Key Points:
We've all been in a spot in our business where we're trying to work out how to get from A to B or how to get to the next level. But what is the next level? How many levels are there?
Luke Fatooros from Ideas Into Business shares with us the 7 steps to building a smart business engine to give you time, money, and freedom.
Play and listen to the podcast below or scroll down below to learn how you can optimise your mindset, the sixth step to having a smart business engine.
6. Optimise Your Team
Luke: Often, people say you should fix your team first, but no, you shouldn't because if you don't have all the stuff in place, what are your staff and team going to be doing? They're going to be running around like lunatics. They don't have direction and processes. With any business, you are as strong as your weakest link.
Luke: Managing and motivating staff is the biggest challenge in business. Here are ways to optimise your team.
1. Show them how they contribute to the bigger picture. Where is this company going? How can they see themselves grow in this company? How can they fuel their potential (although not every staff member is interested in this, but some people want to grow).
2. Structure first, staff second. What is the optimised structure to make this business work? You then put staff in that structure.
3. Don't be held to ransom by one staff member threatening to leave. Don't be held to ransom by some staff members whom you think this entire business holds onto. You, as the leader, are the central cog. Your staff is important, but your structure is more important.
4. Adhere to a chain of command. No bypassing, no grey areas. If you're going to pass the buck, play below the line, hold no accountability, your staff are going to copy. Your culture is going to be a disaster.
5. Have the right incentives. Not every staff member is incentivised by money. It can be education, family, or other values.
6. Attitude beats skills and trophies. When you try to employ staff, you can teach them skills but you can't teach attitude.
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Josh: I can't speak highly enough of what you've just said there because we've hired our fair share of people that I would say we're working really well in a big company, and they've come to work for us and have done terribly. They had two degrees and all of these other accolades but they've done poorly versus someone who's dropped out of high school but has absolutely kicked goals and gone gangbusters because they've got a better ability to talk to people, understand a problem and work their way through it. You will know exactly who you have as your unicorns in your business.
Luke: That's an unfortunate thing. They don't get a chance because the employment agencies tick them off.