No Drags Allowed

Part of the Results On Purpose process is to help leadership teams paint a picture of what their company looks and feels like in the medium future. As we paint this picture, I suggest to leadership teams that they commit to a future with “no drags allowed.”

It’s been nearly 15 years since I learned a very important lesson as a business owner. That lesson became a rule…”no drags allowed.” One day as I was walking in the front doors of my office, I began to feel physically drained. It didn’t take much to realize that it was the anticipation of another day dealing with a particular employee that was sucking my energy. Now this employee made a profitable contribution and was a good person, but he also either lacked humility or he was overcompensating for low self-esteem. I’m not sure which, but it was a problem.

Regardless, his behavior towards his peers and me was often annoying at best and combative at worst. Without going into detail, he negatively impacted the culture and productivity, which was hurting our business. And on that day, I realized that if I didn’t want to be there with this person, probably nobody did. I did the only thing I could do and that was to let him go.

Now, there is not likely a business owner anywhere who has been in business for any length of time who has not had this situation or is having it right now. I empathize with all of you. But today I am not talking about the acute pain you may be experiencing with an employee, but rather the chronic discomfort that doesn’t send you to the ER, but you know you should see somebody about it.

So let’s step back for a moment and talk about who is a drag. People who are drags are not limited to those who lack humility or other issues that stick out like the one I described. Other drags might be people who are lazy, only doing the least amount required and sometimes less and that is all people have to expect. Drags might be those who consistently don’t follow through on time creating fire drills for others. Drags might be those who complain about customers or otherwise take them for granted. Drags might be those who won’t follow the processes. You know who they are.

So let’s get back to the vision for the future. Every organization should seek to understand what Mindset and behaviors make a great team member. And then, make it a collective goal of the leaders to coach everyone up to that expectation or to coach them out of the company. And by the way, when you establish clarity around Mindset and expectations, those that are not a fit more often than not will go on their own because being there is kind of a drag for them to.

So, changes don’t usually happen overnight, but it starts with a firm, long-term commitment to “no drags allowed.” And this will help you on the path to greater freedom for the owner, profit for the business, and a great culture for the team.