It’s easy to say what we don’t want, but do we say what we want?
I was talking with “Nicole” about a situation she is dealing with because a manager who reports to her has made poor hiring decisions. She was letting him do the hiring since moving him into a new role because he’s been in the business for years. But, after two hires this year that were not up to par, something has to change.
It was easy for Nicole to tell me what the newest employee did wrong. He was late a number of times and unapologetic about it, disinterested in following company policy and lazy about his responsibilities. This was in his first 60 days! When he picked a fight with another employee, that was the last straw. Alex fired him.
As we talked about the character traits she wants in new employees, I asked her to write them down. Within a few minutes, she had a list of character strengths, skills and experience that would be ideal for this particular role. She became more energized as she wrote because she saw the picture developing of the ideal employee and she knew how beneficial it could be. It was always in her mind, now it was captured.
Turns out, she learned from the manager that his #1 priority was filling the position. They had a good talk about the impact that had on him, other employees and customers, and what he will focus on going forward. Her list will be the basis for conversations with other managers so they all understand what she wants for the company and why it is important. It will give her opportunities to hear from them, too, what difference that could make in the long run.
It’s easy to say what we don’t want. But, thinking about and communicating what we do want can make a huge difference.
