Slugs, Bunnies, Tigers & Owls.
I was 19 when I had my first “management” role. I was promoted from Sales Negotiator to manage a branch of Samuel Rains & Son estate agents (soon after to merge and become Reeds Rains).
Was I the full article? – no way, I was far from that.
But did the gamble pay off for the firm, the team and me personally? Given the branch was slated for closure, and this was the last roll of the dice, then I would like to think so… it certainly was for me, but it’s for others to judge overall.
Eight years later I started my first business, and whilst I’ve learned a lot since, one lesson from those formative years is as powerful for me today as for when I started my leadership career.
The balance between energy and experience.
Most people under 30 are at their peak energy level. They can pull an all nighter to get a project finished, recover quickly, and the good ones have a hunger to learn and improve.
However, at this stage of life they haven’t experienced some of the key events that will help shape their thinking and behaviour. This typically occurs from 30 onwards – I’m referring to marriage, buying a home, having children.
The sweet spot is perhaps 35-50, when the combination of energy and experience is at its highest potential.
Of course, some people can learn life’s lessons earlier, and many are able to extend their energetic life well beyond the average – but as a general rule, below 30 there’s an abundance of energy and not enough experience, and above 50 there’s a lot of experience but the energy levels are falling.
What this observation taught me was that there was a lot of harm and damage done to businesses by both putting inexperienced people into the wrong roles, keeping low energised people in a key position, not promoting young talent quickly enough, nor tapping into the wisdom of the elders.
I classify people into four quadrants: Slugs, Duracell Bunnies, Tigers and Wise Owls – and suggest the following:
Slugs – get rid of them at the first sign.
Duracell Bunnies – find roles and ways to enable them to expend their energy effectively. (When I was put in charge of my first branch, I was supported by both a Tiger and a Wise Owl, although I probably didn’t realise it).
Tigers – peak performers, just make sure they’re doing what only they can do and are not bogged down in roles that suit a much lower pay grade.
Wise Owls – deploy them to add to the mix – as mentors for the Bunnies and perhaps occasionally the Tigers too.
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