HOW TO HAVE MORE FUN AND MAKE MORE MONEY – PART 3
The steps to having more fun and making more money are aligning your business’ purpose with your personal purpose, creating business goals that fulfill the purpose with strong execution and surrounding yourself with people who support your purpose and who have the ability to accomplish the goals.
People are important. The “right” people are often the competitive extra in your business’ performance. On the other hand, the “wrong” people can obstruct or even destroy one.
And you can’t just look at someone’s experience or job skills to know whether they are the “right” person.
Instead, here’s a way to assess your team. Ask yourself the following three questions about each employee.
- Are they bought into the company’s purpose and values?
- Do they want to pursue the company goals?
- Are they capable of doing their job?
If the answer is “yes” to each question for an employee, that employee is a difference maker. Each of your executives and managers must be difference makers – they are the role models for your company. Other non-management employees will also be difference makers, and they are the quiet leaders and influencers of your company.
If the answer is “yes” to any two of the questions, that employee is a neutral. They are contributors to the company, but the lack of alignment will require them to be under the supervision or guidance of others to get their best performance. They can be good followers but should not be in a position of organizational or cultural leadership.
One particular form of neutral bears close attention. If the answer is “yes” to the first two questions and “no” to the third, that employee may rise to the status of a detractor. A detractor is a strong performer, typically due to a unique experience or skill they possess, who is not aligned with the company culture. The danger of detractors is the example they set of being able to be disaffected from the company if they are “good enough.”
I’m presuming you know what to do with employees where the answer is “no” to each of the questions.
The keys to increasing the proportion of difference makers in your organization are the steps you take at the time of hire, promotion, and recognition.
When hiring a new employee, the top evaluation criteria must be alignment and support of the company’s purpose and goals. Promotions are exclusive to those who demonstrate alignment with the company’s purpose and values. Recognition is provided for performance associated with purpose and goals, not simply numerical achievements. This doesn’t mean talent or experience are not important, but consistently rewarding your top priorities will cause them to be naturally taught within the organization.
When organizations align around common purpose and values, with clear and meaningful goals, and employees are competent your leadership style changes. Decisions are delegated to the level closest to the customer. Micromanagement is unnecessary. Coaching replaces corrective behavior. Innovation increases at all levels. And the business becomes agile.
The business becomes a learning organization that adapts itself to changes it encounters internally and externally.
This is just the tip of the iceberg on how small business owners can have more fun and make more money. And it is not a wish. It can be a reality.
If you’d like to know more, send your questions and comments to me here. I have a passion for helping small business owners and entrepreneurs find and achieve their purpose which results in more fun and more money!
www.ClosingStrong.com
“Just as your car runs more smoothly and requires less energy to go faster and farther when the wheels are in perfect alignment, you perform better when your thoughts, feelings, emotions, goals, and values are in balance.”
– Brian Tracy