Resist compromise. The only
way you can do it is by never
compromising on your core values, having a clear sense of
what those are.
There’s probably always a
temptation to look for ways to
grow your business and think
only about the numbers and not
necessarily is this the right thing
for the company. Is it consistent
with our mission and our vision
of where we want to be?
I think you always have to
step back and look at growth
opportunities and say, ‘Are these
opportunities consistent with
who we are as a company?’
Question everything. Take
your time to make a good decision and be thoughtful.
The other thing you have to do
is you have to be careful about
the people you bring in to your
organization and make sure
they share your values.
You’ve got to get the right talent in the organization.
We want to see evidence of
strong values. We want to see
people who are driven to be
successful.
(While interviewing) there are
questions you can ask people about how they would react in
certain situations. You can
probe about things that you see
in their work or life experience
and say, ‘Why did you do that?
What motivated you?’
Be a good listener. People need
to feel like I’m hearing them. I
think for anybody who is working on being a good listener, you
have to resist the urge to chime
in. You have to really be quiet.
You have to be an active listener
and ask questions to confirm
that you’re hearing and understanding what the person is saying. Give them feedback and say
back to them, ‘This is what I’m
hearing; am I right?’
For some people, it’s easy; for
some, it’s hard. But I think it’s a
skill you can develop.
HOW TO REACH: Barney & Barney LLC, (800) 321-4696 or www.barneyandbarney.com
