Get the Right People on The Bus
July 27th, 2009 Posted in Newsletter
In the classic book Good to Great, Jim Collins says, “…to build a successful organization and team you must get the right people on the bus.” His research shows that great companies and organizations do this. They get the right people and put them in the right seats.
But a question I’ve been wondering lately that is not in his book is “Who are the right people?” After all, in order to get the right people on the bus you must identify who the right people are, right?
While speaking to the Cornell University lacrosse team in December I had the chance to spend time with the Head Coach, Jeff Tambroni, who has built Cornell into one of the top lacrosse programs in the country. As a former Cornell lacrosse player and given the work I do now I was very curious how Jeff was able to build a winning team and attract great players year after year.
Without hesitating he said, “We know who our type of player is. We have identified what we are looking for in a Cornell lacrosse player. We tell them that we will work and train harder than any other team in the country. So if they don’t have a strong work ethic they are not our type of player. We also find the right athletes who we can develop and mold into our system. This has made it a lot easier on our recruiting. Instead of recruiting 30 players we go after the top 10 that are right for us.”
This principle of identifying the right people was echoed by the Director of Learning at the Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company. He told me how the Ritz has saved millions of dollars by identifying the key characteristics, strengths and traits of each job/position at the hotel and then creating a benchmark that every potential employee is measured against. Utilizing a company called Talent Plus they interview each potential employee and then identify how they measure up to the benchmark of the position they are applying for. As a result they are better able identify who the right people are for each job at the hotel.
As managers, team leaders and engaged employees it’s not enough to say that we need to get the right people on the bus. We must identify who the right people are and create a process that gets them on the right bus and in the right seat.
Here’s a simple process to get started.
1. Identify who the right people are. Each organization and team will have different needs so your right people may be different than other organizations and teams.
2. One exercise you can do is to sit down with your leadership and human resources team and identify several people in your organization who you wish you could clone. Write down their characteristics and traits and create your own benchmark of the right person for each position.
3. Identify the type of person that fits your organization and team culture. For example, if you want to create a positive culture make sure you hire positive people. If you want to create a culture that is creative then hire creative people.
4. Make sure you take your time during the hiring/recruiting process. If you invest your time, resources and energy to get the right people on the bus you’ll have less headaches, expenses and flat tires later on.
5. Remember, the people you surround yourself with will often determine the kind of ride it’s going to be.
How does your organization get the right people on the bus? Join the conversation here.
Stay Positive!
- Jon
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Tags: bus, good to great, hiring, jim collins, jon gordon, right people, staff, success
12 Responses to “Get the Right People on The Bus”
By Rob on Jul 27, 2009
I do agree with Jon that you do have to do tests to find the right people. However, tests do miss outstanding people. A test cannot see what the heart an individual has or the passion an individual has.
Still the best way is to give some an opportunity to prove themselves on the field of play. They either perform or don’t. Tests can’t see what someone will do when faced with pressure of a sales situation or how they will respond to a game winning shot.
Remember: Michael Jordon was cut from his high school team. That coach did not see the heart he had and I know personally aptitude tests will not show how well someone will perform either.
By Laura on Jul 27, 2009
Rob - I think you missed the point of Jon’s post.
By anna on Jul 27, 2009
I am off for the summer since I am a teacher/supervisor, 1/2 of my staff I do not want to be surrounded by at all, negative comments all of the time, I can’t wait to leave this place of employment,working at this school system for 33 years, and I cannot stand it.
Anna
By John Sanders on Jul 27, 2009
on makes an excellent point; now let’s broaden the picture… too many companies put the wrong people on the bus and then throw them off the bus when they find out that they (associates) should never have been asked to get on the bus in the first place. And then in some cases…when the company falls on hard times they (the company) will even roll the bus over those they thought well enough to have on the bus in the first place. This reveals itself in lack of respect, common courtesy and logical thinking when a company starts dealing with their associates in terms of who stays on the bus and who goes. Throwing associates off of the bus is one thing, then rolling the bus over those associates is another and should be criminal (business vehicular manslaughter is the charge that comes to mind).
Unfortunately this can happen when a company changes and goes into what I call an insane chaos mode (versus a sane crisis mode), and the bus is downsized to a mini-van and one with engine trouble at that; and then the company hires drivers that have their wallets foremost in mind and haven’t the foggiest idea of how to motivate associates by building a people centric cultures based on the simple premise that having and demonstrating a common decency and caring is fundamental to any progress (business or otherwise). Companies that do not understand this, and especiallycompanies whose bus is broken, fail. And they are failing more and more. And they will continue to fail and disappear.
Moral of the story from an associate standpoint… get on the right bus, if it breaks down or shows serious signs of engine trouble (if you can’t fix it); get off as soon as possible. If you a company… simple, if you are going to keep the bus running and getting great mileage; first hire the best damn drivers (leaders) possible, then make sure that everyone on the bus is aligned with a mission that is well defined and reflected and represented in the leaders/drivers. Then work hard every day to figure out ways to help those on the bus not only be productive, but be outstanding performers that fully understand that in reality… they are driving the bus.
By Doug on Jul 27, 2009
It’s almost cliche every year, during the NFL draft, to hear teams say that they are not going for a pre-defined set of criteria (i.e. the attributes to fill a certain position) but rather for the “best athlete” available. This would seem to contradict what you are saying. Are they wrong?
By Carolann Brockman on Jul 27, 2009
Hello, I am currently interviewing independent contractors to join my company and be a team member who is passionate about facilitating small businesses and individuals to find where their money is and to begin again to build their passion.
By Joan Bell on Jul 28, 2009
This is a great article. I believe it is also possible to use this or similar criteria for who we want as clients/customers. Even friends, homes,etc.
When we know what we want, specifically, life becomes very simple and we have fewer disappointments.
By Karan Kinton on Jul 29, 2009
We have been using a book called ‘Building The Awesome Organization’ by Katherine Catlin and Jana Mathews. This book is unique in that you answer questions in the second chapter and it leads you to the chapter you need to work on first. There are areas in each chapter that describe red flags and positives. A few chapters are devoted to obtaining the right people and another on keeping the right people.
By Mark on Jul 29, 2009
John Sanders - well put! I’ve seen what you describe first hand as well as vicariously.
On another angle to this post, as a former HR person, I believe the best method to identify the right person for the bus is the use of competency modeling (identifying core KSAs), followed with behavioral interviewing to investigate their skills. Of course, anyone can BS their way through an interview, but with persistence & diligent reference and background checking, you can cut through the BS.
Regarding testing… Since I have an M.A. in Counseling, test development companies would let me use their tests, so I became very familiar with the process… Even the companies who develop the tests recommend that it contribute no more than 30% to the overall picture of assessing a candidate. The tests CAN BE indicators, but that’s just the point - they CAN BE - not necessarily ARE. Use them with a healthy dose of skepticism. They all have reliability and validity flaws.