The Seats on the Bus...Past, Present, Future

Hi all, 

Picking up from where we left off, we begin discussing talent selection strategies. I gave you four different areas we'll talk about that will help you bring in the talent you need as an organization. They were:

1. Remember the Past, Want the Present, Plan the Future
2. Right Bus, Right Seat
3. "Involve me, I will understand"
4. Build the gauntlet, trust the gauntlet

Remember the Past, Want the Present, Plan the Future

Remember what you need that past performers couldn't deliver

When we look to bring on new talent, there’s obviously a myriad of reasons as to why. Usually it’s that you’ve lost or promoted good talent, gotten rid of an underperformer, or saw a need for a new position. Regardless, when you look to select someone to fill a role, we’re always thinking about what the past person didn’t have or didn’t do. Is this a bad thing? Not necessarily. You should always be looking to fill gaps with new talent, because you don’t want a repeat of the last person, even if they were good. If you want the same exact thing you had before, it means you’re content with the status quo. Greatness is always about taking the next step, and so you should start your search thinking about what you needed that would have helped you back then. However, understand that this is just one piece of the puzzle.

Hire for what challenges you face today

Present wants should build on past needs. It’s not just what you needed to have someone be successful in the role that wasn’t present, but also what you will want in order to meet today’s challenges. Remember that whatever obstacles you faced in year one of your company are different (at least you hope so) than what you’re facing in year five. Even if the obstacles haven’t changed, the present wants and past needs are aligned but are not the same, because the issues have compounded. When you look to bring in new talent, build a checklist of the challenges your current landscape or climate are presenting you with, and what traits or skills you want the person to have that will help you meet them.

Select for the future! Foresight never hurt anyone

Once you’ve built a set of past needs and present wants, it’s time to get back in your Dolorien (Back to the Future reference if you missed it…it was the time machine), and start looking forward. The gift of foresight is not easy to master, but it isn’t impossible to paint a picture of what the future looks like either. You had to do it for your organization’s vision, values, and culture, why not the people and roles you need to execute? One of the issues that may have caused this need for talent is you did not foresee the challenges that would come as the role and or the company began to evolve. I have personally seen this happen in some organizations, where someone is brought in to do a specific role, but a change in company direction, for whatever reason, puts the employee in a situation where they are completely under prepared for the task at hand. You need the right person at that point, and the current employee just won’t cut it, so you make a change. You cannot be an oracle and nail it on the head of course, but knowing what you want your company to be, what you want to role in its final form to look like, and what expectations you have for the highest performer you could ever ask to take the role will help you in your search. Keep in mind, the future may be now for the position, meaning the present wants and needs of the past may be exactly what the future needs and wants are. If that’s the case, you’re set. In any case, try your best when thinking about a role to give some time to what it should look like 3-5 years from now. At worst case, you’re incorrect, but at least you prepared a path and could communicate that expectation to new talent, so they know what they’re getting themselves into. Not a bad concession at all. 

Below is a basic example of a hire table for an executive assistant:

Past Needs	Present Wants	Future wants and needs
Able to file efficiently/stay organized	Good phone etiquette/prompt follow up	Manage up, hold CEO accountable to commitments
Computer savvy	Manage schedule effectively	Executive brand integrity

Just some things to think about as you look at the role. You've got to know what you want before you ask for it. Expectations pave the way for accountability and growth. 

We'll get to the the rest of the points in our next chat. 

Stay inspired, be developed, be the change
~AI