The Right Person For The Job

It may be one of the oldest corporate bromides around - people are our most important asset. But talent really does make the difference between winning and losing in the marketplace.

Especially in medium sized companies where resources were constrained even before the Great Recession took its toll on the bottom line, you no longer have the luxury of fielding a team of mediocre players.

"If you are not working with "A" list talent, then you are not getting grade "A" results. "

As many industries begin to stabilize, albeit at much lower levels than a few years ago, now is an excellent time to evaluate the talent that remains in your organization to see if your current team can truly bring outstanding future results. With so many talented people to choose from in the job market, after being cast off due to downsizing, retrenchment, or corporate bankruptcy, mid-sized companies should not be shy about taking a hard look at the skill level of those that remain on the payroll.

If your organization can get more talented employees, then it is time to upgrade the staff.

Get Going.

This week take a step back, look at the members of your executive or department team, and ask yourself three questions:

1. Do I have the right person?
2. In the right job?
3. Doing the right things?

Many times you may have a very talented individual who can bring in great results, but you have placed him or her in the wrong job - in which they are either struggling or are not being challenged. Other times, you may have the right person in the best position to match his or her talent, but they are not focused on the right actions. You both need to sit down together and gain a clearer understanding of expectations and goals.

Of course, there will be those who are not a good fit for the position and, realistically, will be hard pressed to ever bring in the results that are required. In those cases, I suggest that you quickly move that person out and upgrade with a better suited individual.

Now is the time for companies to fish in a very large and deep talent pool, upgrade their teams, and position themselves with the right players today who will lead their growth tomorrow.