Roberta Matuson* shares the story of a Chief Executive who is not afraid of trying something new, even if conventional wisdom says it is impossible.
Recently, my client, Marcus Allen, who is the Chief Executive of Big Brothers, Big Sisters Independence Region, reached out to me ecstatic with the results he had achieved because of a challenge I presented to him.
Back in October, I suggested in my column that it was possible to hire people in seven days or less.
Some quickly dismissed this idea as impossible, while others have not yet had an opportunity to try what I recommended.
One of the reasons Marcus (pictured) is so successful is because he never disses an idea.
When presented with a suggestion, you won’t hear him say: “Yes, but.” Nor will you hear him say: “That will never work.”
He’s a man who takes action.
Marcus encouraged me to share our conversation so that others could see what’s possible when you allow yourself to try something new.
So, here’s what happened.
Marcus called to thank me for my support over the years and to tell me how he had recently filled a key position in record time.
He started out by saying: “You know the article you wrote on how to hire people in seven days or less? Well, I took that article to heart.”
He went on to say how, when a key position opened in his organisation, he was all set to fall back to his usual methods of hiring, which usually resulted in at least a three-to-four-month search.
Then it hit him.
He would accept my challenge.
Marcus did exactly what I suggested in my article, including personally going out and finding the person that he wanted to fill this role.
He didn’t stop recruiting until this person agreed to come on board and he also didn’t let lack of budget get in his way.
He found a way to bring in the talent needed to keep his organisation firing on all cylinders.
He did this in record time — 21 days.
Yes, 21 days is a bit longer than the seven-day challenge, but I’m counting this as a win.
Going from three months to three weeks is damn good in my book.
Speaking of challenges, right now Marcus is climbing Mount Kilimanjaro, the highest mountain in Africa, with the Big Brothers Big Sisters team to raise funds for his organisation.
He is doing this because he believes every child deserves a fair shot at reaching their peak.
I agree.
I’m feeling very fortunate to have such wonderful clients and am extremely grateful that Marcus did not invite me to be by his side for this climb.
Although, he knows I’m with him in spirit.
What advice have you recently been given that you quickly dismissed? Is this advice worth reconsidering to achieve the objectives you seek?
By the way, the BigBrothersBigSisters team reached the summit.
Amazing what you can do when you put your mind to something.
Note: Big Brothers Big Sisters Australia provides long-term, one-to-one mentoring to help change the course of vulnerable young people’s lives.
*Roberta Matuson is President of Matuson Consulting which helps Fortune 500 companies and high growth businesses create exceptional workplaces leading to extraordinary results. She can be contacted at [email protected].
This article first appeared at matusonconsulting.com
