JASON Clarke, founder of Minds at Work, Melbourne, said that, “when you employ someone, you’re actually renting their body; when you allow them to think, you get their mind for free.”
I love this statement; it provides a wonderful insight into our thought processes when we’re employing people against the relationship that has the potential to be so rewarding.
So, when we need to recruit personnel, we think of the tasks we want the new employee to perform. Within ‘full spectrum business coaching’ we actually go way beyond this; we look at the results that are required of the position the person is to fill. Note, results first, position second and the person third.
At the time of recruitment, we usually think about the tasks we require of the person we’re interviewing and their ability to perform those tasks, and measure the applicants accordingly.
We give very little thought to the potential that we might be able to unlock within that new employee. How do they think? What are their attitudes, values, and beliefs? Are these a good ‘fit’ with the culture of our business? How will they be of benefit to our business? How will we unlock these attributes?
Once we get the new recruit into the job, if we allow them the freedom to offer suggestions – go even further, encourage and challenge them to think about their job – about how various elements may be performed more efficiently, all manner of benefits will result. Results that will have cost us nothing.
A number of things will happen here.
• The employee sees that their opinion is valued.
• They are less likely to interrupt your time.
• They will appreciate the trust you have in them.
• They are far more likely to be happy in the workplace.
• They are likely to quickly become proactive in their position.
And all of this will be on top of what you envisaged when you employed them and on top of what you have agreed to pay them for.
These are just some of the benefits arising from a change in approach to your recruitment; what happens when you apply similar thinking to your approach to existing staff?
In his marvellous book Good to Great, Jim Collins talks about not only “having the right people on the bus” but more importantly “having the right people in the right seats on the bus”. His contention is that, no matter how great or creative the vision for the business may be, unless you have those right people in the right positions, the likelihood of achieving that vision is severely diminished.
Assuming that we agree that any fundamental change in a business can only occur as a result of a change in strategy (this decision will have come about as a result of some serious strategic thinking), why would you not consider using the collective minds of the business?
Take the Google model, for example (and this is straight from their website). “Though Google has grown a lot since it opened in 1998, we still maintain a small company feel. At lunchtime, almost everyone eats in the office cafe, sitting at whatever table has an opening and enjoying conversations with Googlers from different teams. Our commitment to innovation depends on everyone being comfortable sharing ideas and opinions. Every employee is a hands-on contributor …”
No-one has a mortgage on good ideas.
So, at set periods throughout the business year, great results can come from a good, old-fashioned brainstorming session. Now you have an approach that assists in the recruitment of the right people and also one that allows you to get more from your current, loyal people. People who may well have been hiding great potential because they had not previously been given the opportunity to express their ideas.
Improved recruitment will lead to in the right people in the right seats on the bus, allowing you to drive in the direction you have chosen – faster.
