Last week, I shared some ideas from one of the speakers at the Des Moines Business Record’s “90 Ideas in 90 Minutes”.
This week, I’ll do the same with Bob Riley, the CEO of Riley Resource Group, which is an interesting organization in its own right.
Here are some of my favorites:
- Hire disruptors with expertise in non-related fields. If you hire people with great willingness to be an ideal team player, it can benefit your team to have the fresh perspectives of someone from another industry. I know a former art dealer who became a construction manager. That blend of abstract and concrete knowledge brought fresh perspectives to his crew.
- Take your intern program extremely seriously. Pay interns, and if you’re in Iowa, note the state’s subsidy of $3,100 per year, per intern. Give them robust projects, and have a Showcase Day where they show them to the whole organization, like a science fair. And, make sure every one of them gets coffee or lunch with the CEO. You may find your next great employees this way, and you’ll build buzz as being a great place to intern.
- Offer knowledge and assistance unrelated to your sales goals. By learning enough about your customers that you can provide value to them that won’t necessarily benefit you, your generosity will be noted, and will at least help others be successful.
Mr. Riley is a colorful speaker and great leader, and his insights are valuable.
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