Page 138 - James Caan - The Real Deal

The Real Deal

‘Bob, what are you doing this lunchtime? I’m thinking of going
to Bond Street to get a suit. Do you want to come with me?’
Once we were in the shop and I was trying something on, I’d
turn to Bob and ask if he wanted one, too.
‘Don’t be silly.’
‘I’m serious.’
You can imagine? He was like a Cheshire cat for a week!
‘Just for a bit of a laugh, Bob. Why don’t you wear your suit
tomorrow because I’mdefinitely going to wear mine.’
So we’d stroll in in matching suits, and you could almost hear
the little voice in everyone else’s heads saying, ‘Next month, I’m
going to be the top biller.’
I was learning that if you offer recognition before it’s asked for,
it has twice the impact. Imagine if I approached an employee and
said, ‘I think your work is fantastic and I want to promote you,’
how much more effective it would be than letting that employee
have to come to me and say, ‘I’ve been here over a year and I think
it’s time I got promoted.’ Recognising the team’s contribution –
even their potential to make a contribution – was something I was
good at, and it made for a great atmosphere because everyone felt
valued.
As the company grew, maintaining that culture, keeping that
day-to-day contact with the staff was vital. I absolutely believed in
the culture, and I believed that I could manage and lead and
motivate. The one thing I was struggling with was having the time
to maintain my relationships with clients at the same time.

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