Last week I talked to you about the problems we face in our gyms. We tend to get frustrated at people when all along the problem was a process-problem, meaning we have the wrong processes in place. If you’d like to see the steps to defining a process problem versus a people problem, read “Do you have a process problem or a people problem” on our website.
Today, we’re going to talk about “people problems.” While they’re often the first thing we blame and the less likely of the factors, you will find that you have more people problems when you have the wrong people in the wrong places or the wrong person on the job altogether.
If you have a great person, you can still have a people problem by having the right person in the wrong position. So, you’ll want to ask yourself the following questions:
People Questions
Question #1
First, you’ll need to ask yourself:
“Does this person have a clear view of their future in our gym?”
Do they see how success in their job could impact and create future opportunities at your gym? Do they believe they’ll be stuck coaching Saturday classes the rest of their lives if they stay at your gym or do they realize they could eventually get more seniority, better shifts, higher-level teams and more priority for vacation time? Set up regular goal meetings with your staff and make sure they know how to get more responsibility, more raises and more seniority!
Question #2
Secondly, ask yourself:
“Does their future position depend on success in this position?”
Meaning: Am I judging their worthiness of being a great coach on how they vacuum floors or coach the tinies?
No one is perfect at everything – not you, not me, and not our staff members. This person could simply be in the wrong seat on the bus.
Doing the same thing over and over isn’t the right position for me. Put me in a rhythmic, mundane role, and I’ll go a little nuts…unless I can see how it fits into the big picture. Once you show me that, and how it could lead to future opportunities for me, then I’m in!
Question #3
Thirdly:
“Will this person be part of my future ‘Dream Team’?”
The people who got you to this level may not be the same people who take you to the next level.
It’s true of your staff and true of you: While you’re busy developing your entrepreneurial skills with your business coach, your staff might not be doing the same. And that’s OK: They might want to work Saturdays forever. Some people do.
But when your gym grows, and you no longer need them on Saturday rec classes, they’ll need a new skill set. And if the staffer isn’t ready to acquire the necessary skills, you’ll have a new people problem. You should chart their career path—or their exit—again.
One of the greatest questions I’ve ever learned to ask is this: “Do you still want to do this?”
Surprisingly, the answer is sometimes “no”—and that’s much better than “maybe” because it allows both the founder and their staff to move forward, even if it’s not together.
Ask and Act
When your staff isn’t living up to your expectations, first assume you have a process problem. But if you can reasonably answer the process questions and the systems are in place, then you have a people problem. That’s tougher but still solvable.
Most of the time, the first question you should ask is, “Am I the problem?” And if you are, create the process that gets what you want, then get out of the way. The greatest gift you can give your staff is the opportunity to succeed.
