“You’ve got to get there the firstest with the mostest”
The quote above comes from one of my favorite high school teachers. He also coached a football team that did not lose a game for 7 years. He knew how to stay ahead of the game.
Top performing teams know how to stay ahead of the game. They know that you want to launch any noble effort with the strongest possible momentum.
When I was 28, I joined a local Rotary Club. I think the average age in the club was over 50. The club president knew he needed to get me engaged right away before I got bored to death by those “old goats”. (As I write this, I am now 67). The president (Bob) called me within a few days after I became a member. He asked me to be a board member, and before I knew it, I was also the bulletin editor. He got me involved right away, and put me to work. I took it as a compliment. I was one of the team. I was a member of that club until I moved from away from the community 10 years later. In that time, I held every office from secretary, treasurer, VP, to president. As I reflect back, I know that their eagerness to get me involved from the very beginning was pivotal in my being an engaged and long-serving member.
I believe there is a lesson here: When we get a new team member on board, get them involved in a way that challenges them, affirms their value, and makes them feel like one of the team. In doing so, we will increase loyalty, reduce turnover, and make more money!
