Low unemployment is fabulous right? Not if you’re a small business owner looking to build your team. A strong team is critical to a sell-able business, but it can seem impossible to build if the talent is hard to find.
Sometimes outside talent is critical, but often as owners we tend to overlook the talent that’s already on the team.
Why do we overlook our own employees?
Maybe you’ve already given them an opportunity and they blew it?
Good thing you never made a mistake.
Maybe they are doing great at their current job and it would be disruptive to promote them?
Yeah, someone like that would never think of pursuing opportunity elsewhere.
Maybe you asked before, and they turned you down?
You obviously recognize a good thing right away, the first time, every time.
We build our business on our ability to overcome our own imperfections and mistakes – but do we give our employees the chance to do the same?
Shawn Doyle’s Entrepreneur article “The Leadership Secret That Smart Leaders Have Know for a Century” provides excellent reminders about how to cut through the beliefs that we have about our existing team.
What is the secret everyone can learn from? The riches we are looking for are right in our own backyard. Here are some ideas for you if you are in a leadership role or the founder of a company to develop and polish the diamonds all around you.
Mine your talent.
There are bright, talented, ambitious people who want to do well. They just need to be developed.
Believe in them.
Tell them that you see talent in them, that they have tremendous potential and that you believe in their talents, maybe even more than they do
Give them developmental assignments.
Pick projects that will help them stretch and be challenged.
Ask about their dreams.
Don’t be surprised if you are the only manager who has ever asked them this question. Many leaders don’t take the time to develop people or ask them what they want.
