When you have the right people in the right seat everything in your business seems to function like a well-oiled machine. When you know you have someone on the team who shouldn’t be in their current position, it can make moving your company forward difficult.
It doesn’t mean you don’t want them to be part of the team, but maybe they aren’t in the right position. This has happened with our team members. We hire to fill positions, they get in the position, and then we find out….wow! They shouldn’t be in the kitchen; they need to be a party host. This is why we like the audition process so much. You can see personalities shine through.
As business owners, we should be evaluating how our team is thriving or failing in their current position. The most successful companies put the right people in the right seats and look at how each person has unique talents they can bring to your business.
Let’s dive in and see how we get the right people in the right seat.
Attract the Right People
One of the biggest things we hear is that it’s hard to hire because we aren’t getting the best talent pool. The key is to attract the right people. Think about places like Chick-Fil-A. They always seem to have a great team and it’s easier for them to get the best team members since they attract them. Before someone applies to work there, they understand the culture of where they will be working. Train your entire team and build a culture around your core values to attract the type of team you want.
Make Sure They Have These Three Virtues
Patrick Lencioni mentions three virtues in The Ideal Team Player that I think are a critical part of having a great team. Team members have to be humble, hungry, and smart.
Lencioni says, “Humility is the single greatest and most indispensable attribute of being a team player.” There is no room for egos if you want to get the job done.
They also have to be hungry. “Hungry people almost never have to be pushed by a manager to work harder because they are self-motivated and diligent.” When they are hungry, they get the job done and no one has to micro-manage them.
Finally, they have to be smart. “Smart simply refers to a person’s common sense about people.” This may be one of the most important since your team is dealing with guests on a daily basis. They need to be aware of and understand how to deal with others.
Are they living by your core values?
In addition to having these three virtues, it’s important the people you employ understand and live your core values. Successful companies such as Zappos believe in this so strongly, they have turned away top talent because they did not live within those core values.
When interviewing, be sure you have interview questions that ask potential team members how they would react in certain situations, for example. Core values on a piece of paper are useless. Use your core values to hire, correct behavior, and fire for a better work environment.
Clear Accountability
When we post jobs, we tend to use a job description. It’s usually generic and gives a laundry list of things the candidate may or may not do in that role. Set them up for success from the get-go and let them know what they will be accountable for.
When people know they will be held accountable for results and responsibilities, they are much more likely to succeed. To have the right people on your bus, you have to be clear about what the seats are.
Do they GWC™?
One thing we do every year is look at our team to see if the individual Gets It, Wants It, and has the Capacity to do it. If your people do not have these three things, then not only will you be frustrated because they are not fulfilling their job, they’re more likely to be frustrated as well.
It takes time and works to get the right people in the right seat, but it’s doable.
If you are ready to take your business to the next level, then be sure to attend our Business Coaching Conference October 11th and 12th in Arlington. We are going to dive in and show you how to implement all this in your center. Don’t wait, register now!
