The biggest stars are often under your nose

I am now working on sales and marketing with our Marketing Director of 5 years, Julie Schoneveld, taking over the helm.

This has occured for many reasons. Firstly, she is a much better manager than myself and a way better people person. I love the way she operates and the way she processes things.

We ultimately think alike on the important decisions, but she just goes about it in a different way, which I admire. I am not like many other entrepreneurs who would ultimately like their people to do things just the way they would do it. I like a different take and learnt long ago, to let go.

Letting go, is the hardest thing to do and I am still finding my feet on that one.

As you grow your business, you tend to take risks and often that may be with the recruitment process. Sometimes it really pays off and other times it doesn’t. I have had times when it has paid dividends and its often been when we have recruited someone who worked as an intern with us and then became a Marketing Executive. It’s amazing the difference between one Uni Graduate and another.

Now, we have obvious stars, but sometimes, we don’t realise there is a star right under our noses and for whatever reason we haven’t recognised it. Stars may not be obvious and may not have all the skills that you require right there and then, but they may have some really strong areas to their professional capabilities that would really benefit the business and with a little coaching and training, can lift the other areas that they may not be so strong in.

Only tonight, I had a realisation that I think that possibly I have a star under my nose who right now doesn’t seem to be shining really brightly, but if I looked back and considered the strengths that they have displayed, my management team has something to work with. A star could be born right in my office and with a little space, time and reassurance, they may come closer and beem all over the company.

Tomorrow, find the people in your office that you may not think right now are performing to their full capabilities and write down all of their strengths. Don’t write down their weaknesses – save that for another time. Focus on the positives – all of those attributes that make you smile or fill you with hope, then work out how as a business you can provide them with more support so that they reach their goals and yours.

It’s a fresh start tomorrow and the first thing I am going to do is ‘let go’ and the second thing I am going to do is give that dynamic Acting CEO a tip to seek out the people that may need a helping hand, and give it to them.