“A” Player: What does it look like?
April 15, 2009Company Growth Attracts Top Talent
April 15, 2009I had lunch this past week with David Clegg, a well-respected business coach in Indianapolis. We discussed the subject of hiring “A” players in the small business world. I asked David why he thought it was difficult for business owners to hire top talent. His emphatic response was, “They don’t want it!”
Can it be true that business owners really don’t want top talent? Hard to believe since business owners (BO) complain endlessly about the difficulty of hiring good people.
David further explained that he defines a “A” player as someone who knows more than you do. And, business owners really don’t like people to know more than they do. They like being the Top Dog. Their ego feeds off it.
Top talent will push a business owner beyond their level of competency. Working outside his/her comfort zone, an owner will experience considerable pain. Being human, most business owners will avoid this pain. Only those business owners who can rise above their ego and have a willingness to operate outside their comfort zone will gain value from top talent.
So, business owners . . . ask yourself, “Do you really want top talent? Can you let your ego go? Are you willing to experience the pain of working outside your comfort zone.”
If the answer is “No,” then hire only “B” players. If the answer is “Yes,” then develop a plan to attract “A” players and lots of them!
Top talent hiring tips from Lou Adler, a noted recruiting industry expert.
