Brian Tracy; is Chairman and CEO of Brian Tracy International, a company specializing in the training and development of individuals and organizations. He is the top-selling author of more than 45 books that have been translated into dozens of languages. Brian has been one of my mentors for the past 20 years and those of you who enjoy being inspired and motivated will enjoy Brain Tracy’s Book “FULL ENGAGEMENT”. The following article is taken from a brief summary of his latest book.
Welcome to the new world of business!
We have gone through a watershed in business activities and operations and things will never be the same again. What you are dealing with today is the “new normal.” The good old days are gone forever.
Because of shrinking markets, increased competition, demanding customers and a never-ending shortage of highly qualified, productive people, you will have to do more with less, and get better results from limited resources, more than ever before.
As a manager at any level, you are essentially the operator of your own personal business unit. You have revenues and expenses, inputs and outputs, production and – loss statement reflects your ability to combine people and resources to get results especially financial results that are in excess, and, ideally, greatly in excess, of their total costs.
Most People Work at 50% of Capacity
According to Robert Half International, the average person works at about 50% of capacity. Because of unclear job assignments, lack of priories, poor management and direction, and lack of feedback, the average employee wastes 50% or more of his or her time in activities that have nothing to do with the job. This wasted time is consumed in idle chitchat with co-workers, extended lunches, and coffee breaks, employees coming in late and leaving early, surfing the Internet and engaging in personal business and other time-filling activities that represent virtually no return to the company on the amount of money invested in paying people’s salaries, wages, and benefits. But, as Napoleon said, “There are no bad soldiers under a good general.” A good manager with a clear vision can quickly organize a group of average performers into a peak performance team that is capable of achieving tremendous results for the company. You just need to learn how to do it.
The Heart of the Matter
Here’s the lesson: The way you treat people, what you say and do that affects them emotionally, is more important than all the education, intelligence or experience you might have at doing your job. The best news is that because you are motivated and influenced by the same things other people are, you already know everything you need to know to become an outstanding manager/leader. You already know how to unlock the potential of the people around you, how to build a peak performance team that delivers consistently high levels of results for your company. You just need to apply it. Peter Drucker once said that the most important shift you can make in your vocabulary in business is to use the words contribution instead of success. When you start thinking in terms of contribution, your whole attitude about yourself, as a manager, and other people in the workplace as well, changes in a very positive way.
If business was easy everyone would be successful. It’s not. Business is constantly changing and adapting to change is challenging. Managing people who need to adapt to change is even more challenging.