If I don’t want to work in your business there’s a good chance that Mr or Mrs Ambitious, High Potential who you’ve just interviewed will feel the same way too.
Here are the top 3 reasons I will walk away from a prospect:
The leader wants to hide the fact they’re working with a coach.
Imagine the scene:
Coach: Hi Andre – I’m looking forward to analysing your tennis match tomorrow.
Andre: Fine. But please can you sit at the back.
Coach: What?
Andre: And let’s meet for training somewhere else. I’m not that comfortable with people knowing I need a coach.
Admitting you have room for improvement makes you a strong leader (not a weak one). So does asking for feedback to reveal your strengths and blind spots.
If you just thought ‘what blind spots?’ – say goodbye to Mr High Potential –we need to talk.
The leaders want to develop their future high potentials on the cheap
Red flag phrases:
Can you just run a couple of workshops…
I’m going to self-fund this because HR don’t have a budget for development this year…
Maybe if we just attach something on the end of our normal team meeting…
There are many cost-effective ways of helping leaders develop: book clubs, podcasts, reverse mentoring, shadowing, stretch projects etc. But unless these are rolled out in an environment that invites a coaching approach and employee engagement you may as well just throw your fivers down the loo.
If you want to calculate the ROI of investing in your high potentials – we need to talk.
Leaders who don’t treat waiting staff well.
I waited on tables during uni – I have a long memory. It doesn’t take long to assess whether you’re an a*se to the ‘little people’. So if you’re nice to me but rude to waiters and admin staff I probably don’t want to work in your business.
If you’re abrasive, stubborn, shouty to everyone, that might be different. You may not realise the impact your behaviour has on employee engagement, productivity, and the health of your business.
If your reputation sucks, Mrs High Potential will see straight through it – we need to talk.