Motivating People: In Praise of Opportunists

03/06/07

A few days ago, I was chatting with a small business owner who lost one of his key supervisors. He wanted an in-house replacement, but the two employees he favored the most weren’t interested.

“The only person who really seems to want the job is this young hotshot who’s only been around about three years. Two days after Mike died, he asked if I’d consider him for it. What an opportunist.” He spat out the word as if it was poison.

“Know what you ought to do to a guy like that?” I asked.

He lit up with anticipation. “What?”

“Promote him as fast as you can. He may turn out to be the best candidate you’ve got.”

That wasn’t what he wanted to hear, but I didn’t care. The “opportunist” had the guts to step forward and put his reputation on the line for a chance to better himself. His apathetic co-workers had rejected the boss’s offer out of hand.

One of the worst things you can do is cajole indifferent workers into taking a promotion, regardless of their qualifications. Look closest at the people who speak up for themselves, because they’re driven to excel. Instead of waiting for their ship to come in, they swim out to meet it.

In these days of declining work ethic, it’s exciting to discover people on your payroll who are eager for a break and will gamble on themselves to get it. Applaud their opportunistic bent and reward their ambition whenever you can. George Bernard Shaw said, “The people who get on in this world are the people who get up and look for the circumstances they want, and, if they can’t find them, make them.” That’s an admirable quality. It’s the essence of great companies and great people alike.

So the next time you’re looking for someone to promote, you may not have to look very far. Your most highly motivated people may come to you.

It sure beats having them go elsewhere.