Monday, August 08, 2016

The Right People...


Flights of fancy...
Never been a big fan of airport "Business Advice" books - generally long on cliche, short on substance.  If you're going to waste a flight with a light weight text, you're better off to go with a romance novel, hilariously referred to as "bodice rippers."


I don't know what
you're talking about...
"Bodice rippers" at least have much better front covers and the content invariably includes a "toe curler" passage or two.  At least that's what I've been told; I have, of course, never read
one....


But a couple of business advice writers do seem to stand the test of time well.  One of those writers is Jim Collins, author of Good To Great and Built To Last which have been spectacularly successful.  In 2009, Mr.Collins authored yet another best seller called How The Mighty Fall, which had some exceptional insights. 

In the book, Mr. Collins noted that for a successful company to survive and prosper it had to attract and retain "the right people". Here's how he suggested that you find those right people;


* The Right People fit the credit union's core values.

Great credit unions build a culture, hire people already predisposed to that culture - and then keep them!



* The Right People don't need to be tightly managed.

Explain the goals; explain the rules; get out of their way.





* The Right People understand that they do not have   "jobs".



They have responsibilities - and want more responsibilities.





* The Right People fulfill their commitments.

Never promise what they can't deliver; do what they say they will do.




* The Right People are passionate about the credit union   and its work.

Nothing happens without passion. They display a remarkable intensity.




* The Right People display "window-and-mirror" maturity.

When things go right they point out the window giving credit to others; when things go awry they "look in the mirror" and accept responsibility.



"The Right People" 
...intense, passionate, driven, ardent, spirited, yearning for more....



( kinda' sounds like a "bodice ripper", doesn't it!)

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

The type of employees you describe are the type every employer seeks to find and hire. Unfortunately, as we see everyday in every business we deal with, those type of people are hard and getting almost impossible to locate. Work ethic? Some believe that it is lost forever. The desire to do a good job and advance in your position? Some believe just putting in your eight hours is more than enough. Work for the weekend is the motto of many. It is a sad situation and one that must be reversed \. We need the right people to do that. Are they out there?

Jim Blaine said...

Yes! and abundantly so in North Carolina... speak from first hand experience on that one!

Try hiring them to change the world rather than to fill a position... most young folks like a challenge... and a purpose.

Anonymous said...

A fundamental principle of psychology and management: people tend to live up (or down) to your expectations of them. If you expect them to just put in their eight hours and "work for the weekend," that's likely what you're going to get. Expect star performances, and clearly communicate what that means, then stand back and enjoy what happens.