When Hiring Game-Changers, Look For “Quiet” Skills Too
In Dr. John Sullivan’s 2-part article Isn’t LeBron Amazing…. he examines the idea of hiring a “corporate game-changer” — the benefits such a move can bring and the qualities to look for in the hiring process.
When going after a high-profile candidate, it’s wise to take time to examine some of the subtle things that make your company tick, and keep in mind some of the “quieter” behaviors that will be needed to be successful in your work environment. Sure, we could all use some game-changing, but not at the expense of blowing up the good things that may be happening right now.
A proven ability to enlist the help of others to get his job done. Anyone who has worked in corporate has stories about how co-workers can — quietly and unobtrusively — stop you dead in your tracks, no matter how good your ideas and plans are. The game-changer is going to need the help of lots of other people to get his job done, and he or she has to be very resourceful in getting those others to see reasons why they ought to do that. Many people come in with stellar reputations as great individual performers, but end up failing and blaming the organization: “I knew what I had to do, but I just couldn’t break through the bureaucracy.” Working within the particular system he or she is hired into is a critical skill that’s a prerequisite for corporate success. And the hiring manager should probe and test for the candidate’s recognition and acceptance of that responsibility, and ask for concrete ideas on how he or she would go about it.
An ability and willingness to help others to do their jobs. Even with everyone else’s help, one person doing heroic things can’t “win” anything in corporate. The “game” can’t be won by a buzzer-beater or blocked shot at the last second. Even if it were possible for a game-changer to build a habit of performing heroic actions on cue, it takes more than that to build a success-prone company that can be counted on to deliver good results. Other people have critical and interdependent roles, and they need the game changer’s help to do their jobs. Is he or she a good coordinator, follower and helper, ready to play a supporting role as and when needed? Again, ask for ideas and examples from previous positions at other companies.
A willingness to let others take the credit. None of his or her co-workers is going to put forth maximum discretionary effort if every finished product is going to have the game-changer’s name all over it. People are often inspired to do their best work by the presence of a self-effacing person they can count on to quietly lift others up while mostly staying out of the limelight themselves.
A recognition that the company’s ability to deliver results — not the game-changer’s — is what stakeholders care about. In business, people don’t “come to see the game-changer play.” Customers, investors and analysts are evaluating the company and asking what its products, services and financial results can do for them. There’s a limit to how impressed they’re going to be with the cool things the game-changer is doing while employed there.
When bringing someone aboard with the goal of “changing the game,” it’s important to assess what’s already going on in your workplace, who’s doing it and the informal links people use to get work done. Look beyond all the new things the new player can bring, and consider how he or she might affect the cultural balance that enables the good work you’re currently doing, and that is critical to the company’s identity and brand you’ve worked hard to build.