Picking the Right People
Picking the Right People
Garrison Thomas Meadows
(local business philosopher)
Strategic decisions to hire or not hire, select or not select and place or not place a person are just as important as the decision to buy or sell a company. Though we elevate the status of the merger/acquisition or the downsize/sell off decision because of its profound economic and financial implications, we seldom, if ever, give any strategic thought to the decision that leads to one person moving up the career ladder, across the career tundra or over the career bridge. As is often acknowledged in the Executive Profile section of business magazines, taped interviews on business talk shows and autobiographies that allow for a look back on one’s business life, the consistent theme woven through these profiles is that the toughest decisions they face are the ones that involve the strategic placement of PEOPLE! The due diligence that comes with financial reports, legal meandering, bid solicitation and portfolio analysis, while lengthy, technical and crucial to the survival of a company, can all come crashing down like a stock market panic if the wrong person is sitting at the helm. The wrong mix of background, experience and insight can be equally as damaging as any exercise in organizational restructuring.
The growth and evolution of the people selection process has seen the emergence of assessment instruments, personality profiles and structured interviewing methods, all designed to augment the natural inclination to go with one’s ‘gut’ on a people decision. In many instances the, ‘gut’ decision is jettisoned in favor of the traditional ‘seniority’ practice or the culturally reinforced, politically charged ‘entitlement’ option that often clouds the mind and judgment of key decision makers. The volatility of the current business climate demands more of decision makers than just the standard approach to getting-it-done, but to really zero in on what skills are crucial to any job or position connected to the profit and survival of the organization. The shifting tides of globalization have encroached on the once time honored practice of ‘position-mine’ and much like the ladies of Dogpatch on Sadie Hawkins Day where if you catch your husband, claim him, then he’s yours, positions have been handed out to non-competent individuals with about the same amount of forethought. When economic times are on the high end, we rarely give much thought to this kind of process. However, when standing eyeball-to-eyeball and toe-to-toe with time honored traditions caught in a vortex, standing on ceremony is no longer appropriate when the foundation is crumbling.
PEOPLE MAKE A DIFFERENCE! Talented people strategically placed in the right jobs, make an even bigger difference. Positions and titles come with money and status. This combination appeals to our needs for security, achievement and recognition. It feeds our desire to want more, but not necessarily our ability to do more. We want a position because it is available, not because we can do the job. The interest and attraction to a position does not make it an automatic gift. We assign levels of importance to titles when, in fact, the title of the position, (Mail Room Clerk, Chief Executive Officer) should have little bearing on how much forethought should go into who should occupy that spot. The structural connectivity inside most organizations is such that the way the mail room clerk goes about handling the job can have a rippling impact on how the Chief Executive Officer handles their job. Though it may seem like a reality stretch, ask any CEO what happens to their day when the mail is late!
Our primary criterion for self-evaluation is ‘Me next’ and the energy that fuels this perspective is often reinforced by managerial unwillingness to look beyond the immediate need and think, strategically, about the skill requirements and talent needed to position the organization stay competitive.
Picking the Right People - To learn more about this author, visit Lee Meadows's Website.
Like this article? Share it with your friends
“Business is all about having the right people, doing the right job!”
Garrison Thomas Meadows
(local business philosopher)
Strategic decisions to hire or not hire, select or not select and place or not place a person are just as important as the decision to buy or sell a company. Though we elevate the status of the merger/acquisition or the downsize/sell off decision because of its profound economic and financial implications, we seldom, if ever, give any strategic thought to the decision that leads to one person moving up the career ladder, across the career tundra or over the career bridge. As is often acknowledged in the Executive Profile section of business magazines, taped interviews on business talk shows and autobiographies that allow for a look back on one’s business life, the consistent theme woven through these profiles is that the toughest decisions they face are the ones that involve the strategic placement of PEOPLE! The due diligence that comes with financial reports, legal meandering, bid solicitation and portfolio analysis, while lengthy, technical and crucial to the survival of a company, can all come crashing down like a stock market panic if the wrong person is sitting at the helm. The wrong mix of background, experience and insight can be equally as damaging as any exercise in organizational restructuring.
The growth and evolution of the people selection process has seen the emergence of assessment instruments, personality profiles and structured interviewing methods, all designed to augment the natural inclination to go with one’s ‘gut’ on a people decision. In many instances the, ‘gut’ decision is jettisoned in favor of the traditional ‘seniority’ practice or the culturally reinforced, politically charged ‘entitlement’ option that often clouds the mind and judgment of key decision makers. The volatility of the current business climate demands more of decision makers than just the standard approach to getting-it-done, but to really zero in on what skills are crucial to any job or position connected to the profit and survival of the organization. The shifting tides of globalization have encroached on the once time honored practice of ‘position-mine’ and much like the ladies of Dogpatch on Sadie Hawkins Day where if you catch your husband, claim him, then he’s yours, positions have been handed out to non-competent individuals with about the same amount of forethought. When economic times are on the high end, we rarely give much thought to this kind of process. However, when standing eyeball-to-eyeball and toe-to-toe with time honored traditions caught in a vortex, standing on ceremony is no longer appropriate when the foundation is crumbling.
PEOPLE MAKE A DIFFERENCE! Talented people strategically placed in the right jobs, make an even bigger difference. Positions and titles come with money and status. This combination appeals to our needs for security, achievement and recognition. It feeds our desire to want more, but not necessarily our ability to do more. We want a position because it is available, not because we can do the job. The interest and attraction to a position does not make it an automatic gift. We assign levels of importance to titles when, in fact, the title of the position, (Mail Room Clerk, Chief Executive Officer) should have little bearing on how much forethought should go into who should occupy that spot. The structural connectivity inside most organizations is such that the way the mail room clerk goes about handling the job can have a rippling impact on how the Chief Executive Officer handles their job. Though it may seem like a reality stretch, ask any CEO what happens to their day when the mail is late!
Our primary criterion for self-evaluation is ‘Me next’ and the energy that fuels this perspective is often reinforced by managerial unwillingness to look beyond the immediate need and think, strategically, about the skill requirements and talent needed to position the organization stay competitive.
Picking the Right People - To learn more about this author, visit Lee Meadows's Website.
Like this article? Share it with your friends
 | |
 |
No article feedback found. |
| |
Leave Your Feedback |
 | |
| |||
Anne BarrAnne Barr has over 26 years experience in sales and marketing, six years as a franchisee. She has assisted over 367 business owners and purchasers to achieve their goals in career change, transition and exit strategy. She holds the designation of Certified Franchise Executive from the International Franchise Association, Certified Business Intermediary from the International Business Brokers Association and Board Certified Broker from the Texas Association of Business Brokers. Anne is active in professional organizations, networking groups and volunteers for non-profit entities. As owner/operator of four successful businesses, Anne has proven people skills and enjoys helping clients find the right "fit" in business ownership. Visit www.FranchiseOpportunitySpecialist.com for more information about me and my company. - Visit Anne Barr's Website |
|||
Jeff FosterWebBizIdeas.com is a Minneapolis website design company founded to help people start an internet business by providing them with website, business, and internet resources that help foster the growth of successful online businesses and develop innovative Internet business ideas. We specialize in internet consulting & internet marketing. - Visit Jeff Foster's Website |
|||
John BrennanJohn Brennan Ed.D. Dr. Brennan is President of Interpersonal Development, LLC, a training and development firm. Interpersonal Development has provided sales training and coaching to more than 3,000 sales reps from over 100 companies. A native of Australia, Dr. Brennan received his doctorate from the University of Rochester. His dissertation researched the effectiveness of Behavioral Modeling Technology in training people in interpersonal skills. While he has spent most of his career designing or delivering training, he was also a Vice-President of Sales of a training and development franchise with operations in 25 markets. Dr. Brennan has designed and delivered sales training in North America, Asia, Europe, Australia and the Middle East. He has been a guest speaker at numerous national and regional professional conferences. When Microsoft wanted Best Practices articles on sales for their web site, they called Dr. Brennan. The results are at http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/FX011387391033.aspx His firm’s clients have included Volvo, The Prudential, Merrill Lynch, Eastman Kodak, Gannett, Equifax Europe, the Economist Group and countless small businesses. - Visit John Brennan's Website |
|||
Stephanie RobeyStephanie Robey is President and CoFounder of Pivot Positive, LLC - an Internet marketing business focused on helping people start work at home ventures. Previously, she was employed at The Search Agency with over 20 years experience in graphic design and 10 years experience in online marketing. She was responsible for launching the Conversion Path Optimization (CPO) unit where she and her team have conducted hundreds of optimization tests for online companies across multiple verticals. She is a successful entrepreneur having started and sold 2 companies and remains on the board of directors of the third, PhotoSpin.com Stephanie began her career in the direct marketing realm creating and producing direct mail for many of the major cable television companies and directly attributes her understanding of Internet marketing to those early offline experiences. Stephanie is a graduate of San Diego State University with a BFA in Graphic Arts and also holds an Executive MBA from the Graziadio School of Business and Management at Pepperdine University. Read Steph's Blog Meet Steph and Dave Sign up for our Free 7-Day BootCamp: Self Employed & Rich - Visit Stephanie Robey's Website |
|||
|
To learn more about the Evan Elite Author Program please contact us. | |||
 | |
|  |
Subscribe to Lee's articles
 | |
|
|  |
 | |
|
| |
 | |||||||
|
 | ||
|
||
 |
||
 |
||
|
| ||
 |
| Have you written articles that would be of value to entrepreneurs? Become an expert on our site by publishing them! Expose yourself to a wide audience, drive more traffic to your website and get more sales! Click Here for details. |
|
|
 |
| Modeling the Masters: Learn the true secrets behind Walt Disney's business success factors & grow your company! Video produced by Phanta Media |
|
|
 |
"Learn straight from Evan how you can Make a Full Time Income (And More) from a Website"
Click Here To Learn More |
|
|
|
|
Get advice & tips from famous business owners, new articles by entrepreneur experts, my latest website updates, & special sneak peaks at what's to come!
|
|
|
 SWOT Analysis Template The Money Game Ezine Choices Instant Classified Advertising PIPS Power Book |
|
 | ||
 |
Top 50 Franchising Blogs
Top 50 Franchising Blogs | |
 |
More PR Resources
Press Release Builder | |
| ||
 | ||||
| ||||
|
| ||||
| ||||
|
|
|
|
|
||||||||||||
|
Email us your ideas on how to make our website more valuable! Thank you Sharon from Toronto Salsa Lessons / Classes for your suggestions to make the newsletter look like the website and profile younger entrepreneurs like Jennifer Lopez and Sean Combs!
|
|
|
| ||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||
|
|
||||||||||||