There’s nothing as intoxicating as these three words: “I’M ON IT.”
As in…
1. I just read that wicked long email you forwarded me. I’ll make sense out of it and ensure we take necessary action.
2. Wow, the client sounds completely ticked off. I’ll smooth things over.
3. Don’t worry, hon. I’ll talk to the mortgage company about our flood insurance.
Ahhh. Freed from tedious and thankless work, I could curl up, go to sleep and have happy dreams about “I’m on it.” Someone who’s got your back is golden in work and life.
So, how can we surround ourselves with On It people and inspire a culture of On It-ism? That’s what we’re going to explore over the next few posts:
- The Definition of an On It Person
- How to Recognize and Screen for On It Traits
- How to Inspire an On It Culture
What’s an On It Person?
It’s so much easier to shrink from a laborious task or to invoke process as an excuse for why something can’t get done. What is the magic that powers On It people?
Entrepreneurial – These are people that recognize that something needs to get done and do it – without fanfare, even though it isn’t their job. If you’re a business owner and you need to wait on customers or clean a bathroom because someone didn’t show up, you do it. On It people are simply incapable of letting complacency occur on their watch.
Natural Leaders – Because they’re the first to volunteer for a task, On It people automatically establish themselves as the person in charge. Often times this isn’t even intentional. It’s part of their DNA. They don’t need to be crowned as the boss, or jockey for attention. Since they have a game plan, seem to know what they’re doing and are willing to take the first step, they naturally become leaders and inspire others to follow.
Accountable – Like the entrepreneur, On It people are willing to put their name on something and take the credit and the blame.
Conscientious – If On It people bask in glory, it’s because deep down they care what others think. They are intuitive about what is meaningful and motivating to others and they want to please them. On It people don’t go into battle with swords. They go in with pens. They ask and capture their opponents’ wishes: What do you want? How can we achieve an agreeable outcome? Oh, you’d be less stressed out if I handled the team’s complaints rather than escalated to you? Done.
Alright. These are the markings of an On It person. Now that we’ve established what the look like, let’s go hunt them down. Next week: How To Hire On It People.
