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1/12/2008 11:19:00 AM
No matter what business you are in, one thing is true -- your people are your greatest asset and the only true differentiator you really have.
Unless your business concept is extremely unique, your competitors have similar products, services, facilities, advertisements, etc. What they don't have is your people.
That being said, it is critically important that, as a manager/owner, you do the best job possible of driving results through the efforts of your people.
There are four areas where you can have a major impact on the results your people achieve: talent, tools, expectations and support. Let's take a quick look at each.
Talent
It all starts with talent. With strong talent, you at least have the opportunity to achieve results. With weak talent, despite how much effort you might put into it, the odds are stacked against you.
Don't settle for weak talent. Keep recruiting until you find that winner. They are out there. When you find one, give them a new home. Also, it's a pretty safe bet that strong talent will not stay in a situation surrounded by weak talent.
Tools
To maximize effectiveness, your talent needs appropriate tools. It is your job to identify and do your best to provide them. Tools include appropriate training, which can never stop. I remember attending a class years ago on how to be a wizard on an electronic calculator -- a lot of good that does me today. One last point: Strong talent likely won't stay in a situation where the appropriate tools are lacking.
Expectations
In my experience, a universal weakness of poorly performing businesses is low expectations on the part of the owner/manager. Like it or not, for most people the expectations placed upon them tend to form the ceiling to their performance. If the expectations are low, so will be the performance. On the other hand, if the expectations are high, there is at least the possibility that the performance will be also. At least, the performance will likely be elevated. Last, strong talent likely won't stay in a situation where the expectations and performance are low.
Support
If you have done a good job on the other three -- talent, tools and expectations -- a bit of support will surely help put your people's performance over the top. Support can mean a lot of things, from a simple thank you for a job well done to some type of reward (money, a dinner for two, a trip) for outstanding results.
A critical type of support is when things don't go right. An organization that rarely makes a mistake or suffers a failure might be one that is simply playing a conservative game, not reaching for what is truly possible, potentially leaving a lot of results on the table. Organizations that push the envelope, that attempt to change the game, are often the ones that hold leadership positions in the marketplace.
Last, if your organization is reaching and pushing, it is likely because you have the strong talent with which to attempt it. That strong talent will hit some home runs, but it also will sometimes strike out (Babe Ruth led the majors in both). It will need your support when it walks back to the dugout.
The good news is that the results you can potentially achieve are totally within your control. You control the talent you put on the field, the tools you provide them with, the expectations you put in front of them and the level of support you show them. Stay on top of these four items and your business will likely perform well.
Mike Hulser
Source: The Biz MD
Unless your business concept is extremely unique, your competitors have similar products, services, facilities, advertisements, etc. What they don't have is your people.
That being said, it is critically important that, as a manager/owner, you do the best job possible of driving results through the efforts of your people.
There are four areas where you can have a major impact on the results your people achieve: talent, tools, expectations and support. Let's take a quick look at each.
Talent
It all starts with talent. With strong talent, you at least have the opportunity to achieve results. With weak talent, despite how much effort you might put into it, the odds are stacked against you.
Don't settle for weak talent. Keep recruiting until you find that winner. They are out there. When you find one, give them a new home. Also, it's a pretty safe bet that strong talent will not stay in a situation surrounded by weak talent.
Tools
To maximize effectiveness, your talent needs appropriate tools. It is your job to identify and do your best to provide them. Tools include appropriate training, which can never stop. I remember attending a class years ago on how to be a wizard on an electronic calculator -- a lot of good that does me today. One last point: Strong talent likely won't stay in a situation where the appropriate tools are lacking.
Expectations
In my experience, a universal weakness of poorly performing businesses is low expectations on the part of the owner/manager. Like it or not, for most people the expectations placed upon them tend to form the ceiling to their performance. If the expectations are low, so will be the performance. On the other hand, if the expectations are high, there is at least the possibility that the performance will be also. At least, the performance will likely be elevated. Last, strong talent likely won't stay in a situation where the expectations and performance are low.
Support
If you have done a good job on the other three -- talent, tools and expectations -- a bit of support will surely help put your people's performance over the top. Support can mean a lot of things, from a simple thank you for a job well done to some type of reward (money, a dinner for two, a trip) for outstanding results.
A critical type of support is when things don't go right. An organization that rarely makes a mistake or suffers a failure might be one that is simply playing a conservative game, not reaching for what is truly possible, potentially leaving a lot of results on the table. Organizations that push the envelope, that attempt to change the game, are often the ones that hold leadership positions in the marketplace.
Last, if your organization is reaching and pushing, it is likely because you have the strong talent with which to attempt it. That strong talent will hit some home runs, but it also will sometimes strike out (Babe Ruth led the majors in both). It will need your support when it walks back to the dugout.
The good news is that the results you can potentially achieve are totally within your control. You control the talent you put on the field, the tools you provide them with, the expectations you put in front of them and the level of support you show them. Stay on top of these four items and your business will likely perform well.
Mike Hulser
Source: The Biz MD
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