Getting the right people on your bus

November 11, 2016 | Doing Business in Iowa: How Iowa Ranks Todd McDonald, ATW Training Solutions, todd@atwtraining.com

No matter how you look at it, it’s the people that make a great organization. I had a chance to consider this more deeply as I was talking to an organization about their approach to customer service recently. I talked about how great the reputation of the company was and how it was important for the individuals to understand that they were what created that reputation. You see, an organization doesn’t provide great service, provide quality products, meet expectations or go above and beyond — the people do. So getting the right people and maximizing their efforts are integral in developing a successful company and brand.

Two authors I have great respect for, Jim Collins and Gino Wickman, talk about the people side of business. Collins talks about getting the “right people on the bus.” Wickman takes it a step further in helping you identify

Whether they are the right people, using the acronym GWC. It’s pretty straightforward. For what you
are expecting the individual to do, does he or she:

  • Get It: Is what you are asking them to do something they are “hard-wired” to do?
  • Want It: Do they genuinely want to do it? Are they passionate about their role?
  • (Have the) Capacity to Do It: Do they have the intellectual and emotional maturity, education, training and on-the- job experience to consistently perform well?

As you go about building your organization, do you have the right people on the bus — and do they GWC? Sometimes taking a step back and looking at the people side of your business might be the first step to a great future.