Upgrade talent for the economy to come
Bad pathologies to avoid in new employees
One of the best pieces of advice that came from last week’s IDC Directions conference was an almost throwaway comment from one of the IDC executive speakers: Start planning for the recovery.
That’s actually something I’ve already discussed with two clients as it sets the correct tone for what firms and managers should be doing today. We need to focus on how our businesses will emerge from this economy as stronger, better firms. This is the time to do it. It’s also the time to re-consider your organization and its talent. Do you really have the best and brightest personnel? Do you have the team that can lead your firm out of this economy and into a much brighter future? Is your succession plan already perfect? If you answered no to any of these, get busy and get to attracting some great talent your way fast.
In HR circles, people are fond of using expressions like “Talent War” (or “War for Talent”), or the blasé “Talent Acquisition Strategy”. There are different arguments or techniques associated with each but this blog isn’t about the methods and processes in these strategies. It’s about doing something bold now: Doing something that will change your firm for the better now and in the future.
Today, firms should be doing more than just cutting back their workforce. They should be upgrading the talent within their firm. They should be getting the very best and brightest from colleges, trade schools, offshore sources and competitors and using them to create the post-recovery team.
But as your firm creates its post-recovery super-team, be sure to identify the right types of folks for your firm and absolutely avoid PUREs (i.e., previously unidentified recruiting errors). Here’s what you should avoid:
- anyone prone to the five or six fatal pathologies identified by Stanley Bing in his book: Crazy Bosses. Some of those pathologies include: the bully, the paranoid and the narcissist. I once hit a Trifecta and got all three in one boss of mine. (Right now, that old boss is probably thinking "Brian just wasn't tough enough to handle a jerk like me (That's the bully speaking) or "Is this blog post about me?" (paranoia) or "I don't recall Brian - Did he help me look good?" (narcissism)). That was a brutal year or so of my life. Bosses/managers with bad pathologies run off employees with incredible speed. Sadly, I know of no HR software that looks for these pathologies and helps companies stem the defection of great employees from these torture masters.
- finger-pointers and glory-takers. You’ve met these folks many times in your life. They never do anything but can take credit for your good work and they do it faster than a speeding bullet (sorry about that Superman!). They can find someone to blame for anything bad that happens. They don’t have Telfon-coated skin but they try to act like they do. Pass on these people because they don’t do anything but frustrate and run off great workers.
- lone-wolf people in a team-based organization. Except for some sales organizations, lone-wolves are real management problems. They are a real problem when the CEO is a lone wolf. Lone wolves often do what they want to do and not what you or others need them to do. This quality is quite different from ‘self-starters’. Self-starters are a plus (just as non-starters are a big liability).
- marginal workers. Malcolm Gladwell argues that smart people aren’t bargains either in a piece he did called The Talent Myth . I don’t really disagree with much of Malcolm’s argument in his piece. Essentially, he cautions businesses to avoid those ‘A’ level performers who require too much attention, compensation, etc. He points out that Southwest Airlines “hires very few MBAs, pays its managers modestly, and gives raises according to seniority, not “rank and yank”.” I think Malcolm is correct is saying that some firms have a ‘star’ system that elevates a few chosen employees (i.e., their “A” players) to a “can do no wrong” status and gives them all the opportunities (to succeed or screw up). Stars are like the lone wolves described above. Where I differ with Malcolm is that ‘A’ level players are essential to great firms but only when their talents can be successfully and continuously harnessed by the firm and specific teams within it.
As someone who has managed two different star factories for two different firms, I can tell you that some stars are problematic and others are not. The troublesome stars are the ones with a sense of entitlement (e.g., “I can only be staffed on the really exotic projects in cool locations.” Or “I can only fly first-class”.). The worst stars are the ones who can’t control their self-absorption and ego even in a job interview. I had one such star tell me that she had determined every loophole possible in her current employer’s expense policy and used this knowledge to award herself an amazing array of perks that no one else was getting. If I had asked her to spell ‘teamwork’, I think she would have had a meltdown right there on the spot. Obviously, I didn’t hire someone who was so obviously self-absorbed, self-interested, and decidedly devoid of the knowledge of how their behaviors come off to others.
If it doesn’t feel like there’s a talent war afoot in your industry or company today, start a smart one. Get the best talent now and not just any talent. When you do, you’ll be building a better, stronger firm for the economy to come.