Hiring, firing, team training and building – Oh My!
We are huge advocates of knowing every person on your team’s “Top Three Most Important Activities”.
Yet even we were shocked at how often this critical key came up in every single conversation we had this week with small businesses that were seeking support with their team. Can you immediately identify what the top three most important activities of each and every one of your team members are? If you asked them, would they have different answers than yours? If you are hiring, do you know the three most important activities of the role you are hiring for? Do you know your own?
How Important Are Your Most Important Activities?
a. Hiring. So often the hiring process is approached with a broad brush and we allow the resumes to drive the process. Ads are usually vague with respect to the position. They say “receptionist”, “administrative assistant” or something of that nature which can be a very different role from company to company. Then it lists specific skills needed, like “proficient in Microsoft Office” or “Professional written and verbal communication skills”.
Then resumes flood in and we get captivated with certain ones and let that drive the process. The big miss here is that there can be a fantastic person, with excellent skills and experience, which is not the right fit for what is needed based on the “Top 3”. And we end up with a great document drafter who resents the interruptions of a ringing telephone (hello, cash flow!) in a position that requires invariable phone work and client service.
Before you can even run an ad, you HAVE to know what the three most important activities of every role is in your business. Otherwise, how can you effectively know what kind of person you are attracting into a role?
99% of team members you end up having to let go is not because they weren’t proficient in a certain computer program. It’s usually because they aren’t a “fit” or have social or communication issues. The top three activities help you identify what the right “fit” is.
b. Firing. We had a great call with a company this week that is on the fence about letting a team member go. They’ve decided to give her 30 more days then make a determination if she stays or goes. We’ve all been there and know what agony this situation creates. The elements that initially contribute to the decision process are typically even muddier. It’s so easy to get lost in the details of “business” analysis of the person and their performance. What we really need to know to be able to effectively utilize that “30 day last chance” time period is to know the person’s top three most important activities and be able to measure if they are completing these activities to satisfaction or not. They may be great at other things, but if those things are the top things we NEED from this position, it isn’t going to work.
c. Planning the week. It’s so easy to let the incoming appointment requests, the emails and phone calls we receive dictate what we work on each week. Instead, we MUST make sure we, and our team, are working on their top three most important activities each week…first and foremost. Yes, we understand the motto “the client comes first” and they are conditioned for immediate response. However, if the crucial activities of your business aren’t being addressed proactively, there is going to be a downfall somewhere and usually will wind up back on your desk. If your support team member’s most important activity is making follow up calls to prospective clients to book appointments and they instead are stuck in the vortex of filing and organizing because their personality is to be in a production role and not on the front lines connecting with people with compassion and empathy you are soon going to be without new revenue in your pipeline!
These are just three areas that we see the top three most important activities be a crucial factor. If you AND your team TOGETHER can’t immediately state their top three most important activities then spend some time in your next team meeting clarifying this. It’s the fastest way to get everyone on the same page and seal up any holes in the activities where time is being spent. To enroll your team in our next 12 week telecourse training program based off the #1 AMAZON BEST SELLER book, “Don’t be a Yes Chick: How to Stop Babysitting Your Boss, Transform Your Job and Work with a Dream Team Without Losing Your Sanity or Your Spirit in the Process” beginning April 10th email info@yeschick.com.
What else do you think is key to hiring, firing and team training?
