“Companies don’t grow, people do. If people grow, the company will grow.”
– Jim Schleckser
Firstly, let me wish you a Happy New Year. May you excel beyond expectations in 2024. Amen. Our company, the Selling Champion Consulting Limited, hosted the 5th anniversary of the Nigeria Sales Conference in Lagos, on 2 December, 2023. The conference is the biggest sales conference in Nigeria. Its objective is to build capability in salespeople, professionals and entrepreneurs; and to provide a credible platform for networking of professionals and businesses.
The title of this piece is in line with the objective of the Nigeria Sales Conference, which was a great success in delivery and attendance. People make organisations. The quality of the organisation is a function of the quality of the people in the organisation.
I agree with Jim’s thoughts on people and organisations. I have written a lot on the importance of people and teams in organisations. People matter; and the importance of working with the right team in your organisation cannot be overemphasised.
People define the organisation
Whether you are talking about people from the perspective of the owners of the business, or you are referring to the employees of the company, or the suppliers and other stakeholders, the truth is that the right people build organisations and the wrong people wreck organisations.
The quality of the people you attract as a leader will determine the height your organisation will attain. This statement is true anywhere in the world. As a leader in your endeavours, it is your duty to ensure you assemble the right people because this will determine a lot in the business. The business environment is tough. The organisation that fails to gather the right team is planning to fail.
Be an employer of choice
Workers often choose companies that help them to achieve their goals. Because they believe they can grow and develop in such companies, they plan long-term with them.
As a business owner, build the right culture. Build an ideal organisation that is attractive to stakeholders. Find smart ways to encourage excellence.
As a certified training consultant who is a prominent player in the knowledge industry, I know how the right teams lift organisations. I also know what the wrong people do to organisations. Results don’t lie.
I know of companies that nurtured their businesses from regular companies when they started, and later rose to leading brands in their industries within ten years. One attribute that is consistent with these successful companies is low employee turnover. These organisations have built cultures that attract and retain the right people.
Agile organisations are intentional in developing their people. They go all the way to prepare productive professionals.
People grow with the business
The more people in your team grow, the more your company excels. If people are growing, the business will grow; if people are not growing, the business may not grow. This is simple logic.
Growth here is encompassing. People should grow in their abilities to get things done. They should grow and develop within. Knowhow is key. This area of discussion is important. An ideal team thinks about the future of the business. People in the team go the extra mile to get results because they want their organisation to succeed.
How is your recruitment process?
You can’t talk about the quality of the people in a teams without talking about the recruitment and training process. I always emphasise that companies should design the right recruitment process that will bring in the right people in the organisation.
If the recruitment is done properly – following a professional process that ensures that the right people with the right qualifications and skill sets are hired, then the problems organisation encounter would have been solved reasonably. People matter.
Let me tell you my philosophy in the People Factor. I often recommend as follows:
- Hire the right people, no sentiments.
- Hire attitude, train skill.
- Hire skill and continue to train for enhanced ability.
- Hire skill and instil the right attitude.
- Hire people who are trainable.
In my opinion, you won’t have to worry if you follow the suggestions.
Choosing the wrong team is a big mistake
I believe that the rating of any company is a function of 95 per cent the quality of the people it assembles. The remaining 5 per cent is the margin of error.
The right people buy into the vision, mission and culture of the organization. They are team players. They get things done. They are intrapreneurs. They fix stuff.
A mistake in the people element is a great mistake in any organisation. If you see yourself in this type of mistake, find a way out of it urgently. Never try to manage employees who are unproductive and not trainable. The result in this type of scenario is what accountants call “fixed liability”. This category of liability can’t be converted to an asset! Folks in this category are time bombs waiting to explode!
Team Leaders should encourage high performance in their teams. Show true leadership to team members who may need little push. Try to mentor. Try to coach. Try to show the way. Be strategically patient with team members who are showing signs of making progress.
People management is a great skill. Be a good people manager because people matter.
Once more, I wish you the best of this year.
Move from good to better, then to best.
Buy Books from George O. Emetuche: The Selling Champion, The 25 Unbreakable Laws of Sales, The Art of Selling, The 11 Irrefutable Principles of Success, Everything is Possible, Be Inspired, Succeeding With Your Spouse, and Starting and Growing a Successful Business. Reach us today for cutting edge training for your Sales Team and other Professionals. We are an accredited training and Consulting Organization.
www.thesellingchampionconsulting.com.
www.nigeriasalesconference.com. 07060559429,08186083133.
