Selecting the Right People To Be On Your Bus

Jim Collins, in his continued best selling business book called “Good to Great”, did not invent the concept of calling your business or organization a “Bus” and using it as a metaphor in regards to obtaining and retaining the right people on your bus, while removing those that did not fit. However, he took this metaphor and made it a critical success factor in his describing how a company grows from a good one to a great one. In essence, he boils it down to the following summary.

There were eleven study companies that “made the cut” in his book that he and his research team examined from top to bottom and compared to comparable companies. The comparison companies were not even close to making the cut, but they were well known in the specific industries and marketplaces represented by the eleven companies studied, who did “make the cut”. These eleven companies all had at least three key critical success factors in common. (1) Once a new leader moved into the role of being totally in charge, they set specific guidelines of what kind of employees they wanted on their team. (2) Next, they made sure they started hiring from that day forward, only those people who fit that “winners profile”, regardless of what position they were to fill in the company, and they made sure the practice was adhered to explicitly, corporate wide, with absolutely no exceptions. (3) At the same time, they closely examined the existing people “on the bus” and decided to either remove them (because they did not meet the “winners profile” and there was no hope of changing them); Or, because they did meet the “winners profile”, but their talents, skill sets, experience and knowledge were not being fully utilized, they moved them to a different, more suitable seat (or position) on the bus.

Tom Collins stated in his book and in speeches afterwards…. “It has been said that people are your greatest asset in a company or an organization. I am here to tell you that is not true. Great people in the right seat on your bus is your greatest asset.” Can it be that simple? Well, it is his firm belief and mine too that until a company exercises this best business practice, consistently and congruently, day after day, it can never grow from a “Good to a Great” company, regardless of all the other excellent processes that are incorporated into the organization along the way.

Winners Profile Basics: They must have a great attitude or nothing else listed below matters. They must be a happy person and demonstrate that with a great smile as often as possible. They must be a “we” person who wants the team to win first instead of an “I” person who needs to win first and look good. They must be able to be “up” even when they do not feel like it. They must be reliable, loyal, honest and trustworthy. They must be consistent and congruent in their work behavior instead of varying all over the place. They must have a servant’s heart when needed, and yet be able to take command and give direction when the chips are down and the heat is on. They must respect their fellow employees, the customers and vendors and if they cannot, something must change immediately. They need to be able to give input freely, and yet, when the final decision is made, if it is not to their liking, they will still support the decision without question. They must be decisive. They will deal with things assertively (focus on the issue, not the person) and never be passive, aggressive, or passive aggressive in dealing with others and situations.

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