The Fastest Way To An Idea

The bar is low.

Most people are boring, uncreative, and have a hard time thinking of others' needs.But not you.

You work harder than that.

You can go out of your way to make someone feel welcome.You can go out of your way to stand out.You can go out of your way to make people remember who you are.All you need is to start.You don't even need the idea.How? Try this . . .

2 Minute Action

The fastest way to get an idea?Google it.I'm not kidding. Someone else has probably thought of this before and has written 10 articles on it.The best part is that this generally helps spark other ideas.And that's the punch line.The hard part of getting something started isn't the idea . . . it's usually getting past the thought that you can't come up with an idea.Once you can outsmart or outwork yourself, you're really onto something.

This Choice You Make Will Shape Your Success And Happiness

You know what helps when work gets hard?

The team of people around you.This is why we hire for aptitude, attitude, and cultural fit.It’s always a little easier to take failures on the chin when you have others sharing the burden or when they are there to get you back in the fighting ring.

The cool thing is that you get to choose those people.

You get to choose who works for you or who you work for.You get to choose with whom you share experiences.Slowly, over time, you will see the group of people around you change and grow, and it’s up to you to recognize if you’re flying among eagles.

2 Minute Action

Let a valuable friend know they are valuable, today.It’s so easy but it can be so impactful.

3 Characteristics Of Rock Star Teammates

Stop hiring for specific skills.Hiring this way almost always overlooks the three most important traits of a strong candidate.There are 3 things that good managers hire for.Of course, sometimes, you really do need a highly trained skill set. There's just no amount of positivity that will substitute for an expertly-trained brain surgeon--but unless you need a super specific, high-stakes skill like this, you're much, much better off starting at these 3 traits:

Aptitude

Do they have the ability to learn and execute the skills they need to be successful?

Attitude

Do they make others around them feel confident, capable, and like excellence is possible? No one can sustain this all the time under all circumstances, that's just faking it. We're just looking at most of the time. What's their common thought habit?

Cultural fit

Culture is not the ping-pong table, the nerf guns, nor the Keurig. Culture is how you treat others when it's hard, when you're tired, and when you're frustrated. Cultural fit on a high-performance team is "do you believe what we believe?" "Do you have similar values as shown by your actions?"Finding these three traits will lead to capturing the right people. Training, mentoring, and supporting them are the things that will keep them with you.

2 Minute Action

Quickly list a few traits of your high-performers.What are the characteristics that make them successful? Pick 3-5.Now rank your other teammates on a 10 point scale for each of these 3-5 characteristics.If anyone is below a 6, you should schedule time to identify/discuss and solve this.Reviews do NOT need to be annual. Make it happen, today.