Traction: Get a Grip on Your Business

by Gino Wickman

Get It You’ve seen people who get it and people who don’t. “Get it” simply means that they truly understand their role, the culture, the systems, the pace, and how the job comes together. Not everyone gets it. The good news is that there are plenty who do. Want It This means they genuinely like the job. They understand the role, and they want to do it based on fair compensation and the responsibility. In many instances, a manager feels the need to motivate, overpay, or beg a person to want it, when the reality is they don’t. Sometimes their ego, your hopes, or their ignorance about what the job entails will lead them to think that they want it. But if they don’t, they’re never going to provide that spark, no matter how effective a manager you are. So stop beating your head against the wall. Find someone who does want it, and the difference will be immediately apparent. Capacity to Do It Capacity means having the time as well as the mental, physical, and emotional capacity to do a job well. Sometimes, a position might require a commitment of 55 hours a week where the person is only willing to commit 40. Sometimes the job requires a certain level of intellect, skill, knowledge, and emotional intelligence, and the person doesn’t have that capacity. This is the Peter Principle at its finest, where people are elevated to a level of incompetence.