Get the right people on the bus and then get them in the right seats.
This is wisdom from Jim Collins, the author of Good to Great and Built to Last, two great business books I’ve read and taken notes from. There are a lot of principles in there that align with how we’ve built and continue to build Service Express.
The first core principle is to get the right people on the bus or in your organization. Who are the best people that are the best fit for your organization? Whether you’re growing, not growing, or in whatever industry or vertical you’re in, no organization is a good fit for everybody. Be very particular about bringing the right people into your organization and for what you’re trying to achieve. Get the right people on the bus!
Then, get them in the right seat on the bus or position within the organization. Find where they can use their talents, experience and skills to have the most significant impact, do their best work, see the best results and grow their career.
How do you figure out where the best seat is for them? You start with the interview process and assess their skills and what they applied to do. As you grow, those positions evolve, new positions are created, and as you talk through career paths and goals, you start to talk about team members and the best fits for them as they continue to grow. There’s discovery as a leader and self-discovery as an employee.
I just had a conversation today about watching where people naturally go and spend their energy. It’s a lot like watching a kid in their natural environment, like a playground or in your backyard. Whatever they do on their own is their natural interest. You can learn a lot as a parent when you turn them loose and see what they choose to do independently. Are they into sports? What sports are they into? Do they like playing in the woods? Climbing trees? Building things? Whatever it might be, watch them and see what they’re naturally inclined to.
The same is true with an employee within your organization. Watch where they naturally spend their energy, the work they’re drawn to and the work they tend to avoid. That will tell you a lot about where their interests are and what they get energy from. Those areas are also where you’ll likely see their best results. Then you can have those conversations with them, and as you grow, you can carve out those positions for them.
Help your people find the path to use their talents in a position that brings them energy. I think that has the biggest impact on the individual and the organization!
