Hire people that are ambitious. One criterion that some managers refuse to consider in the hiring process is someone that’s ambitious.
These managers prefer a grunt that won’t pose a threat for their job. They’ve gotten comfortable in the position and don’t want completion.
What they don’t realize is that they’re missing one of the best characteristics of an employee. Hiring someone with drive, passion, and a work ethic will drive your team to higher places.
She works for a position. She works for success.
You can be assured that she will get things done. Teams feed off of her energy and move forward.
She’s not a threat to their positions. She’s an opportunity to get ahead in their careers.
Find someone that is ambitious, preferably someone that is better than you. Hiring good people isn’t enough though; you still need to lead them.
Get emotional and show your passion. Getting emotional doesn’t mean that you need to cry or yell like a coach.
What it does mean is that you show your passion. People can see it; they can feel it.
It manifests in your voice, eyes, and work. The team knows you’re excited because you live, breathe, and eat your goals.
Get excited about your work—no matter how menial the task—and others will get excited to. Passion spreads like the flu in the fall.
You show your enthusiasm, work hard, and get things done. Don’t let the work overwhelm you though.
You should delegate team projects equally among your team. Playing favorites makes your favorites hate you, because you give them the majority of the hard work.
Your favorites are your favorite for a reason though. They get work done.
The others may not be as quick whited, enthusiastic, or productive. For one reason or another, you don’t trust them, and hence, you don’t give them the work.
How much of that is because you don’t give them enough faith? Return your trust to every member of the team.
Make them feel valued, and give them equal work. Then follow up with them weekly.
Pull each member of your team in periodically to chat for a second, complement their work, follow-up on assignments, and encourage them to keep working hard. You’ll find you gain a better appreciation for who they are and why they do what they do.
You create a relationship of trust and your work gets itself done. Your employee will begin to trust you.
He or she will begin to respect you and work hard to not disappoint you. Isn’t that how it should be?
Your employees won’t be overworked. You’ll find this process unifying.
It will produce a better product than you could have before, and your team will succeed. Isn’t that your ultimate goal as a manager anyways?
Hire ambitious people, get emotional, and equally distribute assignments amongst your team (without playing the game of favorites) and you will see a change in the winds. You will learn from your employees and they will learn from you.
You become a manager that commands respect. You become a manager that your employees can come to for help.
You become a manager that can be trusted with new responsibilities. You become a better person.
You can’t lose in this situation. You can only become everything you imagine a manager is.