Are Betta Fish Swimming In Your Company?

Earlier this year, a client told me his lead field supervisor, Emilio, quit and was going to work for a competing company.  

I could hear the pain in his voice as he thought aloud about finding a replacement for a local, bilingual, skilled individual who had been with him for 11 years.  

Fast forward three months...

This same leader was invited to a fiesta hosted by one of his up and coming leaders, Juan.  And, what he found out there was that Emilio was a Betta fish.

Betta Fish, ie: Betta splendens, are highly territorial and it’s not advised to put two males in the same tank as they often will fight each other to the death.

But, in the wild, Betta spar for only a few minutes before one fish backs off. Once a fish retreats, the match is over. *

Emilio had been “top Betta” at the company for so long that he deterred all the other individuals from stepping up.  Turnover wasn’t an issue, but developing the bench strength was.

Coaching your team means that you are always on a mission to discover each individuals’ strengths and weaknesses to find the right positions for them to be successful.

I challenge you to show your people that growth within your company is a real possibility for anyone!