Executive Leadership

Donnie Jaeger of Detroit Thrive—a functional training and sports performance facility—had the same setbacks any small business owner faces: wearing different hats, burning the candle at both ends, and dealing with day-to-day operations. One of his biggest concerns, however, was the high turnover rate he experienced with seemingly qualified employees. Individuals would seem like the right fit but fizzled out when it came time to test their skills with clients. With seven employees, everyone needed to be pulling their weight—and then some.

Donnie had worked with Paul Fayad before and both were volunteers for the Detroit Bulldogs Hockey Club. Together, they took the Bulldogs from just 13 players to over 300. After Donnie shared his frustrations about his small business with Paul, he engaged Positive Leader as a way to rethink his current roster and hire more effectively in the future.

Donnie is honest about employees’ initial resistance to taking the PAT℠ as part of the process. “Everyone knows they have issues, and they don’t want to take the mask off,” he shared. Still, there was a clear disconnect between what individuals were hired for and how they performed in their roles. A change had to be made, even if it was uncomfortable at first. Donnie invited Paul to speak to employees and explain the concept of Sitters, Rowers, and Drillers℠ as a way to connect in a meaningful way. Once employees were on board, the work could begin.

Donnie and Paul had three main goals for Positive Leader at Detroit Thrive:

• Identify potential red flags in the hiring process to avoid investing in employees that were less than ideal.
• Correctly match individuals to the right roles for their personality traits, natural talents, and ability to adapt to change.
• Put the Rowers first: Hire, train, and promote the doers and leaders.

Most of Donnie’s current roster was made up of Sitters: people who weren’t actively hurting his small business but weren’t doing much to help it, either. Simply identifying each archetype within his organization gave Donnie context for his barriers and offered the opportunity to rethink his hiring strategy.

In the end, one out of the original seven employees made the cut in Detroit Thrive’s reorganization and commitment to leadership. In small business, every employee needs to carry their weight, and when Donnie realized most of his employees were Sitters, he made a push to recruit and hire Rowers who could make a difference.

It didn’t happen overnight, but slow and steady change resulted in a smooth transition. Instead of one or two employees shouldering the weight of a small business, Donnie was able to redistribute responsibilities to those who were ready, willing, and able to contribute to small business greatness.