Feb 2, 2023
“A high performance culture is where there's a reciprocation of expectations. Where, yes, you're going to provide a great place where people can grow and have great relationships and do quality work, but in exchange for that, there's a high expectation that they're going to perform at a high level,” explains Warren Coughlin, serial entrepreneur and business coach. Since 2002 Warren has been working to deliver value and make an impact on entrepreneurs who are helping make the world a better place. Today, he joins host Tiffany Zehara to talk about common mistakes entrepreneurs make, the importance of sticking to your foundational values, and how to really commit to solving a problem instead of worrying about who is right or wrong.
Many entrepreneurs are so driven by the desire to do good in their communities that they think motivation and good intentions are all they need to get people on board. However, there are many things beyond motivation and passion to consider when starting a business. Some of the major common mistakes entrepreneurs make are not learning skills like cash flow management, not actually applying the skills they do learn, and not understanding how to create a high performance culture. A high performance culture is not the same as just being a nice place to work, everything and everyone within your business must be aligned with similar values and performing at a high level in order to achieve maximum success.
Entrepreneurship is an incredible way to impact positive change in your community and the world. These are the people who are working hard to solve problems and move society forward, but they cannot do it alone. In order to really excel, it is important to put together a strong business plan, have a solid understanding of cash management, and to hire the right people whose values are in alignment with those of your company. Tune into today’s episode of Humanitarian Entrepreneur Podcast for a talk with special guest Warren Coughlin to learn more about common mistakes entrepreneurs make and how you can really commit to solving a problem without getting hung up on who was right or wrong.
Quotes
- “Whether you're a nonprofit or for profit, learning your numbers is a foundational skill, and if you don't learn that, you're going to have surprises that bite you on the backside.” (6:45-6:54 | Warren)
- “One of the major disciplines and skills that separates really the greats from the struggling is the ability to focus.” (7:48-7:56 | Warren)
- “A high performance culture is where there's a reciprocation of expectations. Where, yes, you're going to provide a great place where people can grow and have great relationships and do quality work, but in exchange for that, there's a high expectation that they're going to perform at a high level.” (10:13-10:30 | Warren)
- “When you say, if our values are well chosen, then they should produce great results. Therefore, I start with the assumption that if something went wrong, we were off our values. Now, let's dig into that, and then let's have a conversation about our collective responsibility to maintain those values and what it would have looked like had we lived them in this circumstance. Those conversations can be uncomfortable, but over time, they are so powerful, and so transformative.” (12:04-12:35 | Warren)
- “You have to hire and fire based on values, and that can be hard, because sometimes you'll have somebody who's a good performer, but is a cultural disaster. And so you either have to get that person aligned with the culture or move them off.” (12:56-13:09 | Warren)
Connect with Warren Coughlin:
Website: https://warrencoughlin.com
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/warrencoughlin/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/abusinessthatmatters
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/warren.coughlin/
To connect with Tiffany to solve problems or affect the kind of change you want: https://calendly.com/humanitarianentrepreneur/discovery-call
Website: https://humanitarian-entrepreneur.com