A Few Good People

What is the difference between a good company and a great one or a good company and a crappy one? A few good people. No surprise really, since it was in the title... :-)

In all seriousness, every company's production/productivity is driven by the people you employ. The extent to which those people are intelligent, engaged and hard-working is generally going to determine just how successful a company can and will be. Naturally, there are external factors that can influence performance such as a violent economic meltdown, but let's exclude those for now.

There is nothing wrong with going to work for the paycheck, but let's be honest... If that's the only reason you are going there and you are in career mode, you're probably in the wrong place. Each and every one of us spends the majority of our days at work. There is absolutely no reason that we cannot be going to a place that provides challenge, excitement and a chance for advancement. People who look at their jobs like this are capable of improving their lives, their jobs and everyone around them.

This would be the point where folks reading this entry will scoff, point at me and make fun of the "pie in the sky idealist." I'll point back and tell you that I have seen individuals make a difference in a company. Smart, engaged people who can innovate and change the nature of their jobs are capable of raising the bar in a work group, a department, a division. Those people should be celebrated and rewarded, because they can lead a company to success one person at a time.

And to the managers and leaders reading this, you are not that person most of the time. You are not on the front lines, you are not doing the work. You can provide the vision and educate the staff about what they need to do and why, but the only impact you can truly have on staff is to find those good people, reward them, publicize them and above all else keep them. Otherwise, someone else will. Cheerfully.