LOSING CONTROL, GAINING SUCCESS

Giving speeches is one of the real joys of my life.  Speaking is terrifying for some, but very comfortable for me.  I truly feel best about a speech when I have owned the stage.  It is a special feeling of control over the speaking area, the content, and the audience.  Having ownership of my space is a big deal in doing things very well.

  This is another post about the people who are a part of the club.  Today’s post is about the staff.  The people you hired, developed, and pay every week or two.  How are they doing for you?  A better question might be: how are you doing for them?  Managing people is much tougher than giving a speech.  I know, as I have done both.  It is important to realize that the contents of a speech are much easier to understand and control than any human being.  So, why do we try?

  When you hire people, what if: you hire the best you can afford, you provide them with a specific roadmap, you develop them (and never stop), and you hold them accountable, in a timely way.  Most important, allow them to control their own efforts.  Allow them to do their jobs, allow them ownership for all of the reasons they were hired.   Here are 5 thoughts on managing:

ü  When people are hired, have a very specific structure to their first 30 days of work

ü  Lay out the plan for why they were hired, their goals, and the club’s objectives

ü  Provide them access to you, and all of the tools they will need to succeed from the start

ü  Meet with them often in the first 30 days, finding out how your decision is working out

ü  Most of all, allow this person, and all staffers ownership!  Allow the team to think, to act, and to execute with control.  Once they have found their wings, let them go.

  In most cases, we hire college graduates.  These graduates from the beginning wanted control.  They rode a bike alone.  They played sports, and went to school alone.  They controlled much of their own lives from a very young age.  Why, after growing up, graduating from several schools, and figuring out a lot about life on their own, do we want the reins?  Realize that when you demand control, you own the next moves.  Know that your staffer will not think or act without hearing your voice (real or imagined) sharing the next move, as you see it.  Let your staff bring their brains to work, and to use them.  Making mistakes is part of their education, just as falling off the bike was for you and me.  Let them be great for your golfers, and your business.

Jack Dillon writes the highfives blog.  You can reach Jack at highfives81@yahoo.com or at 407-973-6136.  Jack lives in Orlando.