A common frustration of many business owners is how difficult it is to find and keep “good people”. Conversely, “bad people”, those who regularly commit one or all of the Seven Deadly Sins, seem to abound. Even when “good people” are hired, it’s only a matter of time before they somehow mysteriously turn out to be “bad people”. The lament is often “they interviewed so well, but …”
Business owners often tell me that good people fit into their company, “they’re part of the family”. Conversely, bad people never really fit into their organization, “they’re holding us back”. Rarely are the Seven Deadly Sins mentioned. So what happened? Did good people have a life-changing experience that turned them to the dark side?
Some time ago I had a conversation with a business owner who was running ads for sales people with the headline “No Experience Wanted”. He told me that his focus was hiring people that shared his values and would be a good fit for his company. Although skills were certainly important, he was more concerned about a cultural fit. As he said, “I can teach skills but I can’t teach values.”
Sadly, hiring decisions are often based on two components: technical ability and experience. The importance of alignment with Core Values is usually missed. What goes wrong when people aren’t aligned with the company’s core values? They disengage when things don’t go their way, they undermine the company’s goals and they contaminate your company culture. This leads to all kinds of organizational dysfunction and ultimately people leave. But, it’s the Right People who often leave first. They’ll find another organization that’s a better fit for them, where their values mean something.
Experience may be an asset, but it’s not a value. Discover your core values and make them work for you.
