When outsourcing your weaknesses, it’s obviously important to assemble the right team of vendors and/or employees. But what many entrepreneurs don’t realize is that timing is key.
As Jim Collins explained in his international best-seller, Good to Great, the executives who ignited transformations from good to great did not first figure out where to drive the bus and then get people to take it there. Instead, they first got the right people on the bus – and the wrong people off the bus – and then figured out where to drive it.
They said in essence, “Look, I don’t really know where we should take this bus. but I know this much: If we get the right people on the bus, the right people in the right seats, and the wrong people off the bus, then we’ll figure out how to take it someplace great.”
So before you figure out where your company is going or who will do what, you need to first get the right people on the bus (and the wrong people off the bus). Who you have on your team trumps What they do, Why they do it, and How they do it.
Why? If you have the wrong people in the wrong seats, they can easily take your bus in the wrong direction enthusiastically. And if you trust them, you may not notice until it’s too late.
To become world-class at outsourcing, understand these three simple truths:
- If you begin with Who rather than What, you can more easily adapt to a changing world. If people join the bus primarily because of where it is going, what happens if you get ten miles down the road and you need to change direction? You’ve got a problem. But if people are on the bus because of who else is on the bus, then it’s much easier to change direction: “Hey, I got on this bus because of who else is on it; if we need to change direction to be more successful, fine with me.”
- If you have the right people on the bus, the problem of how to motivate and manage people largely goes away. The right people don’t need to be tightly managed or fired up. They will be self-motivated by the inner drive to produce the best and to be part of creating something great.
- If you have the wrong people, it doesn’t matter whether you discover the right direction; you still won’t have a great company. Great vision without great people is irrelevant.
So how do you find the “right” people? Check out Jim’s free audio, “The Five Key Things to Consider When Looking for the Right People,” for his ideas about what to look for. Click here to listen now.
What do you think about the idea of “First Who”? Share your thoughts below! -Alex
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