This week’s question from my portal “The Neagle Code: Directions for Life” comes from someone who wishes to remain anonymous.
Hi David,
I have two “rockstar” team members who are asking for 3x their salary. Hands down, they’re worth that amount.
I’d feel guilty paying them more, because the rest of my team is paid based in their country’s currency. If I pay the rockstars U.S. wages, it seems unfair to those who aren’t as capable—because maybe they’re disadvantaged, their life was harder, or they’re a single mom or something.
How should I approach this?
If one person is a rockstar and one is mediocre and you’re paying them the same for the same position—you’re going to lose the rockstar eventually.
The mediocre one should probably be let go, and you should hire a second rockstar.
It’s not personal.
Let’s say someone is showing up every day, giving their best—and they’re just not getting there. That’s probably the wrong position for them.
I tell people, “Find a place where you can be the rockstar of your own life.” If they can’t get there, they should probably look for something different.
That’s not your burden to carry.
You’re responsible TO people, not FOR them.
Everyone has a hard life. Everyone’s on their own journey. How determined are they to change their circumstances?
It’s their responsibility to clean up their life.
As the business owner—and their boss—you can do your team a great benefit by having those truthful conversations with them.
Be transparent. Tell them, “Look, I’d love to pay you as much as the next person. But you’ve got to clean up these issues before you can get there. You COULD be a rockstar, but it won’t happen until you clean things up. You’ll probably perform way better once you do.”
Consider how a professional sports team is run. The best person gets the job… period. People who aren’t the best go somewhere else, even if the coach loves that person.
The coach makes hard decisions in the best interests of the team.
That’s how you need to see yourself. The best player gets the spot. If they’re not the best, they need to go somewhere else—maybe somewhere where they’re looking for a “B player” or “C player,” rather than an “A player.”
If you have B and C players on your team, working with A players—those A players will leave, because A players want to work with other A players.
Don’t do a disservice to your A player, your B player, AND to your company.
Remember, it’s a team—not a family. Everyone is gunning for those spots, while taking responsibility to do their best. If someone isn’t doing their best, have a conversation about why. Then it’s a decision on what to do about it.
Recommended Reading
No Rules Rules: Netflix and the Culture of Reinvention by Reed Hastings
P.S. Whenever you’re ready… here are 3 ways I can help you grow YOUR business:
- Listen to The Successful Mind Podcast. Three times per week I drop cutting edge information and strategies relating to success mindset, leadership, wealth creation, and relationships.
- Join other like-minded small business owners in my Transformation Facebook Group! Allow us to be a place to share ideas, get advice, and meet others who value truth and growth!
- Join me at The Art of Success Summit! In April 2022, I’m getting a group of amazing business owners together for 3 days to work on exponentially growing their business.
