A Second Way Lord of the Rings is ruining your business

Okay, I had so much fun writing part 1 I just had to make this a trilogy.

The second way that Lord of the Rings may be ruining your business is that you believe there is a “perfect cast” for your epic journey. Now it’s true that you’re on a journey but unlike a movie cast there will be changes along the way.

You may be unconsciously holding back from hiring because you haven’t found that perfect person yet. As I describe in the 5 Days to Finding Fabulous Help for Your Online Business video series, it’s not about finding a permanent cast because the person you hire tomorrow is not a ‘til death due us part’ relationship. If you have the right system for hiring then you don’t have to hang on desperately to your team, and as a result staffing changes don’t ruin you.

It helps to envision your business as a TV series with a revolving cast – your job is to develop the job description or “character” so that another person can step in without your business faltering.

Instead of looking for perfection, which is hard to find and even harder to afford, look for people with the right potential. When hiring I look for a willingness to learn, good communication, interesting input and engagement. Then you can work to hire the right person and train them on the specifics you need.

I love the story of how actor Elijah Wood auditioned for his role in the franchise by creating an audition video that would get him noticed. While he didn’t have hairy feet or pointy ears, he did have the moxie and drive and said he would have done “anything to get the role.”

That’s exactly the spirit I look for in hiring, even if the experience or expertise is not perfect.

It’s a bit tricky because you should strive to create a fellowship of amazing people in your business, but if you become too attached any changes can be disruptive. It can be hard to practice but you’ve got to let go of the attachment (trust me, nothing pushes people away faster than telling them “you can never leave me!” It’s not flattering, it’s creepy and a tad controlling) and know that your business has a system in place to survive and continue to thrive.

People will come and go and you have little control when it happens. So as you’re building your ideal “fellowship” don’t be so heavily invested that you drive people away or avoid hiring entirely.

By envisioning your business as a series you may be more open to the evolution over time, instead of a static entity. And if you need a proven system for hiring the right people for your business check out my free video series available at the top of this page and get started now.