Do you have a mangy mutt on your payroll that you.. Just. Can’t. Shake? Nooo, I am not talking about an actual dog! I am referring to the one key person (that you have likely had from the beginning) who underperforms and spends most of their time scratching at procrastination, protruding a “bad to the bone” attitude while spreading an infectious tick throughout the rest of your company.
The funny thing is, on the surface most business owners would say, “It is time to let this person go!” And yet, they cannot bring themselves to do it. Why? The subconscious mind ingrains these funky little programs into our minds convincing us that it is not okay, or safe, to let this person go! Our subconscious minds can literally take it so far as to believe that, “If I fire them, they will be on the street without money and then I will be responsible for their death!” Unless you want to keep wasting money on an employee who is not contributing, you must dismantle these crazy subconscious beliefs! To do so, we have to dig down and discover the real issue and change the situation.
Identifying the real issue
For example, one of my clients, Brooke, runs a seven-figure coaching company. When we first started working together, Brooke had a mangy mutt on staff whose primary role was to manage the sales team. I quickly recognized this person’s attitude infected the company and the situation was in dire need of change. So we started peeling back the layers of this issue and discovered about eight different key aspects in Brooke’s subconscious programming that were convincing her she needs the mangy mutt.
The first issue we unearthed and immediately addressed was that this person was earning twice the industry standard’s rate while simultaneously underperforming. When Brooke scaled back the salary, her frustration did not let up. So, we kept digging and I asked her, “Do you think it is time to let her go?” And boom, a tidal wave of resistance and justifications came flooding in. (We were getting somewhere!) So, we kept digging and removing the pieces. Finally, we discovered that her unwillingness was rooted in a feeling that she needed this person for the support!
Let go and embrace the good change
Finally, Brooke was able to let her go. And here is the interesting thing — the minute she did, her business transformed in an incredible way. Brooke took back the reins of the sales team which at the time had about a 37% close rate. Then, she cut the team back from five employees to three, and all of a sudden their close rate increased to 68%!
This is why it is critical to not ignore problems that may seem annoying or insignificant. By doing the inner work, Brooke was able to address the original frustration. She took the time to evaluate other obstacles and challenges that she faced. As a result, she has blossomed into being the business owner. The person leading and steering the ship! And all of this had an impact on her bottom line by saving money (removing unnecessary people from her payroll), and truly leading her team thus increasing sales.
Take the stand, take the step
As our business grows, challenges always arise on an emotional level. Even if you are quite level headed (Brooke is actually a very level headed person) these hurdles will get in your way. It might all seem petty. However, taking the time to dig down to the core will illuminate the bigger issues that are affecting many areas of your business. To move forward, I suggest either working with a trusted advisor. It’s faster and convenient as it is not always easy to identify by yourself. Alternatively, you can make a valiant effort to identify your subconscious programs. To do so, using the example of firing the mangy mutt, just try to fire them. If you cannot do that, then grab a journal and answer the following questions.
- What do I lose if I let this person go?
- What do I gain if I let them go?
When I work with clients, I love taking on this trusted advisor role. This enables us to bust through these little pieces getting you back into your business quickly. Hence, it allows you to effectively and constantly move your business forward. Go to bookdana.in to schedule a session on the house to get a piece of the power and away from the puppy pound.
