Right People on the Bus
Jim Collins, author of Good to Great, called it “getting the right people on the bus.” He spent years researching the difference between most enterprises and those that in his judgment made the transition from good to great. His conclusion would not have been a surprise to Steve Jobs, who changed the world as the leader of Apple. The key is having the right people. Jobs explained that “A” level people want to work with “A” level people. In the typical environment, “A” people go in search of “A” opportunities; “B” and “C” level people begin to become the norm over time as “A”s leave. That is why in a turnaround situation “getting the wrong people off the bus” to make room for “A” level replacements becomes the first job of management.How do you get the right people? It isn’t easy. Involve your “A” people in the selection process. Use an employment testing service. Hire successful people. But be prepared to get mistakes off the bus fast. It takes time to assemble an “A” team. It is like fine brandy; your team has to be distilled over time. You have to hire carefully and refine by removing and replacing those that don’t fit.
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Mysteries by Tom Collins include Mark Rollins’ New Career, Mark Rollins and the Rainmaker,
and Mark Rollins and the Puppeteer
and the newest, The Claret Murders.
For signed copies go to http://store.markrollinsadventures.com. Ebook editions are
available on Amazon for the Kindle, on
Barnes & Noble for the Nook
and in Apple iTunes' iBookstore for the iPad. Paperback editions are
available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble and other online bookstores.