This is nothing new. You've read it, heard it, discussed it, debated it and you have surely tried it. Right person - right job. And sometimes you get it right. And sometimes you get it wrong. And wrong. And wrong. And wrong.
I say this endlessly, but I think the #1 skill that a manager must develop is learning how to put the right person in the right job. That is the definition of a great hire. And if you want to develop that skill, the first step you must take is to commit. Commit to making great hires as your #1 focus for skill development this year. Really commit.
Imagine that t's one year from today and I invite you to imagine the following accomplishment: you have become famous in your city or industry as a company that puts the right people in the right jobs. You became famous for right person-right job because word got around that management is great at exactly that.
You became famous for it because talented people want to work at a company where they are surrounded by other talented people.
This is difficult. And it takes a while. And you will have to face your current state of wrong person-wrong job in a number of areas. But wowee, the investment will be worth every hour and every dollar that you invest in this.
I offer a money back guarantee.
Talented people succeed in spite of the things that get in their way. That includes obstacles like ugly offices, run down buildings, lousy equipment, insufficient resources, old products and even crummy management. When people are doing the work they were meant to do they make magic things happen.
You know this is true: there really are project managers, secretaries, line chefs, customer service managers and salespeople who love their work. If you know one, ask about this. I think that's the answer you will get.
I implore you to go down this road. I beg you. In fact, I beseech you to BECOME that company. The one that's famous for right people - right jobs. Read these two classic books and you will be on your way to fame and fortune:
SOAR WITH YOUR STRENGTHS by Donald O. Clifton and Paula Nelson
FIRST, BREAK ALL THE RULES: WHAT THE WORLD'S GREATEST MANAGERS DO DIFFERENTLY by Marcus Buckingham and Curt Coffman.
It starts with you. Are you doing the work you were meant to do?
1 comments:
Hi Jake,
Great post. Very straightforward and of course, spot on. Without te right people in the right seats, you'll get nowhere.
Since you are obviously interested in Marcus Buckingham's work, I thought you might also be interested in the work of Jenifer Fox. While it may not touch your professional practice directly, it can inform your work and it may have personal resonance.
Jenifer wrote Your Child's Strengths, (Viking 2008) with an introduction by Marcus Buckingham. She traveled with Marcus on his Go Put Your Strengths to Work Tour in 2007 to show the results a strengths approach can yield in a high school setting. Then she wrote her own book. I think the book is worth mentioning to others because it helps parent and teachers help kids discover their strengths before they get into the workplace and find themselves in jobs they hate.
Since publication, Jenifer has been traveling the country and spreading her message to schools businesses and various organizations interested in strengths. I am reaching out to you because most adults interested in developing their own strengths know children who are also interested.
I hope you will look at this book and maybe talk about it on our website. Maybe you would like a copy. Let me know. Thanks and good luck with your work.
http://www.strengthsmovement.com
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