WINNING EVERY GAME

Don’t be a loser! How to demolish four blocks to success.

It’s amazing to me how companies defend their policies when it comes to hiring and firing the people they recruit to make their business thrive in today’s marketplace. Regardless of whether I’m speaking in Manhattan, Edmonton or London, I hear the same loser’s limp: “Dave, you need to understand why our area is different. We’ve got a unique set of challenges in this marketplace.” Next year I’ll speak two weeks in Moscow and I’m sure to hear it there as well.
The following scenarios are four “losers’ limps.” When embraced they become self-fulfilling prophecies guaranteed to victimize your company. Renounce these excuses, however, and you have the potential to change your business culture and accelerate growth overnight.

“We’ve got a unique situation here. There’s a shortage of talented people in our area.” This loser’s limp justifies why some managers keep weaklings on their staff rather than find better people. This doesn’t wash. The Creator didn’t stop turning out talented people in any particular marketplace. With few exceptions, the most talented people already have jobs; they’re getting results for someone else either within, or outside, of your industry. To get out of this rut, your strategy must change from being hunted to becoming the hunter. Crossing your fingers in hopes of finding that rare, talented superstar from amongst the ranks of the unemployed is a miserable plan.

“It’s hard to fire poor performers these days.” This is true only if you are sloppy or lazy. Minimum performance and behavioral standards must be defined and communicated in writing. Performance shortfalls need to be documented. These actions must be taken to make a fair and effective termination. Otherwise, you can expect trouble if you fire someone to whom you never clearly defined expectations, held accountable, or delivered honest feedback. Employment laws favor leaders who get their act together; who care enough to confront failing employees and turn them around, while documenting the entire process.

“Our business set-up is unique. We can’t find time for training.” If you believe this, you are absolutely right. You will never find time for training. Instead, you must make time for training. As long as managers see training as an option they’ll do it only when it’s convenient, or as a knee-jerk reaction to a lousy month. Training must be a non-negotiable discipline in your business: “X” number of times per week, without fail. If your managers can’t execute that simple directive, then get yourself some real help. Take the human capital you’ve been entrusted with and make it more valuable tomorrow than it is today. Either you get this or you don’t.

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