We are nearing the home stretch for the second quarter 2015 finish line – are you in the lead or trying hard to advance? This is a time when many leaders re-evaluate their growth strategies and then meet with the executive team to determine what changes are necessary to make 2015 their most profitable year. Sometimes the changes are small but sometimes they are much more drastic. This can be a tough call for a leader since many people are comfortable with their responsibilities, demands and attitudes to the point where they resist or even thwart change. In this situation, a CEO can encounter two challenges. First, good people can resign even when the company is growing and profitable because they don’t agree with the new direction. Second, average performers are still on the team because they are likeable and able to maintain the status quo but are unable to excel.
If a willingness to try something new will, in the long term, attract new business and achieve aggressive profitability what would you be willing to sacrifice to implement the necessary changes? Many leaders fear losing members of their executive team because it compromises friendships and can affect morale. The response may be to retain everyone by making accommodations, downplaying the changes or creating unnecessary roles. In the end, the company is not fully transformed and the employees are uncertain about the strategy, the growth and the CEO’s ability to lead.
A leader can take their team through a transformative process by getting to the root of the problem. Great communication is the cornerstone for success. If each person is asked to explain their role and responsibilities. A leader can assess their abilities and motivation and try to learn if underperformance is due to lack of focus, ability, or low motivation. An honest heart to heart conversation about the poor performance, the consequences of the poor performance, where the company can be, how they can help achieve those goals may help to refocus that individual.
It is difficult to see one or more of your executives choose to leave rather than accept the new direction but it should be even more difficult to sabotage the growth and health of the company. Great leaders are willing to make sacrifices for the good of the company rather than avoiding painful decisions. There are going to be times when you must allow those executives to leave and when you must ask one or more of your executives to leave knowing that the future health and growth is worth it.
Right now, top talent is in short supply and demand is strong. A great recruiting firm can deliver the top talent you need. According to JK Consultants, a recruiting firms that consistently delivers top talent, it could take up to 60 days or even longer from the beginning of the search to onboard a top performer so it is important to act quickly.