It’s pretty well accepted that one of the absolute essentials for scaling up and growing your business is hiring the right people. Without the right team in place, even the best ideas, won’t stand a chance in today’s competitive marketplace. One of the big challenges, of course, is figuring out which players are the right players. That means not only choosing people with the right attributes but also weeding out those who have growth-killing characteristics. Let’s talk about hiring the right people and why you have to look a little deeper.
I recently read an article (an interview, actually) with Dr. Geoff Smart that highlighted five tips to spot candidates with the right and wrong stuff. In the conversation, Dr. Smart talked about five kinds of people who may appear great on the surface, but who actually can hold a company back. Here’s a quick overview, with my comments added (in italics):
Captain Fantastic is a human wrecking ball who is ambitious to a fault, and who steps on people to get ahead. A certain amount of ambition is good. You want to hire self-starters and go-getters. But you don’t want team members who will throw other members under the bus to achieve personal goals.
The Solo Flier believes that if you want something done right, you have to do it yourself. They don’t teach their team to fish – they try to fish for them. Not only does that prevent other team members from developing—it sucks the motivation right out of them. Why try if someone else is going to do it for you?
Version 1.0 is a person who has become highly comfortable with his or her routines. This kind of person is skeptical of change. Consistency and previous success are important attributes, but that saying about “What got you here won’t get you where you want to go” is true. Willingness to change (not for change’s sake, but for improvement) is essential.
The One-Trick Pony is someone who is stuck in a career rut because he or she relies too heavily on a single developed strength. Specific expertise is good, but most business solutions require multiple levels of expertise. Someone who is a marketing whiz needs to understand how his or her efforts work in concert with development, manufacturing, and sales.
The Whirling Dervish is a high-energy person who offers a flood of ideas—but struggles because he or she doesn’t have the discipline to plan and execute reliably. Great ideas are important to a company—but they’re not enough. A great idea without a plan to execute won’t propel your company forward. You do want people who think outside the box, but you need them to have the ability to take their ideas to fruition.
Hiring the right people—well-rounded people—is just one of the keys to growing your company. If your company isn’t growing the way you want it to, I invite you to take a short (5-minute) assessment (click on the button below) that will help you understand what else might be holding you back.
Need help growing your business? With over 35 years of experience and thousands of companies assisted, Chuck Kocher and The Transformation Company can help you scale your business into a truly exceptional business capable of high growth strategies. Businesses are always changing, don’t let yours be left behind. Stand out with our business and executive leadership programs – designed to challenge and improve your business. Your business will thank you for it. Contact me today for a free consultation! 719-339-9505