Great title, eh? A little context. I was speaking with my brother-in-law yesterday (he has been mentioned in my posts on many occasions). I had asked him about Jack, his son, my nephew. The discussion centered on soccer or rather how he was doing at soccer. Jack likes soccer. My brother said, “He is not great. He loves the game. He is very good…just kinda in the middle.” I get that. Then I asked the question. “Would he rather have a child who is good at all sports (kinda in the middle) or exceptional at one?” Think about that for just a moment.
The idea is that you are considering, elite or really good. What is your definition of each and what exactly are you looking for? After discussion, we both agreed on two things. One that, really good is OK. This would be a better way to go. It allows for a broader perspective. A really good or even moderately good player will see perhaps a broader view on what is in front of them (even if they have had only a small variety of good moments). And because, two, someone who is elite is such a small percentage of all of us. What…about .009% of our population is elite at whatever activity they, you or we can explore.
My brother-in-law added his wife Alyssa was a spectacular, world class swimmer. I knew that, but not necessarily in the context of our chat. I agree Alyssa is spectacular (at more than just swimming). At, or rather in, her moment, she was a swimmer of mention. What if she had moved on to the Olympics? Which she probably could have done. What if she had continued on her path; what would have happened? Don’t know.
Here is my point. As managers, would you rather have a team of really good at most things or someone who was elite in one aspect of the business? If I am an owner, I may be teased into elite if the skill is attached to gross margin (or rather net margin). Think of it. An elite, who delivers every single time. Now if I am a manager, the easy/obvious answer is a team of moderately or really good. Why? Because a lot of good is better than just one great. So here is the question, what are we doing, right now this very moment, to move the good?
Let’s throw another wrench in the works. The thing that drives people is a mixture of talent with belief. Talent is never enough (see John C. Maxwell). The skill and some will. Belief drives good. That also creates elite. So if I am making this real. If I have good, what does the belief meter show? If I have the .009%, what does the belief meter show? Either way I win. And in extreme situations, I may really, really win. But this should not be the objective.
If I am twenty four years old and a new manager, the last thing I would want to do is to try to find the elite, an elite sales rep at one aspect of my business. I would rather say…enjoy what you have and build that, however mediocre that may be. Is that harsh? Not meant to be. Again having a lot of good is better than trying to find one elite.
The caveat; I desire and would revel in a collection of good if I had a consistent and ongoing coaching platform. If I could influence either my managers to coach or directly coach sales reps in an effort to drive the business and the metrics associated with it…yeah, I’m good. Literally and figuratively. That has been a recent question in my industry. The bell curve. We have 20% doing 80% of the business. 20% are sucking our will to live (and creating 80% of our headaches). 60 % show up, practice, hit most of their metrics and are OK doing their job. What if we move them up one level up? Would that be interesting? ‘Cuz it will take work.
Takeaways…simple.
- Stop trying to make your team perfect. Make them happy. Sound weird? Make your team good at what they do. Grow them. In all things at every moment. Help them play their game even in imperfection.
- Measure them. Show them their score. They will lose. Fine. Cool. Good. I need a couple of losses to make me real. I need to know where I stand (very recent realization).
- Help them enjoy the game. Find ways to embrace their joy when involved in the game. Make them laugh at the game, at themselves and even at you. Have some fun.
- Have their back. You know they will fall short, right? Then be there when they do and pick them up. Brush them off and say “good job, ready to get back in it?”
- Respect their value. I OK with a mediocre or just good team members who will try their hardest no matter what. Everyone has value. Everyone contributes. We as leaders need to find the right way to plug them in.
In closing, I once asked my dad “what sport do you think I could excel at?” I was probably eighteen. I immediately thought he would say baseball. He was my coach for a couple of years. I thought at a minimum he would say track…I was pretty fast at the high school level. I will never forget, he said “football”. Umm, what? I’m sorry did you say football? I was five foot ten and one hundred and thirty six pounds on a good day. The thing I want you to embrace is your true definition of exceptional-ism or being pretty good and ultimately who gets to decide. You see, my dad had a view completely contrary to what I thought. So who trumps who? Does that matter? Yes. If I had decided I would devote myself to track or football or sales or whatever in life, would I be where I am today? I am not a football player. Have you ever really looked at those guys? Yep, .009%. Even if I would have added the belief aspect to talent, would I have entered the world stage? Probably not. I am not that good. But I am pretty good at a lot of other things.
Get it. I am a team player who deserves a chance. I deserve some growth and development. And do you know what I will do? I will show up every day and work my ‘you know what’ off. I just need a chance and some type of acknowledgement from my manager to the tune of “You will not be perfect and I am OK with that. I got your back.” You give me that and my good gets a little bit better.
Cheers