While the cultural establishment in this country promotes an entitlement attitude, that doesnât mean that every one has bought into it. The impact of the family on a young person is often far deeper than that of the culture. That means that there are out there somewhere a
number of young candidates for your openings who, in spite of the preponderance of messages from the culture, have a sense of responsibility, an ethic of hard work and integrity, and an understanding of the need to pay your own way and prove your value to your employer.
And, we can still hire who we choose to, at least for the time being.
So, for those who you are interviewing, the answer is easy:
Donât hire them.
Donât make the classic employerâs mistake â thinking that you can change their attitude or their character after they come to work for you. While you can give them skills, train them in the best practices, and help them develop effective strategy and disciplines, you cannot change their character. And character will eventually evidence itself in that personâs results. Hire character. Not education, not skills, not experience, not
knowledge. You can give them all those things. Hire character.
Those who currently work for you are a different and larger problem. While their attitude and mindset may be an irritant and personally offensive to you, it probably is not the biggest business problem. The business problem is that their results are not up to expectations. You know, and I know, that the reason for the mediocre results is a lack of substantial character. But, you canât manage character, you must manage the results.
So, set aside your personal distaste for the attitude, and focus on the results. Create clear, specific measurable expectations for performance with definite deadlines. Clearly communicate those expectations...[Read More]
