Three things happened over the festive break that prompted this week’s Scale Blog.  Stick with me – there’s an important lesson that will help you and your business.

#1 The kids got their end of term school reports.

There were two sets of Grades for each subject – Attitude to Learning A-D and Attainment Marks 1-4.  Lily has struggled with Maths and was disappointed to see her Attainment was still a 3 – Working Knowledge, but we really celebrated because her Attitude was an A – Outstanding.

At the end of their last school year, James had been annoyed with a C – Fair Attitude for Art.  We spoke about it at length; he admitted he didn’t like Art, but we explained the importance of Attitude in life. This term for art, he got an A for Attitude (along with an A for every other subject so something must have sunk in!).

We continue to explain to the kids that if they focus on having the right attitude in life, then everything else will fall into place.

#2 U8’s lost their last football match of 2019.

James is desperate to win everything, and football is no exception. It’s great to have a ‘play to win’ mentality, but it’s been hard working on the losing graciously. On the drive home, after a 6-2 loss and exhausted from covering almost every blade of grass for 80 minutes, he came out with:

“Dad, loosing can be learning” and “you can be anything if you believe yourself.”

I nearly veered off the road!

#3 Bike Riding.

Lily has been riding her bike for some time now, but after falling off a few years back James has been reluctant to get back on. But, with a large Centre Parcs to explore, we’d hired bikes. He grumbled and got frustrated from the bike shop to the lodge but the next day he cracked it and was loving it.

During a bike ride around the lakes he asked Jacki to go around nine more times, but she said no. James replied with:

“Mum, you need to have a Growth Mindset, not a Fixed one.”

Whether you’re trying to make the most of your own abilities or those of your staff, it’s so much more than simply finding the right person for the right job.

It’s shocking to see that 90% of job interviews are all about skills, not attitude.

So, it’s essential you find the right people with the right attitude, because you can’t train attitude.  Method and skills can be taught, but heart and desire come from within.

And this will take time and focus to get right in your business.

To get the best from anyone – and to manage their individual scalability – you need to match their:

• Skills (which are ever-changing),
• Interests (at that specific stage of their career/life)
• And the one most often overlooked – their Desire to engage with your company’s bigger picture (which they should, at the very least, be made aware of).

Any brilliant person pushed into the wrong role will, ultimately, be a waste of time.

Likewise, the right person in a role they’ve outgrown, or have lost their passion for, is a waste of talent.

Whilst we’re not a family of Academic Einstein’s, we do live by his philosophy in business and in life:

“Weakness of attitude becomes weakness of character.”  – Albert Einstein

BW,

Martin

Martin Norbury

The Scalability Coach | Britain’s Top 10 Adviser 2018 | Author of #1 bestseller I don’t work Fridays  | Ex-CEO of a PLC