Hello, fellow business owners and entrepreneurs. I thought I would share with you a viewpoint regarding human resources and hiring good employees. The number one problem most small and large companies worldwide experience is finding the right teammates to achieve the goals and dreams of their company.
When I go into a company to consult them, I observe from top to bottom the executives and staff. I look at how they carry out their duties and responsibilities. I break my observations down into three categories: Players, pieces, and broken pieces. It is a chess analogy. In the game, you have the players. In an organization, these are usually the executives. Then you have the pieces the players manage to win the game. Lastly, you may have pieces that are broken and need replacing with functional pieces. Let us look at this more closely for how it applies to a business.
Players
These are people that are embracing the purpose of the organization with a great heart. They work dedicatedly to achieve their roles professionally. They care about the fate of the company. Because of this, they do more than just their job. They help wherever they can and come up with bright ideas for the company. If you have had the pleasure of working with players, you know what I mean. For example, they are the office manager who does not complain to put in extra hours to get a job done. Or they are the employee who can be counted upon to show up on time routinely. And it is the employee who puts their shoulder to the wheel during tough times rather than groaning about conditions.
Pieces
When I talk about pieces, I am referring to the well-intended employee. They do their job, but they are not necessarily passionate like a player. You can count on them to get their work done, but they do not see past their job. However, sometimes with training, such employees can become players.
Broken Pieces
A broken piece is there only for themself. They are often money motivated but lack purpose and dedication. They are clock watchers. In other words, they are happy if they put in their time and get paid. Not whether the company is succeeding or not.
They disguise their true intentions. They can look like a player. However, the result of their work usually ends in poor products and upset customers. A broken piece puts stress on the real players who must make up for their shoddy work. Additionally, broken pieces are often the ones in a business who speak ill of the executives or owner. They create ill-will amongst the employees. Those employees who fall for this ruse can become broken pieces themselves.
The importance of understanding these three identities is so you do not get fooled into hiring the third category. So, one must get “eyes” to see these to save a great deal of stress as well as lost income.
Have You Experienced Hiring Broken Pieces?
I was working with a company in Asia. My first action was to do a workshop with the top executives. In that first meeting, I had immediate attention to a particular executive. At three different breaks during the workshop, I found he was pulling executives aside and talking negatively about the workshop.
Later, I interviewed the owner. I found out that she also had attention on this person from the first day she hired them. She knew something was off. But she dismissed it because “they were family’. I then found out three other executives had troubles with this person. The owner and I then discovered this executive had been speaking negatively about the owner behind her back to the other executives. The owner then promptly let her go. Production started going out the roof!
The moral of the story is avoid hiring broken pieces in the first place.
The Downfall of Good Executives when Hiring.
I find the owners of companies are generally good-hearted people with a firm goal and purpose in mind. Sometimes it is hard for them to see that others do not think the same way they do. Also, this third category is hard for executives to confront because prospective employees can make themselves look great on resumes. And they can sound convincing about their sincerity in a hiring interview. If you look at your own life, I imagine you may have experienced at least one such “broken piece” either in business or your personal life. Did you ever associate with someone who “had your best interests in mind,” yet things just seemed to go wrong when they were around?
Hiring the Players and Pieces (and avoid the broken pieces)
If you want to achieve your dreams in business and life, you must have “eyes” to see these three points. It takes skill to learn how to look past the resume and recognize each type of employee. To help business owners and HR staff, I produced a film called Emotions in the Workplace. It covers how to deal with the various emotions that come into play while running a business. This film contains HR technology for every owner and manager. You can click on the picture below to watch a short clip of the film.
Get a Complimentary Analysis for Your Business
Today, any business can benefit from an external review of its organization, staff efficiency, production processes, marketing, and sales strategy. I invite you to go to our website and fill out our free business analysis questionnaire. You will gain vital insight, direction, and the transformative steps to turn losses into profits.
Sincerely,
Rohn Walker
CEO
International Executive Technology