Topic: Core Values

Millennials get a bad rap, but are they really that different from any other generation of people?

When I stopped to think about the common millennial characteristics we hear about so often, I realized how many of those same traits are also prevalent among entrepreneurs. How we outwardly demonstrate these traits may look different, but at the core our values are shared. I believe this is an opportunity for tremendous results if managed from a place of shared values and effective communication.

I recently proposed to implement EOS for a large business in a big city. As sometimes happens, the potential client was interviewing another EOS Implementer, as well, and each of us was aware that this company was talking to the other.

In fact, before either of us actually met with the company, we each let the other know when we had spoken to this prospect. We talked together about what he is looking for in an Implementer and how we might be able to help him. We even agreed that we should go after clients together more often because it’s fun!

The camaraderie and spirit of cooperation that exists among EOS Implementers showed in our talks with our potential client, and I could tell he found it a little puzzling. After a few interactions, I received an email from him saying, “I’m curious. It doesn’t appear that the implementers care which one we use. How was that culture developed?”

You may have inherited, hired, or promoted people who you’ve recognized and rewarded for exceptional production and output—only to hear rumblings that they’re getting those results in ways that damage your company’s reputation, aggravating fellow team members and undermining everything that you’re trying to accomplish for the long term. These are usually me-first versus we-first people who put their interests before the Core Values of the organization.

In the meantime, they continue to produce results, but they get those results in ways that go against the company culture. In other words, while they are highly productive short-term, they’re killing your company long-term.

Have you ever met people who exude passion from their pores? These individuals believe in their cause so much they live and breathe it 24 hours a day. In sports, these are the coaches and athletes who lead with enthusiasm, conviction and heart. Think Peyton Manning and Brett Favre. Passion propels them right through obstacles, exhibiting personal sacrifice and sustained discipline to win championships.

In business, these are managers, entrepreneurs, and CEOs who lead with the same vitality; they are tenacious, and manage with passion.