Are you a business leader who is worried that you haven’t got the right people on your side and are constantly putting out ‘people fires’? We are constantly working with mid-market clients to help them effectively manage their people so that they can sustainably grow their business. Managing Talent is always a top concern for businesses that are growing or looking to grow.
As an example, I recently met up with a business contact who manages a sizable team of people in the competitive media industry. When I asked how her business was going, she immediately told me a story that you have probably heard a thousand times; one bad apple spoiling the bunch.
In her team, she had a negative and destructive member of staff who sucked the energy out of the team, drained productivity, created conflict at every chance, and gave customers the worst possible impression of the business.
Unfortunately, the staff member in question was a relative of one of the board members, and because of pure nepotism, she was compelled to try everything to make the situation work. Holding out hope, making concessions, and trying to educate and train the staff member into shape all provided no dividends. The bad apple became even more resentful, their sense of entitlement grew and they became aggressive at work.
Eventually, the bad apple left the business, but not before three of her best staff members quit and the organisation’s profits reduced. One bad apple spoiled the bunch.
Addressing Your People Management Strategy
Deciding that it’s time to let someone go is stressful, expensive, but ultimately necessary. When you think of the cost of lost production, along with the effect of stress and conflict on existing team members, it’s hard to justify not acting earlier.
But how do you do it? Most business owners put up with this crippling expense rather than face it. You see, the secret to addressing this is in your people management strategy. Here’s a way to help you develop yours.
Topgrading – the proven hiring method that turbocharges company performance
Brad Smart, the author of Topgrading, advises business leaders to go through a process of bringing on high-performance employees (A Players) and culling non-productive and destructive C Players.
His people management approach advocates businesses to thoroughly interview prospective employees so that every hire is an A Player – a high-performance individual who raises your team’s game.
He says: “One of the key competencies of an A Player is resourcefulness.” Read this article Topgrading’s MOST Important Competency to learn how to identify this competence reliably.
Brad shows us that it’s possible to recognise and hire A Player talent for your team and that the more A Players you have on your team, the more A Player talent you attract.
It’s not easy, but nothing great ever is. If you are committed to the success of your business and the happiness and productiveness of your employees, then you need to be willing to do what it takes. You can’t get a different result by doing the same things.
So if you don’t know about Topgrading I recommend taking the time to read this excellent business book. You may also like SSBG Director Leigh Paulden’s people management article delving into winning hiring practices and explaining how Core Values Should Drive Your Employment Choices.
