You may not know it, but you are influencing others all the time. I remember being at a horse show and talking to someone I’d known for about 20 years. We reminisced on what we were doing all those years ago, and she told me how she and her friend would always watch me ride my dressage tests, that they were so impressed with my riding and my horse. At the time, I was one of the only people showing in brown tack, and her friend was inspired by that and encouraged to use her brown tack too. This was over 20 years ago, and I never knew this.
In talking with someone else I’d recently met, she told me she’d always shown horses, but kept to herself; however she remembered me vividly, complimenting me on my riding and that she could tell how hard I worked, and couldn’t believe I wasn’t a professional. This is someone who I had been around for many years, and never met, and yet she knew so much about me. I was honored.
I meet quite a few people on the show circuit, I like to make new friends and encourage people to learn more about dressage. My mom called to tell me that her friend had met some young girls at the grocery store, mentioned that I rode, and told them about some success I had at a recent show. The girls said they weren’t sure if they knew me, and walked away. A few moments later they came back and said that yes indeed, they did know me, they had even seen me at that particular show, and that I was so nice to them.
Even though this had just happened, I couldn’t remember interacting with those girls. But it made me so happy to know that I had left a positive impression. I try to always have a smile on my face and be ready to lend a hand. Showing can be stressful, and I’ve had my share of it. If someone forgets a piece of equipment, needs a towel fetched, or a test read, I try to be there.
It is very similar in business. You are always influencing those around you. If you are a manager, it is important to display a kind and helpful attitude toward the people you manage. It can literally change their life. Many times I would hire someone with great expectations, and for whatever reason, they would underperform. I felt responsible to help them, after all I decided to hire them, and I was ultimately responsible for the outcome.
I would meet with them, and come up with a progress plan, with actual goals they had to accomplish. It was important to do this in a non-confrontational way. I didn’t want to lecture them, I asked questions to determine the source of the problem and then it was up to me to take steps to fix it.
Whether this is more difficult than simply firing the person and moving on is hard to know. What I’ve found is that by developing an action plan and having regular meetings to discuss progress, one of two things can happen. They either improve, or they realize this job isn’t for them and look for another job. This will happen in a relatively short period of time, normally 2-3 weeks.
I’ve rarely had to fire anyone. If they start performing up to standards, I am right there to compliment them on their progress and increase their responsibilities. If they don’t, they start thinking about their skills, abilities, and goals and that motivates them to make a change. Leaving their current job might be the best thing for them, and it’s even better when they make the decision on their own.
When someone comes into my office and announces their resignation, but they are glowing with pride at finding a new job that fits what they want, it is good for both of us. Even though it didn’t work out for me, they learned valuable skills that will serve them later. It is a good feeling to know you contributed to a positive outcome for someone else. And then you can move on to your next opportunity.
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