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Several years ago, there was a trend of talking about the idea of a 10X engineer.
While the idea of 10x might be hyperbole, everyone had a pretty good time with the conversations for a couple of months or maybe years. There was also an interesting takeaway from the idea.
One person can change everything.
Your team’s individual contributors are going to set the pace of change in your organization.
It’s easiest to see when the inverse is true—individuals or a vendor seem to be a total buzzkill to progress—those people who seem to have the cheese touch and are the authors of failure after failure.
It turns out that the Inverse 10x’ers also say more about the organization’s tolerance for pain than the individuals themselves.
Of course, the idea of 10X is a bit trendy.
The Benjamin Hardy book that Dan Sullivan put his name on, "10X is the New 2X,” is popular. It's probably a lot more popular than if Hardy had released it with only his name on it.
I, like so many people who want to improve their businesses, read it when it came out. We were all wondering, “what if I could get 10 times better?”
Most people want to make massive, unprecedented progress.
So, how do you do it, even if it’s not quite 10x?
Roster Management
The best coaches are constantly focused on their roster. Learning how to motivate, coach, recruit, and trim.
Coaches who have great success have often worked inside of another successful system. They take what they learned initially, refine it and tailor it to their new circumstances. This is how we get the coaching trees like that of Bill Walsh.
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When a great system exists, those who are 10xers inside of it, not only master the current system, they often go out and build their own. Most 10xers aren’t easy employees. Their often causing a bit of friction inside the walls because they can see bigger and brighter futures.
I recall a few instances, when one of my bosses wanted to fire a certain person, but before we let them go, we pivoted them into a different role and gave it time.
Sometimes, that person continued to fail and proved to be an inverse 10xer.
But some of them went on to find their sweet spot and to build not just a career but their own business in the industry with much wider impact.
Competent in Your Core Competency
When a company is really humming, it needs to continue refining its focus by eliminating distractions and staying focused on their core competency.
The CEO’s of these firms should be quick to invoke the company mission, remind people of what they do and to focus everyone on the one thing that will make the biggest dent.
Of course, there will still be a tremendous need for help to accomplish the main focus and that’s where they turning to a third party for help with work outside of the company’s core competency can be it’s own multiplier.
You’ll have to dodge the self proclaimed experts who are selling instant fixes or consultations without any implementation help.
How Do I Find a Partner that Provides a 10X Impact?
Here are a few keys that I find helpful when looking for outside help.
- Does this provider understand what we are doing?
- Is this provider connected to the community and industry that I am part of?
- Does this provider understand how I make money and have empathy for how I am potentially investing with them?
- What level of access will I have to the leadership of this company? ‘
- What will happen in the first 30, 60, and 90 days and when will I start to get ROI?
- Does this partner have a mentality of improving?
My favorite Simon Sinek book is Infinite Game. In it, he talks about the idea of building something that endures forever.
The simple thesis is that the very best companies in the world are not focused on their competitors. They keep their eyes on their own paper and are constantly focused on the details that will make them better.
Your best potential partners are companies and leaders who are relentlessly focused getting better at what they do.
They take things personally, and they fix problems.
When the building is on fire, they run into it.
They’re willing to set aside things that scale and focus on caring.
Running Together
The best strategic partners are running at a pace similar to or faster than yours.
You run fast. You have to. Your firm needs you to.
You don’t have time to slow down; the best partners get that and will help you keep or increase your pace.
If they apply the same energy to the problem they are focused on, as you are with growing your business, this is truly a win-win scenario.
So, how do you find these folks?
This is where you have to slow down to go fast. The best partners will take the time to understand your business and niche and ask you key questions.
These sorts of partners get to know your needs in the same way you know the needs of your clients.
They will take the time to develop new solutions to your challenges. In that process, you can achieve an ever-growing impact through your partnership.
This is the way it should be.
Related: The Most Vital Yet Under-Appreciated Solution You Offer Clients