Road Trips: Volume 3
It's About Fit!
Given recent events, everyone may expect something a bit different with this edition of Road Trips. Know that since my accident, my mind is expanding in areas that I didn’t know existed. So expect in the future some thoughts that may make you think at a deeper level. Today, however, is a much more pragmatic conversation designed to raise your awareness regarding talent management.
For me, it is a significant understatement to say that getting the right person in the right job is a competitive advantage. At some point in the future I would expect all of us to learn that it is THE competitive advantage and the one primary thing that will separate our companies from the competitors. Put simply, people who are the “right people” and are carefully positioned in the “right job” are not only engaged, they become the highest performers in the company. Now imagine that every selection and placement decision is based on science rather than on gut feel and how that will impact results in just 2 to 3 short years. Know this… this one simple commitment represents the most difficult advantage in business to replicate.
Today’s emphasis is a BIG one and will take your effectiveness of hiring more high performers to a new level. Think about and never forget what I am about to say: “Behaviors and Motivators are JOB FIT qualities.” Most of you have heard me say this many times in our sessions, yet my road experience tells me it hasn’t been internalized. Get that you will NEVER win when it comes to performance when you allow yourself to go against job fit when it comes to Behaviors and Motivators. The specifics of this conversation should be left for a more detailed discussion, so for now I am asking you to trust me like you have never trusted me before. Know that what you see in the instrument is real. You will LOSE every time you talk yourself into making exceptions. It makes me shiver when I consider the financial cost of such irrational decisions.
Personal Skills are another story and should be considered the quality in the report that indicates how much “horsepower” a person brings to the job. Even more importantly, Personal Skills will give us a bull’s eye target for training and development. Unlike Behaviors and Motivators, Personal Skills respond beautifully to learning new and more effective concepts. I can’t think of a better opportunity to create a powerful and highly developed workforce. Know that Intellectual Capital has become the new currency in the business world.
Now for the key point I have been preparing to share with you. I have way too many calls from decision makers who are concerned about people who scored high in the Personal Skills report and aren’t performing to expectation. The initial thought is the instrument is not that accurate or applicable to the work environment. Nothing could be further from the truth. What I find in each one of these cases is that the person with the high Personal Skills scores (lots of horsepower) has been put in job that is not a good fit. Get this!!! Someone with high Personal Skills scores will appear as an underperformer in the wrong job! This is a huge lesson for each of you to internalize and will make the biggest difference when it comes to driving a culture of superior performers.
Please… never hesitate to call any of us at LeadersWay if you have questions regarding an assessment or the “fit” of a candidate!
Until the next edition of Road Trips,
Life is good…
KW