Written by: Andre Young, Executive Contributor
Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise.
Have you ever shopped at a store and when it was time to be served or checked out it was as if the employee was angry at you for making them do their job or aggravated they had to stop their conversation with their coworker to assist you? Or, my favorite… the no eye contact, no smile, no greeting, their employer must have woke them up at gunpoint and dragged them to work to help you service? It always leaves me wondering, how did this person get the job? Who else was interviewing that this person was the best option? And, what’s the plan to improve and upgrade the hiring process, training process, and standards?
As an organization, I know pickings may be slim regarding the number of people who want to work, want to work for you, and bodies are sometimes hired to keep everything afloat or satisfy massive growth; but please remember… who you bring in + what you expect + what you tolerate = your culture! These negative experiences mixed with the wonderful employee experiences I’ve encountered made it simple for me to know the 3 BIG P’s I was looking for when I started bringing people into my business years ago. So, what are they?
Positive
Anyone I hired in the past, outsource with now, or partner with my be Positive! I define positive as having their head up, eyes up, smiling, upbeat, creative, willing to learn, possesses initiative, and in general when they walk into a room… the room is uplifted and people are better for having them around. As a leader, it’s important to understand everyone will have their bad day… even you… due to organizational issues, personal issues, sometimes customer/client issues. Leaders bounce back quicker and better than everyone else and that’s what you’re looking for!
I once worked in a very demanding facility where the work was tough, but very rewarding. I was a Mental Health Therapist and took pride in our building and the culture we created… too bad leadership didn’t. When staff members for the company that worked outside of our building did a bad job, were the opposite of Positive, or had simply burnt-out they weren’t let go or mandated to attend proper trainings… they were simply relocated to our building to either further burn-out and quit or disappear… can you believe that? Needless to say, these individuals, although good people, were not positive, were not happy about the move to the “Dreaded Place”, and it showed as they looked miserable interacting with our clients, led nothing, and exacerbated many volatile situations making it harder for everyone else!
Bringing in Positive people is key; as they will be the face of your organization, your leadership, and a model for your clients and customers as well. I love getting to speak and train around the world and even when attendees in the crowd have masks on, I can still tell the Positive people by their eyes… it’s a truly amazing thing. Inherently, these Positive people sometimes approach me afterward and ask if they can have a job within my company. It’s an overwhelming honor and I wish I could hire them all; instead I may provide them coaching and/or connect them with companies I know are Positive and would allow them the opportunity, culture, and growth they’re seeking! Remember, Positivity is great… however one P without the other two doesn’t work!
Passionate
Positivity can take you far, while passion + positivity is like hitting the Nitro Button! I laugh as I write this because I know nothing about cars. However, I do know that when I’m at the arcade with my kids and we play the car racing game and I hit that Nitro Button… ZOOOOOM… off I go! Passionate means not only are they positive, they also care about the work they’re doing… they believe in it at their core or at the least, the good it will do for the organization, client/customer, and the world!
When I hired my Virtual Assistant, I had the privilege of interviewing 3 candidates. They were all great and I asked my seven Leader’s Interview Questions to them all individually. When it came down to the questions, “What’s your Dream?”, “What do you like most about the job?”, and “What do you like least about your job?” one person stood out above the rest! Two candidates had other aspirations professionally and they wanted or needed a job and there’s nothing wrong with that… I’ve been there. However, one candidate stated with passion she loved helping people see their dreams come true and enjoyed being a part of that! She also shared her dreams of running her own business one day and that the worst part of here job was not knowing what was expected of her because she wanted to be great at what she did and that’s not possible without great leadership. I‘d like to thank the world’s best Virtual Assistant, Nichole, for all of the behind-the-scenes stuff it takes to run a business and literally getting me to where I need to be, helping me to lead, being positive, passionate, and the final P!
Productive
Being Positive and Passionate without being Productive will not work! At the end of the day, business and leadership is about results! Can you… and will you… do what you said you were going to do and beyond? My job is to over-deliver! Most organizations have hesitations about bringing in a “so-called” Professional Speaker or Leadership Trainer… as would I. Unless you know them or they’re some huge name like Tony Robbins, you have no idea what you’re going to get. Productive means you get the job done, you follow through, people and the organization can trust you, and you’ve made your name synonymous with your craft!
However, beware… Productive isn’t meant to stand alone. I’m sure you’ve worked with an individual or two that was productive, but they weren’t Positive… I have! For example, their sales numbers are through the roof; however they cheated their coworkers, stole clients, bullied customers/clients, etc. Terrell Owens, former NFL wide receiver superstar, maybe the best example of this. He was ultra-productive everywhere he went, was one of the best wide receivers of all time… and is struggling to get into the NFL Football Hall-of-Fame because he was Productive and Passionate… but wasn’t Positive; as he broke apart locker rooms, teams, and became an intentional distraction… making it and everything all about him everywhere he went until team after team decided Production wasn’t enough and it’d be best for him to take his singular “P” of Production elsewhere!
As a leader, are you being Positive, Passionate, and Productive? Not only in the ways you want to be; but also marrying it with the ways your people, team, and organization need from you most right now? As a Front-Line Employee, are you being Positive, Passionate, and Productive? Not only in the ways you want to be; but marrying it with the ways your leaders, team, and organization need from you most right now? It’s not only about doing and being this way when you start, or when you’re motivated on a Monday, or on January 1st as a New Year’s Resolution, or when things are going your way… this is an ongoing expectation and the specific exception within my Leader’s 3 of having a Vision & Vision Factors, Expectations, and Rules. Model the P’s, Expect the P’s, and Enjoy you’re your professional and personal evolution!!!
“Bringing in positive people is key; as they will be the face of your organization, your leadership, and a model for your clients and customers as well” – Andre Young
You’re a busy leader that cares about your people; the level of change they’re experiencing, their burn-out, and need for Leadership Training and Work/Life Harmony but not sure where to turn or who to bring in… Look no further, click here for my customizable speaking engagements and leadership trainings!!! https://youevolvingnow.com/andreyoungsleadershiptrainings/
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Andre Young, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine
Andre Young is a Professional Speaker, Author, Leadership Trainer, and Founder of You Evolving Now. He worked as a Mental Health Therapist for 19 years, played sports at every level from high school to professional, has been an employee, a business owner, and self-employed, and has written 4 books focused on enhancing Leadership & Work/Life Harmony. As Founder of You Evolving Now, it's his mission to enhance Leadership and Work/Life Harmony for organizations, leaders, employees, and teams with his high-energy, interactive, culture-changing leadership training programs and speaking engagements, allowing a professional and personal evolution!
