From Inspired Startup
Do you have the right people working with you? These days, it’s even more important to ensure the sustainability of your company by only keeping the right people on the bus. The right people will do what it takes to ride out the storm, they have the right mix of passion and efficiency, they are entrepreneurial seeking opportunities when everyone else only sees stumbling blocks. They go beyond what is expected. They are a breath of fresh air and they energize you each and every day you are at work. They will fight alongside you. Ultimately, they get the RIGHT stuff done with a great attitude. If you don’t have these people on your team, you need to move on now and get the right people – they are out there. So, how do you find these people?
I’ve been blessed to work with great people. I’d argue that great people aren’t necessarily the most talented. They just want it more, they work harder, they work smarter, and they take great pride in their work. The best part is, they also associate themselves with those “A” players. That is, they are your best source of new talent. They also take pride in bringing in good people into company. So, get those “A” players from those same players.
If you don’t have any A players on your team, you need to interview for them. I’d go out of the way to ask candidates to complete tasks as part of their resume submission. If they can’t follow directions or take pride in submitting something specifically for your company, I doubt they’d be a good fit. For example, tell them in their cover letter to criticize your company. It tests their writing skills, their creativity, their thoughtfulness, and their approach to confrontation.
In interviewing them, I’d push the cultural fit – are they looking for a 9-5 job, or do they commit to getting the job well done? I’m not advocating working non-stop, but I am advocating people who will get the job done – there are times where there is more work and times when there is less work. Is the employee adaptable? One entrepreneur I met with said, if an employee asks about “work-life” balance, they are asking the wrong question. Life is not about part work and part life, seeing work as a piece of a passionate life worth living is the right perspective. Some of you may disagree, but I find work compelling, fun, exciting, and rewarding. Find people who take pride in their work and will do what it takes to do a great job, an excellent job. Doing so, you’ll be moving quickly in the right direction.
What do you think? Is the right team the most important? I’ll leave letting people go for another post, but I do think as a leader you do need to make the hard decisions as well quickly and decisively while at the same time humanizing it.
About nathan kaiser
