Don't manage people, manage purpose!
Simon Squibb
My mission is to fix the education system. It starts with my new book “what’s your dream?” Grab a copy below ????
The hardest thing I have learned to do in business is fire people. I hate doing it and find it never gets easier despite practice - unlike most other elements of being an entrepreneur, which often gets easier over time.
To decide if someone should be fired I use the 4,5,6,7 rule. >>>
1,2 & 3 are people who join the company and you (and they) know quickly there is not a fit. Something went wrong in the hiring process and it ain’t going to work out. Quitting/firing makes sense for all.
8,9 & 10 are people who join your company, are superstars and the match is magic. At all costs keep these types in your business. I have seen 8,9,10s leave for one main reason and that’s 4,5,6,7s.
4,5,6 & 7s are interesting breed. Often talented but lacking something, or sometimes your company is just not right for them. The issue is that as the employer you think “they have so much potential and if I just hold out or help them more or give them more, they will become better!”
Often you want it to be so, so badly, you neglect 8,9,10 and the business to try and make 4,5,6, and 7s happy. It rarely works out. Learn quickly it’s not going to work is my advice and frankly, you must let go of the 4,5,6 and 7s ASAP - if they don’t move up to an 8,9,10 within 3 months. I have broken this rule so many times, to my detriment.
Having nothing but 8,9 and 10s in your business is what will make it enjoyable for you, your team, your customers and ensure success. Took me years to know this is true. Hope it’s useful. Note, if you are a 4,5,6,7 you also should just quit as there is a role for you somewhere where you would be an 8,9,10 and happier so this advice is for the employee and employer.
Founder & Managing Director of Bowland IT & Telecoms
3 年Fantastic! It naturally hasn’t been a lightswitch mindset transformation for me, but I now follow purpose a lot more than I used to, and I am consistently getting better at it everyday! I have a better relationship with my team, and we are achieving the right clients! It was you that helped me with this mindset, thank you! ??
With every day forward I Am God's Light! ??
3 年Numbers are so True! I'm a interesting person in business. When you come into a new job You couldn't fault me. 12 years service, good timekeeping, 3 supervisor recommendations, another 10 years at different company, great sales, safety paramount well liked. Then you enter a different business that's closed knit. Old school. How can someone Inforduliating Recieve a fair go when they feel threatened by someone who is a Leader without being a Leader! I failed at school, learnt life lessons and Grew! I have found Purpose! First off it's embracing being a Step Dad to 2 children so my business life partner will grow. Next year is New. Will form a Company based with Purpose. Family passive investment. And be sensitive to environment and when trading form ethical choices. We will reformat existing Web contacts And also edit the pages of a book we are producing together. 1600 pages in 10 months I could have joined and be called a 1 2 or 3 I have 4 5 6 7 but don't know the computer things Yet in 5 weeks I had sale targets of 76k and amassed 107k I aspire to be 8 9 10 and when I learn more from my business life partner first then I will expand. Simon Look at my profile and see the interesting way I express Voice! I enjoy Real You
--
3 年I have to respectfully disagree. Certainly there are people who for various reasons might be better served in a different position, and that's fine. But as an industry, I think one of the most harmful views of workers, even in high pressure, must-not-fail scenarios is the myth of the 10x engineer, the ninja rockstar unicorn. I've worked with (and been myself) a beginner and a subject matter expert. I have never seen people leave because of the "4, 5, 6s and 7s." I've seen lots of people leave because the 9 or 10 is terrible, egotistical, and impossible to work with. I've seen lots of people leave because management stops listening to them, or respecting their contributions. Maybe as a manager speaking about management, it's tempting to look at the problem and think that the answer is more management, to act boldly, dynamically. But I think leadership is taking the view that everyone is a 9 or 10, you just need to set them up in the right direction. Granted, that place may or may not be as part of a team with a specific mission, but framing the problem as "B players discourage the A players" reminds me of this scene from Steve Jobs... and I don't think many engineers look at this scene and see him as being in the right. They see every bad manager they've ever had. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2fweZsmH4Tw
Independent Creative @ MZP (Ministrstvo za propagando / Ministry Of Propaganda)
3 年Great post, Simon.