Passion - the X Factor

There are a lot of aspects to consider when hiring a candidate for an open position – skill set, years of experience, ability to fit into the company culture, etc. The list goes on and on. However, there’s one factor that many companies completely overlook, and it can often come back to haunt
them.

That factor is passion.

A candidate’s passion for what they do could be considered the “X Factor” of any hire. That’s because when a person has passion for their job, they are compelled and they are driven to not only carry out the duties of the position, but also to do so extraordinarily well. For people with passion, going through the motions is not an option. In fact, it’s not even a consideration.

Here are three reasons why employers should hire people with passion over people who lack it:
1. They are more productive – People with passion don’t leave at 5 p.m. on the dot, and they often work through lunch. They love what they do, so they do as much of it as they can. That translates into more productivity... a lot more. 

2. They are more engaged – You don’t have to make sure they are engaged in their job and with the company. If they have passion for what they are doing, they are practically self-engaging. This makes it far easier to retain the person over the long haul.

3. They are intrinsically motivated – You don’t need to throw huge amounts of money or a slew of perks at these candidates in order to make them happy. Verbal compliments and other forms of recognition for a job well done go a long way. Once again, this increases the chances of retaining their services.

As you can see, passion has a distinctly important role in the hiring process. Failure to identify which candidates possess it and which ones do not can have a negative impact on that process. In fact, it could even result in hiring the wrong person for the position.

Leaders Who Inspire Start with “Why”

How does a leader become truly inspirational?

If the leader cannot clearly articulate WHY they exist in terms beyond its products or services, then how does (s)he expect the team members to know WHY to come to work?

Certainly we are all motivated to come to work to get paid and other incentives. But pay doesn’t motivate us to give our all, to become better than we were last month, to commit to goals or to engage our hearts and minds to our full potential.

Pay doesn’t buy enthusiasm. And that’s what is needed if you want people to act for the good of the business, for the good of all who work there, for the benefit to customers.

Leaders who clearly communicate a higher purpose inspire others work with engagement and commitment. It unleashes people’s potential for doing good work.

The trouble is many leaders do not communicating clearly about why they come to work every day. I am talking about a higher “why” than the obvious ones. I am talking about expressing your true purpose, your passion, your real reasons for getting out of bed in the morning.

Often it’s a cause or purpose greater than oneself. What is that for you? What is that for your company? Not only are some leaders not clear about what that why is, they often put it into the background, where it gets fuzzy and loses energy.

Maybe it’s because values and purpose get expressed as nouns… as in:

·                     Integrity

·                     Innovative

·                     Creative

·                     Thought leadership

But nouns don’t inspire action. You are not communicating clearly when you ask your people to be more innovative or to be creative, or to have integrity. These words may have lost their meaning and become fuzzy from overuse.

However, when a leader asks people to always do the right thing, or to look at problems from other angles, or to question their assumptions… now leadership communications become actionable. It takes transforming nouns into verbs, and connecting with why your work is important.

Some of the work I do with my clients involves clarifying the why of their careers and their organizations. The second part of that is in finding a way executives can express their why in a way that makes sense to others. Those who improve their communications by starting with why find greater results in terms of influencing others.

“People don’t buy what you do, they buy why you do it.”

What do you think about this? Are you communicating to your people, using actionable verbs, what you truly believe in, why your company exists? What is your higher purpose for your business? Leave me a comment, I am curious.

Is Passion Critical to Your Success

Passion is one of those potentially arbitrary words that are difficult to define. Passion, as defined by the dictionary, is “a strong liking or desire for or devotion to some activity, object, or concept.”

Having passion for your business is critical to your success. Why? Without passion and enjoyment for your business you won’t be motivated to make it the best company it can be. Sadly your customers will get very bored of you and what you have to offer.

Without passion and joy for the work that you do, it’ll show in your company’s personality and have a direct effect on your branding. Yes, passion for your business is that important.

So the question is do you have passion for your business? Do you get up most mornings looking forward to your day? If the answer is no, if you’re finding that you’re lacking passion and joy for your business consider a few options.

If there is no passion, you need to make changes…

1. Eliminate the Tasks That Drive You Mad

Make a list of the current work related activities you do enjoy and find pleasure in. Now make a list of the work related tasks you don’t enjoy. The tasks you really despise and procrastinate on and simply don’t do. Looking at your two lists. What can you do to make list number one, the list of activities you do enjoy, more a part of your day? In many cases the answer is simply to outsource the tasks that you dislike.

2. Refresh Your Memory

Think back to why you started your business in the first place. What were your motivations? What were your goals? What was your passion? Write them down and take a look at all that you’ve achieved. If you’re far from your goals, if you’ve yet to achieve them, what can you do to get back on track? Often times, goals can serve to re-motivate and re-excite your passion.

3. Gratitude Helps

Think about all that you have to be grateful for. Make a list. In fact, many business and success coaches recommend creating a gratitude journal and writing in it every day. Remembering all that is good and right in your life can really reinvigorate your passion for your business and your life.

4. Work with Passionate and Motivated People

Being the owner of a small business can be a lonely job. Surround yourself with passionate and motivated people and you’ll not only find it’s contagious, you’ll find that your business success will improve as a direct result.

Mastermind groups, business coaching, networking with enthusiastic and like minded professionals, and even outsourcing with people who are passionate about their business are all excellent ways to become part of a winning team.

5. Integrate

Integrate your current passions into your business. If you’ve found that your passion for your business has simply waned, consider what you do enjoy and brainstorm how you can integrate your current passion into your business.

Passion breeds profits, if your passion is lacking or altogether missing, spend some time finding it. It’s important not only for the success of your business but the happiness of your life.

How else are you managing your passion? I'd like to hear your ideas and other points of view.

Comfort Zone

Coaching is not for everybody. It’s certainly not for the faint hearted. Coaching is a very personal activity.

You must have a burning desire to get out of your comfort zone to become successful in whatever it is that you are trying to accomplish (either in your personal life or professional life).

You must have the passion to improve yourself and obtain better results (again either in your personal life or professional life).

Comfort and success are opposites. If you want to always be comfortable, you'll never succeed. If you want to succeed, you need to get out of your comfort zone and be prepared to feel uncomfortable.

Failure means different things to different people. If someone says, “I do NOT want to put myself in the line and risk making a fool of myself to get what I want in life”. That’s perfectly reasonable. However, it would be a failure if you do NOT give it a shot. Successful people never regret the shots they missed; they regret the shots they didn't take.

When are you going to get out of your comfort zone? When are you going to take a shot to get what you want in life? Go ahead; contact a great executive coach to show you the path!

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Surya M Ganduri, PhD. PMP. is the founder and president of eMBC, Inc., an international firm specializing in strategic and executive leadership development processes that Help People Succeed in an Evolving World. His company is affiliated with Resource Associates Corporation, a network of 600+ associates that are dedicated to helping organizations and individuals manage strategic change, innovation, cultural transition, and goal achievement. Surya has over 26 years of business experience in management consulting, leadership development, executive coaching, process improvements, organizational development and youth leadership. Contact Surya at s6ganduri@eMBCinc.com. For more information, visit www.eMBCinc.com or contact eMBC, Inc., directly at (630) 445-1321.