Have you had the experience of being in a room with a know-it-all? I don’t know about you but to me this is really annoying. Even though I have some age and experience, I know that I have so much more to learn and am a firm believer that I do not have to be the smartest person in the room. As a business owner, manager or supervisor you have to lead your people which can mean you have to solve problems and come up with solutions. Does this mean you have to have the answer? This is the dilemma of a leader.
In the last few blogs, I have talked about mission and vision (read it here) and engaging your people. (read it here) To have a strong organization you need good people around you. Jim Rohn who is a motivational speaker and thought leader stated, “You're the average of the five people you spend the most time with.” I believe this phrase works with your work relationships as well. If this is the case what types of people are around you and what should you look for in people when you need to hire for your organization?
In the research that I have done, there are 4 different types of people in the workforce. Depending on the source you use, the names would be different. As I have looked at this, here are the names I would use along with the explanation for each type of employee.
"My military background taught me how to create a successful team by surrounding myself with smart people."
-- Jo McCabe, owner of Mr. Handyman of Northern Virginia, Navy veteran
The goal for you and your organization is to surround yourself with individuals that are committed or compelled. The compelled will by nature make others better. The compelled are your rock stars who will keep everything moving forward. The compliant need a bit of a nudge. Now you need those individuals that are compliant because they will get things done. But, to get more done, you as the leader can help the compelled and the committed person to be better. Lead then by communicating your vision as well as how that fits into their personal vision for their life and work goals. Your role is to lead them to the shared result. This is the sweet spot of employee engagement!
I firmly believe we can learn from everyone both young and old and those that come from different walks of life. Because of their experience and a different perspective, it collectively makes the ideas and suggestions that they bring to the organization a stronger and healthier place to work. Taking the posture of humbleness and curiosity is a huge asset in today’s world. I cannot know everything or be able to do everything in the organization. So, play to your strengths and surround yourself with individuals that are able to fill in those gaps where you are weaker.
My roles as a coach and business consultant is to help you see blind spots and offer an outside perspective on your business. If you are feeling overwhelmed and are struggling with how things are going, let’s talk. The idea is that you should be working on your business, not in your business. Contact me here or send me an email here. I can guide you through these waters where you will be able to enjoy your work again and have a bit more freedom to work on your business instead of in it!