Talent matters, a lot. When it comes to attracting and retaining top level performers (those who play nice with others), I believe that we could all do more. This pertains to people who are great team players, leaders, collaborators, communicators and have enviable functional skills. While money helps, it is not the primary motivator for all people which is why …
Keep asking questions
Keep asking questions as they will enable you to continue learning while contributing to the process at the same time. Don’t be someone who sits in meetings and doesn’t contribute with ideas, thoughts and experiences as that is a sure way to become irrelevant and overlooked when major projects and initiatives come around. As someone who wants to grow, learn …
Share your thoughts, ideas and experiences
Share your thoughts, ideas and experiences. Don’t hoard them for yourself, as there’s nothing wrong with enabling others to succeed as well. There’s plenty for us all, so what you can’t or don’t want to do, share freely as it might help someone else. “Power is gained by sharing knowledge, not hoarding it” – Unknown
Build a great team
Build a great team. Surround yourself with the best people you can find, attract and retain. If you are good (ideally great) at what you do, you want people who are amazing at what they do, preferably, in areas that are not your strengths. Furthermore, don’t simply post a job description on your website and wait for applicants. Instead, leverage …
You get what you tolerate
You get what you tolerate, in life and in business. If you attract and retain mediocre players and contributors, you are going to end up with mediocre results, outcomes and performance. This is also applicable to your individual careers as you have the final say on where you are and where you continue to be. If you have decided to …
Hire honest people
Who you hire matters, a lot! It is essential to surround yourself with honest people who will always tell you the truth, instead with those who will simply nod their heads in “agreement” with everything you might say. You want the truth, you want to learn from others as well and do what’s best for the organization overall, not only …
Switching industries mid-career
Switching industries mid-career is a topic I come across frequently and those inquiring almost always doubt their abilities to make the switch successfully. While every industry and profession has its nuances, terminology and software used, the fundamental experience in areas such as leadership, management, technology, finances, marketing and the like don’t change that much. After all, P&L is P&L in …
Culture enables innovation
Innovation! It is one of the hottest areas of focus for most businesses across a multitude of industries, markets and countries, or so it seems, on paper. However, when it comes to actually doing what’s needed to even have a shot at being truly innovative, most fail. Culture enables innovation and that is something that needs to be understood by …
Don’t chase money
Money isn’t enough. While it can be a powerful motivator for many, money alone is not enough to make you happy and help you enjoy what you do. Instead, position yourself where you enjoy (even love) the journey, not the destination. Furthermore, spend time, effort and energy on what you are great at paired with market need and you can’t …
FINISH IT!
FINISHED is better than perfect! While I’m a fan of quality in all that I do, at times, it is possible for us all to spend way too much time on things that don’t provide as much value in return. Furthermore, we often sit on thing at 80% or 90% complete and we keep finding excuses as to why we …