Introduction
Why I Wrote This Book
XP3 is on a mission to help companies re-imagine the potential in their people by supercharging their ability to hire, train, and retain high-performing employees. I have dedicated my life's work to this mission. It's been my inspiration, passion, and focus for nearly 20 years now.
I want to tell you a little story. But first, let me give you some statistics; if nothing else, these will make clear to you why you need to read this book, and learn-and profit from-the techniques and tools it describes:
- Research from the Society of Human Resource Managers and others shows that the average company spends up to 40 percent of its total revenue on employee compensation. Yet what does it get for that money? Put it this way: Are you currently maximizing your company's biggest investment? Do you have a locked-down system for finding, training, and keeping the world's best employees?
- The U.S. Department of Labor reports that the price of a bad hire is at least 30 percent of that employee's first-year earnings! For a small company, a five-figure investment in the wrong person is a big gamble that managers make every time they make a hiring decision-only they are betting using "house money." Are you willing to risk that much money without the proper training and coaching to boost your odds of success? These losses add up-and can be a real threat to your business.
- According to studies by Gallup, McKinsey, and others, the average employee typically expends only 40- to 60-percent effort, while top-performing employees have the power to boost productivity by a remarkable 400 to 800 percent! What would the implications be for your company's growth trajectory, if you could achieve a similar surge in productivity? Do you know what it takes to hire, train, and retain the invaluable "A Players" who can propel your company to unprecedented growth?
So here's the story I'd just teased to you:
I recently had the opportunity to hear Brian Gottlieb speak to a group of residential construction company owners about the keys to his success. And trust me, Brian is successful: He's a dynamic entrepreneur who has built and sold several residential construction companies. Here's the story he told, which I'll paraphrase for you:
Early in his career, Brian said that he believed he was in the construction business. Sounds reasonable, right? But later, he realized he was actually in the sales and marketing business-with "remodeling services" as his product.
But that was just the first realization. The next one was the clincher. Brian explained how he was only able to attain true success when he realized that he was actually in the "people training and coaching" business. Accordingly, he shifted his focus to prioritizing team development. He emphasized the importance of fostering a strong organizational culture based on a solid foundation of mission, vision, and values as essential elements for building a prosperous company.
This was music to my ears! Brian was preaching to the choir, as far as I was concerned. Every business-your business-is in the "people training and coaching business." And that's what you're going to get better at, as you read this book.
It's also why I asked Brian if he would be willing to write the foreword for this book, and he graciously agreed, as you have just read. For that, I am extremely grateful; thank you, my friend.
An owner's manual for your people
There are lots of ways to approach these employee challenges; most are difficult to learn and implement-and many simply don't work. Clearly, you want the best tools, knowledge, and skills at your fingertips: a proven system that will arm you and your team with the essential skills for success.
Only one approach checks all these boxes: The XP3 Talent System-a scientifically validated turnkey solution that helps companies re-imagine the potential in their people by supercharging their ability to hire, train, and retain top talent. Just as you have structured systems, processes, and tools to serve your customers and grow your company, the XP3 Talent System provides the essential people element that makes all your other systems work better.
In this book, I'm going to provide you with a continuous-improvement methodology to upskill your employees, and your business, that will literally shave years off your company's profit trajectory. Consider this book an "owner's manual for your people."
To "B" or not to "B"
Why do people quit jobs? They don't. They quit managers. You'll be wasting time and money if you don't first ensure that your team that is tasked with hiring, training, and retention is comprised of "A Players." It's a top-down approach.
The quick lesson here-and we'll get into this in more detail later in the book-is that "A Players" hire "A Players," and "B Players" hire "C Players."
Why is that? "A Players" want to work with other "A Players." That's because they realize that, together, they can accomplish a lot more than they can by themselves.
B Players, on the other hand, don't want to be threatened, and think that hiring people with greater skills than they possess, is a threat to their job security.
Closing the talent gap
Every company grows or dies based on its key employees' and managers' capacity to scale the organization. Every success or failure begins with their ability to do what's needed to support growth. Market conditions will always change, but a high-performing team will dramatically-and consistently-improve your organizational effectiveness, delivering a more sustainable competitive advantage.
Unfortunately, far too many people believe that success hinges primarily on their ability to simply "find the right person," which is why so many companies are willing to invest so much in recruiting!
But here's the reality. Over 50 percent of the working population are B Players, or what we like to call "high-potential" players. You can't expect them to fly on auto-pilot after you hire them. This is also true of the occasional A Players you might be fortunate enough to hire.
You must "transform" all of your employees into passionate, collaborative, productive company advocates in order to achieve your growth objectives-and this is a complex and ongoing process that requires your constant focus and action. If you want to be a market leader, you need to invest in developing your employees, and the infrastructure required to support their growth. enabling and empowering them to evolve the professional skills required to ensure your company's continual success.
In other words, you'll want to close "the talent gap": The void that lies between your company's growth or performance objectives. and your staff's ability to execute consistently to achieve the required results within the timeframe that you define.
For example, if your growth plan is to double your company's revenues and profits in the next three years, then you don't have time to wait for the learning curve-which research has shown can take anywhere from three to five years for a new or inexperienced person to surmount. To the contrary: You'll want to ensure that you have top talent in place who can hit the ground sprinting, and immediately execute on your growth plan.
The proprietary XP3 Talent System has been scientifically designed and honed over the years to make it the most effective and foolproof way to turbocharge business success along the essential lines of hiring, training, and retention. That's why this book is called Hire Train Retain.
This book is made of meat, not fat. I'll share a story where it helps to convey a concept or make a point, but I will not bog you down in fluff. Just look at the page count! I don't want you to waste a minute of your valuable time.
The Rule of Three
The "Rule of Three" is a concept that appears in various contexts, but it generally means that when information is presented and received in groupings of three, it's intrinsically more amusing, gratifying, and effective-and thus more memorable.
Consider a few common applications of The Rule of Three:
- Communication and writing. In writing and public speaking, the Rule of Three suggests that information presented in groups of three is more engaging and easier to remember. For example, a speaker might use three key points to make an argument, or a writer might structure a narrative with a beginning, middle, and end.
- Design and aesthetics. In design, the Rule of Three can refer to the use of three main elements to create a visually appealing composition. This principle is based on the idea that odd numbers of items (especially three) are more visually dynamic and balanced than even numbers.
- Marketing and branding. Marketers often use the Rule of Three to highlight three key benefits or features of a product. This simplifies the message and makes it more memorable for the target audience.
- Problem solving. In problem-solving or project management, the Rule of Three can suggest breaking down tasks or...
