Hire & Fire: When the Right People Encounter the Wrong Culture
"I've heard the phrase 'We need to get the right team in palce!' countless times in my career. It almost always carries an underlying message: some should be let go while others should be hired. It implies that there are individuals employed who may lack the necessary skills or aren't meeting expectations. And yes, sometimes that's the case, and sometimes it's necessary.
However, I've often had a nagging feeling that this was the 'easy solution' – simply replacing people. I call it the easy solution because you can hire the most talented individuals, but if they find themselves in a company culture that doesn't support their work and talent, even the most fantastic skills won't yield results. I've bid farewell to incredibly skilled employees who didn't meet top management's expectations. While I logically understood the argument for replacement, I frequently observed that new employees encountered the same challenges as those perceived to lack the necessary skills. Perhaps it was the right person in the wrong culture?
Culture as a Catalyst for Success or Failure:
I perceive company culture as an invisible force that can either propel or hinder success. When an exceptionally skilled employee joins a corporate culture dominated by fault-finding, overwhelming work pressure, or constant questioning of one's abilities and decisions, they often experience it as a challenging work environment. The outcome is a demotivated employee who refrains from taking initiative or making decisions, ultimately leading to employee turnover. It is like attempting to drive a race car on a muddy track – the car is exceptional, but the terrain restricts its potential.
Conversely, I've encountered employees where, on paper, I may have had doubts about their ability to tackle demanding tasks. However, their eagerness to learn, coupled with a company culture that emphasizes collaboration, trust, and continuous improvement, resulted in surprisingly excellent performance. It's comparable to sowing a seed; when it receives the necessary nourishment through fertilization and watering, it flourishes into a robust and thriving plant. So, ask yourself, does your company culture provide fertile ground?
If you're uncertain about what employees perceive as a nurturing culture, you can find ample inspiration at Great Place to Work. Consider reading a couple of their articles or even ordering an assessment for your own company.
Pause When You Hear the Phrase:
Therefore, the next time you hear the phrase "We need to get the right team in place" and you contemplate hiring or firing, remember to pause and consider whether you might already have the right team. Perhaps it's the culture that's constraining them. Maybe the phrase should be modified to "We need to get the right culture in place." There likely isn't a definitive answer to this paradox, but it's an essential leadership insight to be mindful of. For the right team in the right culture can achieve nearly miraculous results. And that's an insight that can lead to long-term success and well-being for both your employees and your organization as a whole.
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