“Need people to work on Innovation? Find the troublemaker”
Jason Clarke – Thought Leaders WA 17 Sept 2010
This spring as I drive around our neighbourhood in Perth, I have been noticing pretty little flowers on some people’s lawns. They are so cute – tiny little yellow daisies.
Over time, I have come to understand that these little flowers are the Australian version of dandelions. The green leaves at the plant base look similar to dandelion leaves but the flowers are so beautiful and perfect. How can such a beautiful little daisy be a weed? Why does my Canadian view of these flowers differ so greatly from the Australian view?
The contrast between a Canadian weed and an Australian weed was not lost on me. I have taught for years that one company’s poor employee can be another company’s star. There is a right job out there for every person. It’s about finding the right fit – person to organization – based on values, traits and culture.
Jim Collins told us to get the right people on the bus in his book Good to Great. But the right person for Apple does not make her or him the best person for Microsoft. Their corporate cultures, values and strategies are different so they are rightly looking for different people.
So is the troublemaker or poor performer in your company really bad or are we not utilizing their strengths in the right way? Or, is it best to help someone transition from your company to another where they can flourish?
Where one sees weeds, another sees flowers.
As Chief Strategist of Analytic Perspectives, Audrey Ciccone consults in the area of workforce analytics partnering with companies to develop their HR analytics game plan. More about Audrey. Contact Audrey.
As Chief Strategist of Analytic Perspectives, Audrey Ciccone consults in the area of workforce analytics partnering with companies to develop their HR analytics game plan.