Don’t Play Referee

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Do you ever get tired of playing "referee" in your company? Then just refuse to do it.

Two brokers walked into the office of breakthrough CEO Roger Staubach early in the company's development. Each of them had played a role in closing a recent deal, and they were squabbling about how to divide the commission. After listening to each broker make his case for why he should get the lion's share of the commission, Staubach asked a question: "So how much total commission are we talking about here -- including the amount due to the company?" When the brokers answered, Staubach gave his decision. He had decided to give the entire commission -- including the company's share -- to charity. "Next time," Staubach said, as he ushered the two out of his office, "work it out between yourselves."

Blair Bryan, who runs the Southeast Region for Staubach, told us that story when we met for coffee at a Starbucks in Charlotte. "I tell that story to each of my new hires," he told us, "and I haven't had a broker bring me a commission dispute in the ten years I have been running my region."