Have you ever heard someone say “It’s so hard to find good people?”
It always reminds me of this old Zen story.
A wanderer approached an old man sitting outside a village.
“What are the people here like?” the wanderer asked. “Is this a good place to live?”
“What were the people like in your last village?” the old man replied.
“Lazy, disrespectful, and hard to get along with.”
“You will find the same here.”
Disappointed, the wanderer went on her way. Soon, another wanderer approached.
“What are the people here like?” the wanderer asked. “Is this a good place to live?”
“What were the people like in your last village?” the old man replied.
“Honest, hard-working, friendly – I hated to leave there.”
“You will love it here because you will find the same kind of people.”
To build an extraordinary company, it takes extraordinary people. Yet every competing company draws from the same population – how do some companies create an environment where seemingly ordinary people do great things? It’s very simple:
- Know your vision and values
- Communicate them passionately and often
- Set clear expectations
- Hold people accountable, starting with yourself
I didn’t say easy! But I promise if you do those four things, you will attract and keep great people. The not-so-great will select themselves out of your organization. You’ll find your village one you hate to leave at the end of the day!
