Talane’s Blog of the Week, May 15, 2006

Stop Working Against Resistance

One of my clients, Tess Pierson, owns a home staging business, Magnolia and Maple at www.magnoliaandmaple.com —she arranges the furniture and artwork in houses for sale, so the house sells quickly and for more money—usually quite a bit more money. She has a warehouse of furniture to use if the client doesn’t have the “right” look. Tess had a regular team of movers to move furniture from her warehouse to the house being staged. One day, they didn’t show up. Out of sheer desperation, she and her husband drove to pick up some day laborers (this is California), and paid them what they would have paid their normal team. To her complete amazement, they were fantastic workers. They got the job done. They never complained once. They never acted as if they were doing her some huge favor. And, at the end of the day, instead of being completely exhausted, she actually had energy left over to enjoy her evening. Until Tess hired someone else, she hadn’t been aware of the difference—the difference was that these guys wanted to work and were grateful for the job. She didn’t have to battle against the slightest bit of resistance and, as a result, accomplished twice what she normally would have. Needless to say, she is letting her old movers go.

Definition of a work force: people who are forced to come to work. People who come to work through obligation rather than commitment feel forced to work. Force always generates resistance. This is a law of physics and isn’t going to change any time soon.

Is anyone on your team putting up resistance in the subtlest or slightest of ways? Are they dragging their feet? Or are they enthusiastic and eager to get the job done? You can’t afford to waste your time and energy motivating people who are not committed. Cut them lose and find someone who wants the job.

All the best,
Talane