How to Reassess Your Workspace Needs in a Hybrid Workplace Environment

There’s an internet meme going around that makes a profound point, “Hire based on attitude, not skills — because you can always teach skills.” And, it backs up some very interesting statistics. For instance, did you know that 85% of a company’s success is due to the team’s attitude, and only 15% is due to individual skills? That’s why when businesses are looking to hire new employees, they should focus on finding individuals with the right attitude, not just those who have the perfect skill set. So, let’s expound a bit as to why. Attitude vs. Skill When it comes to hiring new employees, many businesses focus on finding candidates with the appropriate skills for the job. However, in order to create a successful and productive team, it’s important to also consider attitude. A positive attitude is essential for maintaining a positive work environment and achieving company goals. Is it better to have someone in a team lead role who has a strong work ethic and is all-around positive and can learn the skills or is it better to hire someone based on skills only? What is most important — the skill set or the attitude and growth potential? It depends on the job. There are some jobs where it might make sense to hire for attitude and teach the work itself when it won’t require a major investment of time to do so. There are other jobs where experience and a pre-existing skill set are essential. —Inc.com Therefore, businesses should focus on hiring people who have the right attitude, even if they may not have all the necessary skills. With the right attitude in place, employees can be taught the required skills over time. This makes sense, especially when looking at first-time job seekers in entry-level positions. Those individuals often have little to no skills at all. Those are taught through direct instruction and experience. The Advantages of Hiring Based on Attitude Rather than Skills There is no question that skills are a critical component of any employee’s toolkit. However, research has shown that an individual’s attitude is a stronger predictor of success than their skills. In order to capitalize on this, businesses should consider hiring based on attitude rather than skills due to the following reasons: Longevity. Hiring based on attitude will help you find candidates who are motivated and passionate about their work. These are the employees who will go above and beyond for your company. They will be more engaged in their work, and they will be less likely to leave their positions. Synergy. Hiring based on attitude will help you find candidates who are a good fit for your company culture. This is extremely important, as it can save you time and money in the long run. If a candidate is not a good fit for your company culture, they will likely be unhappy and unproductive in their position. Flexibility. Hiring based on attitude will help you find candidates who are able to adapt to change. When a company hires based on skillset, they may hire someone who has very specific knowledge and experience in their field. But this person might not be able to adapt when things change in the future. What other benefits are gained by hiring based on attitude instead of on skillset? Please take a moment to comment and share your thoughts and experiences so others can benefit from your perspective! Interested in learning more about business? Then just visit Waters Business Consulting Group.

You’ll encounter a number of personalities as a business owner. Most are pleasant but some are downright rude. Others might be quirky, yet fun. Still, others can be flat-out nightmares. Then, there are those clients who demand too much, want to pay too little, and brag about their importance, yet still, have high praise for you. Of course, there are also niche personalities, people who possess less-than-desirable traits, such as individuals who take up way too much of your precious time, completely oblivious to the fact you must also take care of others. Fortunately, there are a few ways to cope with customers who tend to monopolize your time. Time-Wasting Customers Take a Big Toll It’s not just the boring, pointless conversations that are problematic. It’s the fact that you’re having to take time away from true priorities. Obviously, this can be very frustrating and even detrimental to your business. After all, if you can’t attend to matters as needed, it causes you to rush and that leads to mistakes. But, it also has other negative consequences. For instance, draining you mentally and straining your patience thin. Good salespeople understand how to walk a fine line between ignoring a client and spending too much time on him. As a sales professional, you need to learn how to use your time to maximum advantage. If a client or customer is monopolizing your time with no intention of buying anything, the ability to disengage without causing offense is vital. —Houston Chronicle Small Busienss When you experience such feelings, it can easily put you in a bad mood. A foul state of mind could also cause you to unfairly snap at your own team. Or, just ruin a good portion of your day. At the very least, you’ll probably become preoccupied and ruminate on your misfortune, which might lead you to become apathetic for the rest of the afternoon. How to Deal with Customers who Monopolize Your Time The thing is, a good percentage of time-monopolizers aren’t really conscious of their own behavior. (Unless it’s such an annoying trait, other people have made them aware.) Even if he or she knows their tendency, it’s a very difficult behavior to change. Which means it’s largely on you. Here are a few effective strategies for dealing with customers who monopolize your time: Redirect his or her attention. Instead of cutting off the conversation entirely, steer it in another direction. Ask about his or her specific interests in relation to your mutual business and give them a few options to consider. This creates a bit of a diversion and puts the onus on him or her to move the interaction along in a constructive manner rather than meandering from one thing to another. Reschedule and restructure. You can also reschedule a day and time to meet, with certain parameters so it isn’t open-ended. For example, excuse yourself with the caveat you’ll meet again soon. Set a time and also set a structure or an agenda so that he or she knows it’s all about getting things accomplished in a cooperative, timely manner. Get him or her to focus. If you sense he or she is about to go off on a tangent, grab his or her attention with a point or fact that moves the conversation toward a conclusion. This could be about a timeframe, price, quantity, or something else. It should serve as a way to complete the transaction at hand. Regardless of what strategy you choose, or even if you use a combination, always express your appreciation and let them know how valuable they are to your business. Don’t rush and take time to listen to his or her feedback so you don’t accidentally cause an unnecessary rift that could result in unexpected repercussions. What other suggestions would you give entrepreneurs who experience time monopolizers? Please take a moment to share your thoughts; it could be a big help to others when they need it most! Interested in learning more about business? Then just visit Waters Business Consulting Group.

Everyone has an opinion. But, everyone can’t be right. There’s always a set of best practices and then there are ways to do things that fall short of success or lead to bad outcomes. So, this is why people seek advice from their family and friends when they want to start a small business. The trouble with this approach is that the people the entrepreneur is speaking to may not be the owner of a profitable small business. While it’s certainly understandable to seek advice from people you trust, that doesn’t necessarily mean they’re the best or only sources. Remember, Real Friends are Supportive Here’s another problem. There are a lot of individuals around you who will tell you that you can’t do it. Usually, this is based on fear, but can also manifest from those who are envious that you’re willing to take a risk to improve your life and be professionally successful. Then, there may even be people around you who went into business for themselves, but it didn’t work out. Ask business owners who specialize in the same niche as your startup if they have any tips. Business owners in your market know about accountants, lawyers, and recruiters who might be a good fit for your needs. They can make recommendations and point you in the right direction. —Entrepreneur.com While the reason that their businesses failed might not be direct to their own decisions, it’s generally a safe bet. Even if it was circumstances beyond their control, successful business owners are the ones who find a way through tough times, endure, and come out on the other side. To put it much more plainly, if you’re seeking advice from people who have failed in their own business ventures, you’re speaking to the wrong people, unless they have gone on to succeed in other ventures by learning from their failures. Failures can be the precursor to success if we learn from them. Best Places to Seek Business Advice Fortunately, there are a few places you can go to get reliable, actionable advice about starting your own business. Here are the best places to seek entrepreneurial advice that will help you get started in the right direction: Successful individuals in the industry. Sure, this sounds all too obvious. But, a lot of people who want to go into business for themselves are fearful of speaking with people that are already successful in the industry. Now, that sounds strange, but it makes sense if you think about it in a different way. Those who avoid successful individuals in the industry into which they want to enter, typically don’t want to give up their plans – which is to say their strategies and secrets. So, they make the mistake of being protective of their ideas, without knowing if said ideas are actually good or bad. Small business development groups. There are small business development groups that can help you get some of the logistics worked out and even provide a little friendly advice that you may not have thought of on your own. But, here again, you must be willing to share your ideas with others. Doing so will allow other people to gauge your ideas and their merit. Local industry trade associations. These industry trade associations exist to promote their industry, which is their sole purpose. You’ll learn a lot about the industry, and perhaps your own niche, along with some tricks of the trade and how your competition deals with its challenges. Of course, it’s just as wise to consult someone who specializes in starting and growing small businesses. An experienced business consultant and coach brings a wealth of information and is someone who can not only provide valuable input but also be supportive. Where else do you recommend people starting a small business seek advice? Please take a few minutes to share your thoughts and experiences so others can benefit from your perspective! Interested in learning more about business? Then just visit Waters Business Consulting Group.