Everyone wants the superstar in their company. I hear it all the time, “hire the superstar, you want a superstar.” But as a shop owner who talks to a lot of other shop owners, it seems very few want the responsibility to cultivate an environment to develop a star, let alone create a galaxy that a superstar needs to shine in. A star in space needs a certain mass and a perfect balance of elements to not burn out. Your team needs a similar structure inside your walls. Not only for the rising stars, but also the superstars.
You may have people in your company that don’t shine brightly right now but could if their roles were defined directly. Take time to examine if there are missing elements inside of your establishment that could better support them. Do you have education in place, clear job expectations, benefits to excite them, good energy around you, and bays full of work? Do you have an exciting place to show up to? These things matter greatly to upcoming and top performers. If you have those stars already shining brightly in your facility, they could dim if you don’t protect and evolve their energy and space. So how do we, as shop owners, do that?
In the hiring process, so many of us pass over the future star to find a shinier one. When in fact, you may have the next brightest star in front of you, but you are ignoring them because they don’t fit your “ideal solar system” at this moment. I urge you to take some time to listen to the people you interview. They will tell you what they need to shine brighter.
I’ve heard it many times from potential employees, “no one listened to me, my ideas were ignored” or “I had no future.” Another common one is, “I wanted to learn, but they didn’t offer training.” These are cries for betterment. The star wanted more energy to burn brighter and the shop they worked for fell flat. You could be the one to ignite their flame and get them burning for your shop, but you will need to put some work in for them. Maybe they need education in certain areas, or a shop mentor to pair with for extra support for a while. It may be worth spending the time cultivating someone if the result is a superstar. When you have someone in front of you willing to rise to the occasion, consider rising to the occasion for them. Reciprocity is important in a working relationship, and you can either help that star burn to its full potential, or let it fizzle out. You are the cultivator and keeper of your stars.
If you already have a superstar, you will need to ensure they stay burning. These people will thrive inside of well laid plans and details. These stars will shine and shine unless you abuse their stardom. You cannot expect them to do an outstanding job daily, and not continually cultivate them because you assume they will continue shining independently. Remember, when the element balance is off, a star will start to dim. Sometimes they break apart, and sometimes they just die out. Keeping your workspace full of controlled challenges and opportunities will keep the superstars glowing in a productive manner. Coaching in the way they prefer to be coached, elevating their skills with continual advanced education, and offering them a secure future in your solar system is a way to keep your skies shining brightly. And again, listen to their needs. It will sound different than the budding stars, but they will tell you what they need to shine on.
I had a mentor tell me, “people are what you make them,” and I think that’s true. I find people can grow to extraordinary measures if they are interested enough in what they are doing and well educated in the area. But we are no longer in the hiring generation of handing people jobs and standing blindly by as owners. People want and need opportunities that come with structure, leadership, advancement, and support. They want promises that come to fruition and the ability to fill a void in a meaningful way inside their workplace. With some internal reflection on how your business moves and develops people, you can create and attract the superstars that will level up your establishment.
However, you must guide the ship with process preparation, implementation, and diligence.
You can do this, you’re the star gatherer.
