I read recently that Oracle just laid off 30,000 employees.
Some of them had been there 20 years.
That’s two decades of giving their best years to a company that called them “family”…
…and then one Tuesday morning they got an email telling them to pack their sh!t.
Look, I understand that companies have to make moves that are best for themselves, their bottom line, and their shareholders.
And most of the time, that doesn’t include their employees.
This is part of the reason I think calling your team ‘family’ is complete bullsh!t.
If you were to talk to any one of my team members, they would tell you that I genuinely care about them. I want to see every single one of them grow, win, and become the best version of themselves.
But I don’t throw the word ‘family’ around because it blurs a line that needs to stay clear.
I share this with you because your real family is sitting at home waiting for you to walk through that door and provide for them.
Your kids and your spouse – those are the people who need you no matter what.
What I do care about more than anything inside my companies is culture.
Culture isn’t holding hands and singing kumbaya.
Hanging “we’re all in this together” posters on the wall.
Or throwing pizza parties.
When you build a culture of high performers, people don’t coast. They don’t show up just to collect a check. They fight like hell for the business like it’s theirs.
And when people fight for the business and have something worth standing for, there are no mass layoffs.
Because there’s no dead weight dragging everyone down.
The business grows, everyone eats, and your team members go home and take care of the people who actually ARE their family.
That’s why I run a “Level Up or Level Out” culture in every one of my companies.
I’m constantly looking at the bottom 20% of my team and asking one of two questions:
- How do I level them up
- Or how do I level them out?
HERE’S WHAT YOU’LL FIND WHEN YOU ASK THOSE TWO QUESTIONS:
Diamonds in the Rough – they’ve got the heart and the hunger, they just need extra coaching. I pair them with my top performers and give them every opportunity to rise.
Wrong seat, right bus – good people stuck in the wrong role. Move them. I’ve seen average team members become rockstars just by shifting them into a position that matches their strengths.
Dead weight – zero desire to grow, resist feedback, drag the energy down like a crop duster flying through the office. These people need to go. Not next quarter. Now.
And I hold myself to this same standard.
If I’m not leveling up as the leader, I have no business asking my team to.
So stop calling your team family and start building a culture where high performers want to stay and fight…
…because that’s what keeps everyone’s real family fed.
Keep leveling up,
Bedros Keuilian
P.S. If you want help implementing a Level Up or Level Out culture inside your business, that’s exactly what I do inside my Domination Year coaching.
It’s 12 months of private 1-on-1 coaching with me where I give you the tools, systems, and frameworks to build the same culture I’ve implemented across all of my companies over the years.
From how I identify and develop my top performers to how I filter out the dead weight before it costs me my best people.
If that’s where you’re at, hit the link below and let’s talk.
Apply here: bedroskeuilian.com/consulting/