If you want to be a leader and attack top talent today you need to address three things. The world we live in, the people in the world we live in and what you need to be and do to become a positive influence to both.
THE WORLD
We live in a fast past changing world, a different world than we were born into! We all acknowledge that, but just how different is it? Why is it so different and how can we adapt
and thrive in this new world?
It’s important to understand we’re living in the transition to a 'new economy' a new way of
life really, but just how different is our world? The International Monetary Fund has now stated "This economy is beyond our knowledge and experience.” Really, it's beyond the people who have been in charge for a very long time. So, it's a brand new and in this world, it won’t be enough to stay ahead of your competition, you’ll need to keep up with your employees and customers. It’s not just a ‘new economy’ it’s actually a new socioeconomic system that makes this a radically different world to live and work in. It’s the dramatic shifts in people’s attitudes, social views and values that makes this a massive socioeconomic transition.
Why is today so different? We’ve gone through economic and social ups and downs for 100’s of years, isn’t this just another fluctuation? No, it's a transition different from anything we’ve ever experienced. We’ve never had the population, demographics, globalization, technology, virtual reality, augmented reality, 3D printing, science, healthcare and artificial Intelligence we’re faced with today. Add to these factors the 4 generations main generations of people living on the planet who seem to have deteriorating character, values and integrity. It’s really the perfect socioeconomic storm.
It’s the social shifts that really add to the challenge we all face in business. We've become a celebrity society where Boomers want to be rich, Gen X wanted change and 50% of millennials state they want to be famous and rich and now we’re about to add Gen Z. The celebrity society influence of luxury lifestyles and a reality, that isn’t a real reality, is in everyone's face everywhere they turn.
Today's employees are faced with the possibility of more jobs changes than ever before and we’re headed to a time of more change in the next 100 months than we've experience in the last 100 years as this transition continues to develop, mature and head towards the rapid advancements in technology, science and health care.
A transition this significant and massive will be messy and when we look back this transition will be significantly more challenging than the shift from the agriculture age to the Industrial age.
Sounds tough, has been tough, will be tough but you know the saying, 'When the going gets tough, the tough get going'! Change has always been the only constant but today it's happening so fast it's producing more insecurity, anxiety, worry and earthen the average person can handle. And that is the point, this transition requires people to keep up by become lifelong learners who embrace the idea of continual growth and improvement.
I have good news, there's great opportunity for any business that's tough enough to get going by giving people purpose, by challenging them to be their best and helping people learn, grow and improve to face this new world. The business leaders that accept the challenge will be those standing tall, attracting and retaining top talent, talent that will help them reap huge personal rewards, impact many lives and increase profits!
THE PEOPLE
Understanding people's mindsets gives you the insights to start being a positive influence. Most people are suffering from ‘Economic & Social Normalcy Bias’, it hasn’t happen before so it can’t happen now. The arrogance or denial that results from this causes them to fight to maintain a status quo or go back to a better time. This causes people to keep doing what made them successful or comfortable in the past. This plan won't end well since we cannot stop the rapid change we are experiencing. Past success and comfort are the greatest enemy to present and future success because they keep us from embracing today's changes and taking new actions. Frankly most business owners and executives are comfortable because they’ve worked hard for years to get comfortable. So your first challenge is to accept that it's time to be uncomfortable if you want to grow and improve. Is also important to remember you're either getting better or you're getting worse, there's no maintaining the status quo.
What's about all the articles, studies and talk about the millennials and aging boomers?
Let's take a closer look at the generations. What’s the difference between the generations? Not as much as what most people think! With all the change that's happening our human nature hasn't changed and all 3 generations seem to suffer from deteriorating values, integrity and character which infects and influences each other!
What's about all the articles, studies and talk about the millennials and aging boomers?
It's in out nature to seek comfort and make excuses so in this way we are the same. Our future success depends on the same thing it always has, self-discipline, the ability to face and do the things we don't want to, to get the things that are best for us. We were all created to be extraordinary but wired to be mediocre until someone inspires, motivates and coaches us to be our best. That's why leaders who coach, inspire and motivate win! Today however mediocrity is king, standards have been lowered and leadership is more important than ever before!
You will need to understand that you will not lead a group of all passionate, motivated individuals. The majority of people will be average and your job will be to get 10%-20% above average behavior form these average people. Don't stop looking for extraordinary people but know that when you hire them they will either move up in your organization or out to better themselves and you will always be working to improve the average people they leave behind.
The truth about any group of people is that that are full of average people just trying to be comfortable and get by. The vast majority of people are busy looking for the easiest way, not the best way, and your challenge is to help them overcome their nature that drives them to be average.
The good news is that for any organization to be extraordinary they only need people to be slightly above average, because a group of slightly above average people pulling together produce exceptional results. The more important issue is how do you inspire average people? The answer...Give them purpose!
The truth about any group of people is that that are full of average people just trying to be comfortable and get by. The vast majority of people are busy looking for the easiest way, not the best way, and your challenge is to help them overcome their nature that drives them to be average.
The good news is that for any organization to be extraordinary they only need people to be slightly above average, because a group of slightly above average people pulling together produce exceptional results. The more important issue is how do you inspire average people? The answer...Give them purpose!
BEING A POSITIVE INFLUENCE
A leader armed with the acceptance that things are truly different, change will keep occurring at light speed and people will always seek to be comfortable and be average, if not given a purpose that inspires them to overcome their nature, is ready to become the positive influence and difference maker that can succeed in the new world.
If you are going to be the employer of choice, attract and retain top talent, you must accept
that you are first and foremost in the people development business. You will not improve your company, you can only improve your people. You are in the people development business or you're working way out of business!
A great place to start changing the way you hire, train, coach and develop your people is to remember people's #1 reason for leaving their job...Their boss! It's time to lead and turn your managers into mentors. Training falls far short of what's needed to inspire and motivate people. Coaching, which happens daily and starts by instilling and addressing attitudes, monists and people's emotional intelligence is the key to attracting and retaining top talent.
If you are going to be the employer of choice, attract and retain top talent, you must accept
A great place to start changing the way you hire, train, coach and develop your people is to remember people's #1 reason for leaving their job...Their boss! It's time to lead and turn your managers into mentors. Training falls far short of what's needed to inspire and motivate people. Coaching, which happens daily and starts by instilling and addressing attitudes, monists and people's emotional intelligence is the key to attracting and retaining top talent.
So take an honest look, make a list and make sure there are great reasons why people would want to work for you? What is our personal brand, your influence? Do you give people a purpose higher than themselves or just having a job? Ask yourself, "Am I the leader you’d want to follow?
Then, you can begin to ask your people to answer the question, "Are you the followers they'd want to lead?"
Studies reveal that people perform best when working for a purpose. The best purpose a
business can have is to make a positive difference in people's lives, not just give them a job! You need a higher purpose that inspires, motivates and brings people together. Helping people be their best is a purpose that creates a performance culture in your business and helps hold people accountable to perform at their peak. To do this owners, executives and managers need to be engaged, connected and an active communicators who coach attitudes, teach skills and manage action to hold people accountable to be their best. You need to love your people enough to get the best out of them!
You need to turn your managers into mentors! Leaders and managers who mentor and coach attract and retain top talent because they stand out and make your company the employer of choice.
Great leaders have always been committed to helping people learn, grow and improve. In fact, if your people aren't learning, growing and improving, you aren't leading. You may be running a business, but how long can it run on the backs of average people when average people keep lowering the bar?
You need to define who you are as a company? If a corporation is an individual then give it a personality, character and values that inspire people, attract people and makes people proud to be a part of. Do you have a company 'To Be List’? Who do you want your company to be? How do you expect your people to behave. If everyone knows who you are, you'll attract those like you and give them a compass to stay on course. You can also recruit using your 'To Be List' to set expectation for future employee coaching, development and behavior.
What should you be looking for in your people? You should be recruiting people with high emotional intelligence who posses a growth mindset, not a fixed mindset. Recruiting instead of waiting until you are desperate is an important element attracting top talent. So is how you interview and test. So if you really want to be the best, build an organization that performs to is peak you have to invest in recruiting, testing, training, coaching and you need it to be a priority because it is the best way to increase your efficiency and productivity.
Make sure you have people who are responsible to always be recruiting. If you want good people you have to be obsessed with pursuing them and developing them. We've heard that people are our most important asset for decades and watched as not must was done to prove anyone really believed that. If you're ready to accept that as fact, then take actions that prove it. It requires resources and money, but will produce the best return on investment you make. So make sure your have a budget for recruiting and people development. Then take action to improve your people. Be active at job fairs, veterans organizations, start internships, be visible at colleges and business organizations and start looking or the other industries that you can recruit people from. You need to build a deep bench by never continuously recruiting! This will also help you have the strength to hold people accountable to meet your standards. It will give you the courage to raise those standards and watch people begin to take more pride in their work and company.
Once you know who you are and who you’re looking for you can effectively promote your company and personal brand by creating a social media presence that will be a positive influence on your existing employees and prospective employees of all generations.
Once you know who you are and who you’re looking for you can effectively promote your company and personal brand by creating a social media presence that will be a positive influence on your existing employees and prospective employees of all generations.
This new world we talked about presents us with a great opportunity. One that can produce extraordinary rewards. We have to remember though, easy doesn't ever produce excellence, it's always the result of doing the hard stuff, and leading people, managing people and getting the best out of people isn't easy, it's just worth the effort!
Today your people matter more than ever before because the average person’s standards have fallen so low and that makes mediocrity more dangerous than ever before.
The challenges you face today demands that you build a company made up of people with above average attitudes who give an exceptional effort everyday. These will be people with high emotional intelligence and a growth mindset. When you do, they’ll take your company a level up to serve your customers needs before they even know they have them. One of the greatest challenges of the 'new economy’ it to be able to provide information before it's common knowledge. To provide creative ideas to solve the unforeseen problems your customers face. You need people who can think one step ahead of your customers, not just respond to them and you won’t just hire these types of people you'll need to hire right and then continue to develop them. It’s not about training as much as it is about ongoing coaching that generates continuous individual and group development.
Today, you're either all in to help people be their best or you're on your way to being average and then extinct. So if you're in, start controlling the two things within your power, people’s attitudes and effort! Commit to spend the time, money and resources to create a performance culture in your business that moves average people a level up and produces peak performers who excel in this new world we live in. I promise you that your ROI on the time and money invested will be off the charts!
