When E-Myth Worldwide was founded almost 30 years ago, it was based on a single underlying principal:
"Systems run the business and people run the systems."
And absolutely every frustration you experience in your business has a systemic solution.
"Every frustration?" you ask. "But my frustration isn't about systems. I just can't find good people."
Yet good people are everywhere. Some of them may even be working for you right now. And although they're good, maybe they're not good at what you're asking them to do.
There could be several possible reasons for that frustration:
One is that they're good people who don't have the minimum required skills to do what you're asking them to do. So begin trying to discover where their skills could be applied. That's employee development.
Another reason could be that, even though they may have the skills required to do the work, they don't know how that work is to be done. They don't know what "done", to your satisfaction, looks like. As one of our E-Myth clients remarked, "One of the skills they don’t have is the ability to read my mind."
I suggest that's not their fault. It's yours and your managers.
"But," you protest, "I tell them what I want, and even how to do it."
But how often? And what systems do you have in place to reinforce and remind them, and to make it possible for them to train someone else on what you want and how to do it?
When you look to systems to run your business, your thinking has to become systemic. You don't get results by blaming people. You only get intimidated people.
So before you call in that employee for a little talk, make sure you have a system in place that makes it possible for him or her to successfully understand and achieve the result you're seeking.
Now, a third reason you may not be finding good people may lie in your recruiting and hiring system.
What is your recruiting and hiring system?
Is it simply a sign that says "Help Wanted" or "Now Hiring"? If so, then you're getting exactly who you deserve, although probably not who you want.
Like your good employee who doesn't know what “done” looks like, your job applicants haven't a clue from your recruiting system what "help" looks like either!
Give them a system that describes what you're looking for, and an opportunity to demonstrate in advance that they have the minimum required skills to make you happy.
One of our clients at E-Myth Worldwide provided a stunning example of a recruiting system for his growing medical practice.
His posted ad read:
"I need a full-time office assistant in my growing medical practice. No experience necessary. Must enjoy following written procedures and have a passion for order. Please include with your reply your written system for preparing and consuming breakfast."
He received several dozen responses, and considered only those that completely complied with his written instructions. Of those, one stood out. This was the candidate who’d sent an "Action Plan for Preparing and Consuming Morning Nourishment," which described "how to determine a clean bowl," schematics of his table setting, exacting cereal-to-milk proportions, a diagram showing the movement of the spoon to the mouth, and accompanying color pictures.
He'd found his office assistant.
It didn't surprise me to learn that this candidate's first job had been as a shipping clerk for a business owned by another E-Myth client!
Hi Lance,
I'd wonder the same things Hasan has mentioned, but even more to the point, I think, is how you interpreted the fact that your respondents didn't bother to comply with your request. Here's what I think is important: If you intend to create a business that delivers consistent results to your customers without your constant intervention or it's total dependence on you, you're going to want to be creating a business that is based on operating systems -- driven by people who will play by the rules you've established. Now, if, at this very early juncture in an employee's relationship with your business (even before they're hired!) they flagrantly ignore the first set of instructions/requirements you've set up for them -- how much confidence can you have that their willingness to play by your rules is going to be any different once they're on your payroll and face to face with your customers?? So, the good news is that you were given an opportunity to cull non-conformers sight-unseen, before you've wasted their and your time on any more comprehensive hiring activities.
Would you agree?
thanks --
Larry