It's not a stretch to suggest that an organization has a greater chance of achieving success when it employs the right people. Obviously, the goal of any company is to hire well, but many small businesses mis-step during the process of seeking out the right employees. What are the characteristics of the "right" people? As a small business leader, what ideas do you need to understand and embrace in order to get the right people into your organization?

Having the "the right people on the bus" is one of the business concepts discussed by Jim Collins in his book, Good to Great: Why Some Companies Make the Leap..and Others Don't. Collins researched over 1400 companies and discovered a set of ideas that, when embraced and implemented, differentiated great companies from their "good" counterparts.

The Basic Principles

1. The first step your small business should take is to hire the right people, even before establishing a strategic direction. The idea: getting the right people working together will help your organization manage change. For example, if your small business attracts people because of your products, service offering or strategy, you might have issues if you have to change the direction of your business. On the other hand, if people join your organization because of reasons such as values, working with like minded people, etc. you will likely be able to "change the direction of the bus" without too much difficulty.
2. The right people eliminate the need for your small business to focus on the motivation and management of your team. The right people are driven, self-motivated and responsible.
3. Your small business will never maximize its potential with the right strategic direction but the wrong people. To quote Jim Collins: " Great vision without great people is irrelevant."

Characteristics of the "Right" People

The concept of having the right people on the bus is rooted in the belief that it's critical to hire the right people first, then establish a strategic direction for your small business. An interview with the author (www.jimcollins.com) inspires the following list of things that your small business should consider when looking for the right people:

* The right people must share the same core values as you and your small business. An important thing to understand about core values is that they can't be taught - you can't force someone to change their behaviour to correspond to the values of your organization - it's critical to find people that are the right fit.
* The right people do not need to be managed - they may need coaching or mentoring to ignite the fire and tap their full potential, but they do not need to be "baby sat". Trust can be a good indicator when assessing whether or not a hiring may have been a mistake. Do you trust an employee to manage a critical situation or speak with an important client without feeling the need to look over their shoulder?
* The right people possess the ability to be the best of breed in their positions. Do your people have what it takes to be the best client service managers, salespeople, administrators, etc?
* The right people understand the difference between "having a job and holding a responsibility." Jim Collins refers to this trait as being "productively neurotic".
* Knowing what you know about people after they have worked in your small business, would you re-hire them? If the answer is no, they they are likely not right for your organization.

The right people are critical to a small company. In larger organizations, wrong people can make it difficult to succeed - in more intimate cultures the wrong people will suck the life out of your small business. Hiring the right people and letting go of the wrong people is not an easy task...it requires discipline and courageous leadership. Is it worth the commitment? Mediocre companies are a dime a dozen..good organizations are slightly harder to find...but great companies are few and far between - they stand out in the marketplace.

Mark Smiciklas is a Vancouver Marketing Consultant. His firm, Intersection Consulting, helps small to mid-sized businesses address challenges in the areas of marketing, management and business development.