Old style management doesn’t encourage personal mind
control, employees aren’t encouraged to think. That was
certainly the case when I started work back in the bad old
days however it’s still prevalent in many businesses today.
It’s evident in many of the organisations that I work with
that there’s a culture of – “I’m the boss – I tell you what
to do – you don’t question it.”
The successful manager doesn’t react that way, he or she
employs people who think; people with a mind of their own
who aren’t afraid to say what they think and feel. You need
people who question, who challenge you as a manager.
I remember sitting in on a second interview with John, a
manager client of mine who was interviewing candidates for a
sales job. One of the candidates was a guy called Phil; he
was a very strong character, full of questions and
suggestions on how the job should be done.
John turned to me when Phil left the room – “That guy’s
good, I reckon he’d be a good salesman for us, but I don’t
think I could handle him.” John was a much quieter type of
person than Phil and I knew he felt uncomfortable with his
style.
So I asked John – “What do you want this new salesman to
do?” “I want him to bring in new business” said John. “Do
you think he can do that” I asked. “Of course I do, I just
think he’ll be difficult to handle.”
Again, it all comes down to outcomes; of course you’ve got
to consider how you’re going to work with a new team member
but you sometimes need to get out of your comfort zone and
take a risk.
John hired Phil and he brought in the new business that John
needed. Phil was always a handful and a challenge for John
but they learned to work together.
Discover how you can interview and recruit the best people
for your team!
Alan Fairweather is the author of “How to get More Sales
by Picking the Best Team” This book is packed with
practical things that you can do to make your life easier
and achieve your business goals.
Click here now:
