Alice and the Mirror of Accountability
Alice and the Mirror of Accountability nick.leja |November 9, 2023 |Personal GrowthStories 1 Alice entered the inn, her eyes locking onto Thera at one of the wooden tables. Her heart racing, she walked towards her. This was her moment, years in the making—the chance to run the Bountiful Berries store in the city. A full-fledged shop, not just a market stand. This interview served as her final challenge. “Hello,” Thera said. “Please, have a seat.” Alice settled into her seat, and the interview began. The initial questions were straightforward, but a surge of anxiety rippled through her when Thera began searching through several parchments, likely in search of her recent sales records. “Ah, yes,” she said, her gaze sharpening as she found them. “Your sales have been rather low lately.” “Yes,” Alice said quickly. “That’s because my teammate, Lily, hasn’t been reliable with running the stand, so I haven’t been able to gather more valuable berries.” “Hmm,” Thera said, scanning Alice’s sales breakdown. “It also looks like you haven’t sold any elderberries. Those are one of the most sought-after berries in our region.” “Yes,” Alice said, shifting in her wooden chair, “because I haven’t been trained on how to collect them.” “And what about your pricing? You’re selling berries for much less than the other vendors.” “That’s because our stand is at the back of the market. The only way to attract customers is having low prices.” “It sounds like you think our stand’s location is a problem?” “A huge problem.” “Then why haven’t you moved the stand?” “No one told me I had that authority. I didn’t want to move it and get in trouble.” “I see…” Thera said, finalizing her review of Alice’s sales and setting the parchment down. Not Alice’s favorite line of questioning, but she had a swift response to every concern Thera raised. Sure, her sales were down, but, as she explained, it wasn’t her fault. Thera asked a few more questions, wrapped up the interview, and departed for the next village to interview their Bountiful Berries stand operator. Alice anticipated a decision within a month. The weeks rolled by, and then a messenger delivered a parchment from Thera—Alice didn’t get the promotion. Her heart lodged in her throat as she read the message repeatedly, desperately seeking an explanation. Obviously, her sales were the culprit. But didn’t Thera listen to her? Every obstacle she faced was justified: Lily’s unreliability, her lack of elderberry training, and the unfavorable location of her stand. How did Thera expect her to succeed? If it weren’t for those obstacles—which weren’t her fault—her sales would be better than everyone’s. 2 Needing some distraction, she left her thatched-roof cottage and visited the village’s only pub. Amid the crowded bar area, she took a seat and awaited service. “Hello,” the bulky man next to her greeted as she sat down. “Hi,” she said, not recognizing him. “Where are you from?” He introduced himself as Mason, a blacksmith passing through the village on his way to the city. Not much time passed before Alice poured out her frustration at missing the promotion. Mason listened attentively, asking questions to grasp the full extent of her the situation. After a moment, he shared, “You know, I went through a similar experience when I first became a blacksmith. Then, one day, I stumbled across an artifact that completely shifted my perspective. Since that day, I’ve achieved every goal I’ve set for myself.” “Really?” Alice asked wide-eyed, leaning in to absorb every word. “What was it? What did you find?” Mason paused and regarded her for a moment as if peering into her soul. After a few seconds, he broke into a warm smile and reached into the rucksack leaning against his chair. From it, he pulled out a handheld mirror and handed it to her. “Here,” he said. “This is the artifact.” She cautiously wrapped her fingers around the handle and raised the mirror to her face, her reflection staring back at her. “A mirror?” Mason nodded. “Yes, but not just any mirror. This is the Mirror of Accountability.” As she examined it, she noticed inscriptions encircling the glass at the top and bottom of the mirror. The top read: ‘Look in the mirror when things go wrong,’ and the bottom: ‘Look out the window when things go right.’ “I don’t understand.” “When things go wrong, look inward, taking accountability. When things go right, look outward, attributing credit to those who supported you. “By blaming other people or situations, you shift power from yourself to them. You put your success in their hands instead of your own. When you take accountability, you empower yourself.” Alice continued examining the mirror, mentally processing everything he said. “When you get home tonight,” Mason continued, “look into the mirror and state a reason for not receiving the promotion. Watch what happens.” 3 They chatted for a while longer as Alice asked several questions to better understand the mirror and how Mason had used it in his own journey. After sunset, they bid each other farewell, and Alice made her way back to her cottage. After settling in for the night, she raised the mirror, peered into it, and said, “My sales are down because Lily isn’t reliable.” Alice gasped as blue strands swirled together in the mirror, masking her reflection. When the strands faded, an image of her full body appeared on the left, and an image of Lilly manifested on the right. A radiant, white orb materialized in front of her chest and rushed over to Lily. Alice’s image darkened, while Lily’s brightened as the orb dissolved into her. After a few moments, the images vanished, and Alice’s reflection reappeared. Her power had transferred to Lily, just like Mason said. Okay, time to try taking accountability. Alice gazed into the mirror and said, “My sales are down because I have not put together a reliable team.” This time, a mystical white aura emanated from the outer rim of the
Managing to Core Values
Managing to Core Values nick.leja |October 13, 2023 |Business Managing to Core Values has had a profound impact on my ability to place the right individuals in the right roles within my companies (getting the right people in the right seats). This wasn’t just a minor adjustment; it was a seismic shift in how we construct and nurture our teams, which has led to significant improvements. Before embracing Core Values as a guiding principle, I found myself in a challenging situation. I had team members who clearly didn’t align with our values but were not technically violating any of our handbook policies. It turned into a waiting game with me waiting for them to violate some policy so I could initiate the disciplinary process. This approach resulted in toxic or unproductive team members remaining in the workplace for extended periods, causing harm to the overall team morale. Once I transitioned to managing based on Core Values, the transformation was immediate. Most problematic team members voluntarily left within three months, and high-performing individuals became notably more motivated. Here’s how to do it: Create Core Values The initial step is to work together with your team to craft your Core Values, and it’s advisable to keep them to no more than seven. Ours have evolved over time and currently stand as follows: Honest Reliable Passaionte Open Minded Good Listener Great Work Ethic Positive & Upbeat When I first did this, it felt like a waste of time. Core Values appeared to be mere feel-good words, abstract concepts lacking any tangible benefits. I was wrong. Implement Quarterly People Analyzers On a quarterly basis, we conduct a People Analyzer on everyone in the company (including the leaders… including me). During this analysis, managers should assess each team member against our Core Values using the following ratings: “+” = the team member exhibits this Core Value most of the time “+/-” = the team member exhibits this Core Value some of the time “-” = the team member generally does not exhibit this Core Value It’s important to note that a “+” doesn’t imply they always exhibit the Core Value, and a “-” doesn’t mean they never do. We all have good and bad days. Additionally, the People Analyzer assesses each team member’s suitability for their specific role within the company. This evaluation focuses on three key factors: Get It: Does the team member understand their role? Want It: Is the team member genuinely motivated and committed to their role? Capacity: Does the team member possess the capacity and capability to effectively perform their role? For each of these, the team member is given either a “Yes” or “No.” Here’s a sample People Analyzer for reference: Define “The Bar” No more than three “+/-” ratings for the Core Values. No “-” ratings for the Core Values. All “Yes” ratings for Get It, Want It, and Capacity (GWC). If a team member meets or exceeds The Bar criteria, they are considered a good fit for our company’s culture. Handling Team Members Below “The Bar” When team members fall below The Bar, it signifies that they are either the wrong person, in the wrong seat, or both. If team members are above The Bar concerning Core Values but receive a “No” for GWC (Get It, Want It, Capacity), it suggests that they are indeed the right person for the company but are currently placed in the wrong seat. The ideal approach is to seek a different role or position where they can excel and contribute effectively. However, if they’re below The Bar with respect to Core Values, they are the wrong person for the company. When a team member falls below The Bar, here’s a structured approach to address the situation: 1. One-on-One Meeting: Schedule a one-on-one meeting with the team member to discuss their People Analyzer results. Explain the ratings and provide them with clear feedback. 2. Identify Obstacles: Explore whether there are any factors within the company that might be hindering their performance. Discuss their understanding of their role, expectations, training, tools, and resource needs. If they’re identified as the right person but in the wrong seat, discuss other potential positions they might be interested in. 3. Mutual Game Plan: Collaboratively create a plan to help the team member rise above The Bar. This plan may include actions both the manager and the team member should take to improve the situation. 4. Schedule Follow-Up: Set a follow-up meeting to conduct another People Analyzer in 2-4 weeks. Ensure that this follow-up meeting is scheduled and added to both calendars before ending the meeting. 5. Follow-Up Assessment: In the follow-up meeting, reevaluate the team member’s status against The Bar. If they are now above The Bar, the problem is resolved. If they remain below The Bar, begin the Disciplinary Process and schedule another follow-up meeting in 2-4 weeks. 6. Repeat as Necessary: Keep repeating steps 1-5 until: The team member is above The Bar (the desired goal) The team member voluntarily resigns or is terminated Our Process For our company, our Disciplinary Process involves two written warnings, and if the issues aren’t resolved, termination of employment. If the team member does not improve, the longest the process would take is 3 months: A great benefit of this process is that most team members will quit before getting fired. If someone isn’t a good cultural fit, deep down, they’ll know it. If they’re only at risk of being fired for making mistakes, many will try to hang on, hoping to avoid any further errors (or at least to avoid getting caught). But when the issue is a poor cultural fit, it’s much harder to conceal. This process also focuses on what’s most important: recognizing team members who align well with our Core Values rather than those who make the fewest mistakes. I’d rather have a team member who strongly embodies our Core Values, even if they make occasional mistakes, over a toxic team member who simply plays
Thoughts on Time Management
Thoughts on Time Management nick.leja |September 30, 2023 |Personal Growth Ever feel like you’re spinning your wheels? Or that you’re spending most of your time reacting to the world around you instead of paving your own path? This post on time management should help! Putting the Ladder on the Right Wall Before I can effectively manage my time, I need to determine my destination. Otherwise, I’m climbing a ladder without making sure it’s on the right wall. Even if I’m highly skilled and efficient at climbing, it’s pointless if my ladder is on the wrong wall. Sometimes, I know where the right wall is. I simply need to reposition my ladder. Other times, I may feel lost and unsure about my goals and direction. In such cases, I’ve identified two exercises that can be helpful. Clarity Breaks When I’m stuck at a crossroads while pursuing my main goal, I find that taking clarity breaks helps me find the right path. Here’s how I do it: Write down what I want to figure out. Grab a pen and paper. Lock my phone in a drawer. Find a comfortable place to sit, ideally outside or in a quiet room if outside isn’t practical. Set a timer for one hour, preferably not using my phone (since it’s locked away!) Just be. During the “just be” phase, I’m not actively trying to solve the problem, judge my progress, or clear my mind. I’m just being. The first 20 minutes are usually painful as I feel unproductive and my mind focuses on everything except solving my problem. The second 20 minutes are a bit more calming as my mind begins to settle. The final 20 minutes are where the breakthroughs occur. This is when ideas emerge, and solutions to my problem surface, much like noticing the car I’m considering buying everywhere without consciously looking for it. Mental Maps If I’m ever really feeling lost or without direction, I’ll make a 5-year personal mind map for myself, typically using Ayoa. In this mind map, I list my 5-year goals: personal, professional, physical, mental, and more. Numerous studies indicate that writing down our goals significantly increases our chances of achieving them. Mind maps are an excellent starting point for this process. example of a mental map Focus on Quadrant II Activities The Time Management Matrix, created by Stephen Covey in The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People, categorizes activities into four quadrants based on whether they are Urgent/Not Urgent and Important/Not Important. Quadrant I activities are urgent and important, like emergencies and projects with deadlines. Quadrant II activities are important but not urgent. These include relationship building, important projects without a deadline, clarity breaks, and intentional recreation / relaxation. Quadrant III activities are urgent but not important, such as most phone calls, emails, and meetings. Quadrant IV activities are not important or urgent, such as time wasters, busy work, some calls/emails, or non-intentional escape activities (such as mindlessly checking my phone without a specific purpose). Quadrant II is where the magic’s at. Every activity here contributes towards achieving my goal. Quadrant I activities are necessary but don’t really move me forward. Quadrant III often traps people, consuming their time, and Quadrant IV is where I find myself when I’m bored or seeking distractions from life. While climbing a mountain: Quadrant I is getting back up after I fall. Quadrant II is taking a step forward. Quadrant III is looking for a squirrel that just ran past on the trail. Quadrant IV is checking my phone with no real purpose or intention. Willpower In The One Thing by Gary Keller, the author compares our willpower to a cell phone battery. First thing in the morning, our mental willpower is at its maximum, like a fully charged battery at 100%. As the day progresses, our willpower gradually depletes. By late evening, it’s nearly drained, making activities like watching TV very tempting after a long day. Because of this, for good time management, it’s crucial to prioritize our Quadrant II activities at the beginning of the day when our willpower is at its peak. It’s also important to schedule these activities. When just starting out, I would schedule (and set a timer for) one-hour blocks three times per week. Now, as much as possible, I block out every day before noon for Quadrant II activities. All my meetings, email-checking, and responding to others’ requests happen after noon. Delegate and Elevate Not all activities consume willpower equally. The more we dislike doing something, the more it depletes our willpower. It takes a large amount of willpower to pay all my bills but not so much to play a video game. To maximize our willpower, the key is to focus on tasks we genuinely enjoy or love, and delegate everything else. A helpful tool for identifying tasks to delegate is the “Delegate and Elevate” tool, which is part of the EOS System created by Gino Wickman. To use this tool effectively, I categorize my daily activities into four quadrants using the graph below: As with the Time Management Matrix, most of us get stuck in Quadrant III: things we don’t like doing but are good at. For tasks we dislike, the best approach is to delegate whenever feasible (acknowledging that the real world may not always align with this ideal). By concentrating on activities we genuinely enjoy, we can achieve significantly more since they require less willpower. Be At Peace with Losing Balance Another concept in The One Thing is being at peace with being out of balance. Constantly striving to maintain perfect equilibrium between personal and professional aspects of life can hinder progress. On any given day, it’s likely that one aspect of life takes precedence over the others. Take vacations, for example. The goal of a vacation isn’t to keep everything perfectly balanced; it’s about dedicating time to fully recharge. During a vacation, it’s okay to prioritize personal life while neglecting professional life temporarily. Similarly, there are phases when
Harnessing the Power of Listening
Almost all of us have a deep yearning to be understood. That being said, listening is hard. Sometimes, it can be very hard. The mental strength required to deeply listen is intense. There are times when someone else is talking and every ounce of me wants to interrupt and interject my viewpoint. It takes a lot of effort and patience to listen well. Every time I do it, though, the struggle is worth it. Here are some quick tips on listening that have helped me personally: Let Them Breathe Not feeling understood can feel suffocating, like you lack air and can’t breathe. If your counterpart feels suffocated, she likely won’t pay much attention to what you have to say. If you and I were in a room talking and all of the air suddenly got sucked out, you likely wouldn’t listen to anything I have to say. All your attention would be on finding air to breathe. This is much the same feeling one gets when she feels like she isn’t understood. She doesn’t care what you have to say until she gets some air. View it as your mission to give your counterpart air so she can breathe as quickly as possible. You’ll be surprised how quickly the argument will dissolve and turn into a positive, productive conversation. You can do this by making her feel understood. Rephrase and Label Emotions To show someone we understand her, we should repeat back what she said in our own words, essentially summarizing what she just said. If there are emotions tied to what she said, we should also label those emotions. For example, if someone just got done venting about how much she hates her job because she doesn’t feel challenged and does the same thing over and over, I could say something like, “So it sounds like you are really unhappy at work because you don’t feel like you’re learning or growing. Is that right?” Ask Questions vs Making Statements Conversations are fluid, and it may not always be apparent how you can repeat something back to the other person and label their emotion. When this happens, ask questions such as: Can you explain what you meant when you said ___? Can you tell me more about ___? Why did you feel ___ when that happened? Questions like those invite the other person to sift through their thoughts and expand, helping you, and even themselves, truly understand how they’re feeling. Statements can be confrontational, putting the other person on guard. Questions, on the other hand, are more exploratory and comfortable. Try to Get the Other Person to Say “That’s Right” Whenever someone says “That’s right” to something you’ve said, you have reached clarity and understanding. Keep rephrasing and repeating back what the other person says, label emotions, and ask questions to gain understanding until the other person says, “Yes, that’s right.” Resist the Urge to Defend or Problem-Solve Two types of conversations in which listening is incredibly important are arguments and conversations dealing with problems. Arguments During an argument, your counterpart is likely expressing thoughts that can be perceived as attacks. Our initial instinct is to defend ourselves or share our perspective, but before we do, it is important we make our counterpart feel heard. If some of my team members just got done telling me they feel I prioritize making money over their safety in the workplace, my initial instinct is to immediately defend myself and tell them why they’re wrong. However, first I need to give them air to breathe. Responding like this is much more effective: “To make sure I heard you correctly, it sounds like based on a few decisions I’ve made over the past couple of months, you think I am focused more on making money than the team’s safety, and it’s making you feel unhappy and unsafe at work. Is that right?” Assuming they agree (which is already a huge step towards finding common ground), I’d continue with: “Okay, I understand where you’re coming from, and I’m very sorry I made you all feel that way. I value your safety significantly more than money. Without you as my team, the company wouldn’t exist. If it’s okay with you, I’d like to walk through the examples you shared of decisions I’ve made, explain my point of view on them, and then hear from you how I could’ve acted differently to not make you feel unsafe. Is that all right with you?” After saying something like this, the hostility will likely have dissipated, no one is in a defending posture, and we can talk through the issues on the same side of the table vs opposing sides. Problems During a conversation dealing with problems, most people’s initial reaction is to start problem-solving. Many times, the initial problem identified is a symptom of a deeper root cause, and time spent treating symptoms vs root causes isn’t very effective. For example, someone may express they are unhappy with their job. If I immediately try to solve this problem, I may focus on helping him update his resume and look for a new job. However, if instead I keep reflecting and labeling, the conversation could go something like this: HIM: “I’ve been a funk lately because I’m so miserable at work. Something needs to change.” ME: “I’m sorry to hear that. It sounds like work is making you unhappy, so you want a change like getting a new job?” HIM: “Well, no, I like the company I work for. I was hired to do digital marketing, but I’m spending all my time focusing on internal communications.” ME: “So you’re frustrated you aren’t doing what you were hired to do?” HIM: “Not just that, but I got my degree in digital marketing and that’s my passion.” ME: “Oh, so you want to stay with your current company, but you just aren’t doing work you’re passionate about. Sounds like you need to find a way to switch to the digital
The Shopkeeper’s Journey – A Tale of Incentives
The Shopkeeper’s Journey – A Tale of Incentives nick.leja |February 27, 2023 |BusinessStories a tale of incentives After years of toiling away with manual labor, Cole decided to open a shop in his medieval village of Stonebridge. With a passion for travel, Cole set out to collect unique items such as exotic spices, silks, dyes, precious stones, and other treasures from around the area. He secured a loan from a wealthy merchant and opened his shop in the heart of the village. At first, he relished being in the shop, working from open to close every day. But eventually, he wanted to expand his business. So he hired three helpers. After training them, he slipped on his green tunic, brown boots, and matching belt, and then he ventured off to nearby villages to collect new goods for his shop. The First Challenge Two weeks later, he returned from his travels and was disappointed to see that his standards had slipped. Dust piled up in the corners, his product wasn’t organized. His team also looked bored, which led to poor customer experiences. To remedy this, Cole came up with a checklist for the staff to follow during his next trip to ensure his standards were maintained. After restocking the shelves with all the new goods from his latest trip, Cole set off on another two-week journey. However, when he returned from his second trip, he found that the checklists hadn’t been followed. Frustrated, he hired a supervisor to oversee the team and ensure the checklists were completed properly. But even with a supervisor, Cole found that his team still wasn’t completing everything when he returned from his third trip. This time, Cole decided to pay his employees based on commission. Hopefully this would motivate them to work harder and think more like owners. However, this created a new problem. With the new commission structure, his staff began fighting over who focused on sales. No one wanted to do non-sales tasks like cleaning or merchandising because they paid less. As a result, the shop’s standards dropped even further, and customers complained about feeling pressured to buy things. A New Focus Determined to make his team feel and act like owners, Cole thought deeply about what motivates an owner. He narrowed it down to two things: profits and customer satisfaction. If the store made a lot of profits, but the customers weren’t happy, those profits would soon evaporate. With this in mind, Cole shared his plan with his staff. He promised to put 10% of the store’s profits into a pool to share with the staff every month based on their hours worked and individual performance. In addition, he set up a customer survey card outside the store, asking customers to rate their experience. The staff would only receive their share of the profits if most customer feedback was positive. Cole returned from his next trip to find that his new approach had finally worked. Non-sales tasks such as cleaning, merchandising, and even promoting the store all contributed to the store’s profits, so everyone was willing to help. They even came up with new ideas to help the store grow. Furthermore, with the team’s newfound excitement at sharing in the shop’s success, Cole no longer needed a supervisor to enforce the checklists. As a result, his sales increased and expenses decreased, even after accounting for the profit-sharing. With this successful strategy in place, Cole’s shop became a thriving and happy community hub, where employees and customers alike felt valued and invested in the store’s success. All thanks to the power of incentives. THE END Nick’s Notes Incentives drive results. Other than getting the right team in place, providing the right incentives is the most important thing a leader can do. Incentives should be simple, easy to understand, lucrative, and fully align everyone’s interests. For my current companies, being in retail, I put a percentage of the gross profits (sales – COGs) into a pool and then apply a modifier based on labor. These are all factors the team can control vs something like our monthly rent. At the end of each month, that pool gets split between the supervisors based on hours worked. Then, the manager gets a percentage of the supervisor’s bonus pool, and the District Manager gets a percentage of all the managers’ bonuses. This completely aligns everyone’s interests so everyone’s rowing in the same direction and has led to a substantial increase in our stores’ success. With the right team and the right incentives, little else matters.
Thomas the Chef
Thomas the Chef nick.leja |September 14, 2022 |Stories a fictional nonfiction story that shares a life skill Since he was a young boy, Thomas had dreamed of being a chef, one of the most revered professions in his village. Every year, all the villages around the area would host a cooking contest for young adults between the ages of sixteen and nineteen. The top five finalists would be invited to the village leader’s personal kitchen for an apprenticeship that ensured they would have a successful career as a chef. Having just turned 16, this was Thomas’s first year participating in the contest. The week before the contest started, he made one of his signature dishes: a savory pie filled with lamb and seasonal veggies. He made one for his friend Otto to try. After Otto finished, Thomas asked what he thought. “It was great!” Otto said, scarfing down the last bite. This delighted Thomas, giving him even more confidence he would win. The next week came, Thomas made his signature pie, but unfortunately, he came in last place. Thomas was sad as this was his first major setback with cooking. However, he was determined to do better next year. For the next year, Thomas continued experimenting with new dishes. A week before the next contest, he brought Otto his new favorite dish: pan-fried chicken with cumin and coriander. Yum! Otto tried it and said, “This is really good.” Sensing less enthusiasm from Otto than the previous year, Thomas asked “Are you sure?” Otto quickly nodded, “Yes, of course. I can tell you put a lot of time into creating this, and it’s really good.” Less confident than the year before, Thomas entered the contest and made his pan-fried chicken. Unfortunately, he finished in near-last place. He only had two more attempts until he would be too old to participate in the contest. He had to improve. Fast. The following year, Thomas hosted countless dinners for all his friends and family, always asking how people liked his food. Every meal, everyone who tasted it gave him nothing but compliments, save for a few minor suggestions here or there. This confused Thomas. If everyone kept raving about his food, why did he do so poorly in the contest? A week before the third contest, he cooked some hen in a pot with cinnamon and almonds. He had several of his friends and family sample the dish, and then he served it to Otto. “Otto,” Thomas said before giving him the food. “Please be very honest with your feedback.” Otto nodded, tried the hen, and then said, “It’s very good, though it’s a touch too salty for me. Although, I could just be sensitive to salt, so I’m sure it tastes fine to others.” Thomas thanked Otto for the feedback and adjusted his salt for the contest. He still lost. This time, he did slightly better, finishing in the bottom third of the group, but still very far off from the top five. Thomas felt defeated. He stopped cooking after that contest and decided to focus on a different profession. ‘I’m clearly not meant to be a chef,’ he thought. One evening, Thomas was going for a walk when he felt so overcome with sadness that he started crying. He moved to a large boulder next to the walking path, sat down, and then wept into his hands. A few minutes later, Otto came strolling down the path and stopped when he saw his friend in despair. “What’s wrong?” Otto asked, sitting beside Thomas on the rock. “I just don’t understand,” Thomas said. “Every meal I cook for people, I’m told how good it is. But then when I cook at the contest, nobody likes my food.” “Maybe you just need more practice?” Otto suggested. “What good would that do me? Everyone I cook for says my food is already great, so I don’t know what I’d be practicing towards.” Otto looked down at the pathway, deep in thought. “I almost wish,” Thomas continued, “people in this village didn’t like my food. At least then I would get some useful feedback I could use to improve.” “Thomas,” Otto said quietly. “Yes?” “I haven’t been totally honest with you.” “What do you mean?” “I…don’t really like your food.” Thomas looked at him, surprised. “But you always tell me how good it is.” “That’s because I know how important cooking is to you, and I see how hard you work at it,” Otto said. “I was just trying to be nice and not hurt your feelings.” “Does everyone else feel similarly?” Thomas asked, his face growing warm with anger. Otto nodded. “Yes, we care for you so much. We felt it would crush your dreams if we told you what we really thought. Talking to you now, I can see we did more harm than good by not being truthful. Had we been honest with you, you likely would have won the contest by now and would currently be a professional chef. Looking back, we thought we were looking out for you, but we were really just looking out for ourselves, trying to avoid putting ourselves in an uncomfortable situation. I’m so sorry Thomas….” A few moments passed while the two spoke back and forth, until Thomas said, “Okay, I understand what happened, and I don’t hold that against anyone. From this point forward, Otto, I want you to promise me… promise me you will be completely honest when it comes to my food.” “I promise,” Otto said. “Good,” Thomas said, and the two shook hands and then started to head back to the village. “Thomas,” Otto said after a few minutes. “Yeah?” “You put way, way too much salt in your food!” The two laughed and continued chatting until they got back to the village. During the next year, Thomas cooked his heart out, and Otto and his other friends and family finally gave him their honest opinions of his cooking. Whether the
How To Motivate Employees – The Power of Incentives
How To Motivate Employees – The Power of Incentives nick.leja |August 24, 2022 |Business I spent a lot of time trying to figure out how to motivate employees, and I eventually realized that was a waste of both my and their time. A huge lesson I’ve learned: give your key person the most lucrative incentive you can, and then get out of their way. Creating incentives for the team is probably the most important thing a business owner or manager can do. So little time is spent on this, but it’s one of the only things that matters. Personal Story 3 years ago, I discovered the manager of my lowest-volume store had been embezzling from me, and I wanted to give up. For years leading up to it, this store had been an absolute nightmare. I had tried all the techniques I read about in management books about how to motivate employees: change the culture, collaborate with the team in coming up with the policies/procedures, set SMART goals, get everyone aligned, etc. None of that worked. Finally, I looked to incentives. I let one of my most loyal employees buy into ownership, one of the best incentives of all. I gave him the key to the store and got out of his way. 90 days later, the store started seeing explosive growth. 12 months after he took over, it was my number one store and still continues to crush it. I also spend less than 5% of the time on it than I used to. Takeaway So much time goes into developing procedures, disciplinary actions, giving motivational talks and so on to try and motivate a team. That takes a ton of effort and leads to mediocre results. Finding the right person, putting them in the right seat, giving them a lucrative incentive, and then watching them flourish has been the best use of my time. This is far more valuable than trying to figure out how to motivate employees. Have you ever done something similar where you gave someone a huge incentive and then loosened the reigns? How did it turn out? Are there any specific incentives you’ve used that have worked out well or any advice you have on creating incentives?