We’ve talked a lot about purpose, and while it should be at the very heart of your organisation, it’s been long debated what should come first – a clear purpose or the ‘right people’? It’s ‘the chicken or the egg?’ equivalent for business.
Wait – here comes the bus!
Jim Collins’ famous concept of “getting the right people on the bus”, introduced in his book Good to Great, endorses getting the right people around the table (or on the bus) before you discuss purpose, objectives or strategy for your business.
My question is this, can you even attract the ‘right people’ if you don’t know where your bus is going, or if you aren’t sure what type of bus you are driving?
I think the answer lies somewhere in the middle. If you don’t ultimately know why your organisation exists, you will struggle to identify or attract the ‘right’ type of employees. However, the right employees can be essential to helping you refine the size, shape and destination of your bus.
Alright, so who am I looking for’?
Well, it changes depending on your purpose and what you are trying to achieve – it’s not one size fits all (yes, we will be talking about diversity shortly!). For example, if you are looking to be an industry disruptor, you will likely need to employ people who have a bit of ‘oomph’ – people not afraid to challenge the norm. If your business is based on sales, you will need savvy people who are good communicators… you get the gist.
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