the time, as well as the TOP 5 reasons why you hired him or her to begin with.
4. Write down the TOP 5 reasons why you would NOT enthusiastically re-hire him or her.
5. Ask yourself if you have been crystal clear on your expectations, accountabilities and measurable results desired.
6. Ask yourself if this tribe member has the necessary DNA to become a real asset for your company?
7. What are 5 key things you can do to become a better leader?
RULE OF THUMB:
Hire Slow. Fire Fast…because you are only as strong as your weakest link.
Take the Poll:
To learn more about how LeapZone Strategies can help you build a winning tribe and help you create and/or strengthen your hiring process, fill out our free Needs Assessment today.
