I surprised Mrs N at the weekend with tickets to see one her favourite books brought to life on stage in London: Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird.

It didn’t disappoint and Rafe Spall’s final performance as Atticus Finch was OUTSTANDING.

Don’t worry, I’m not about to give you a fully blown review!

But it was something Atticus says which really resonated with me and rings true in business (and in life) that I want to share with you. He says (to his daughter):

“You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view … until you climb into his skin and walk around in it.”

Managing people doesn’t come naturally to most. In fact, it’s something business owners will actively avoid!

You start out in business alone to create something special, or you leave your job to set up your own company because you know you can do it better.  It’s exciting and there’s only you to worry about.

But as you grow, you need to bring people into your business.

You soon discover that your team don’t care about your business, your brand, your products as much as you do.

And there are plenty of times you get frustrated because a team member didn’t do that task how you would do it – or worst – you think you can do it better, so don’t delegate, meaning you’re stuck on that hamster wheel doing everything.

But as a leader, it’s essential you understand those around you, including their inner motives. It’s so important that one of our Maxims is:

“See the world how others see it”.

Just because someone does not agree with one of your views, it does not necessarily mean they are being unreasonable or obstructive.  Or even they aren’t capable.

The sooner you can:

• Live with Empathy…
• STOP Telling…
• START Listening…
• And encourage Curiosity in your environment…

The quicker you’ll get a better understanding and build a stronger rapport with your team…

And as a result, productivity and loyalty will increase, meaning you can spend your time ON the business and on those things that will make the biggest impact.

BW,

Martin

PS – If you get a chance – GO SEE THE PLAY!

Martin Norbury

Investor | Business Mentor at Advocate | Author of I don’t work Fridays

What Atticus Said…