If you are honest with yourself about answering these two questions, you’ll find out soon enough what role culture is playing in your company – Weapon, Motivator, Glue, or Magnet.
- What is the meaning of your company? Is it more about making money or changing the world?
- What is the meaning of your employees? Is it more about performing a function or constantly developing professionally to be more valuable in the world?
Culture as a Weapon (Tasking)
Money and Performing a Function
You are focused on driving the bottom line and having your employees strictly perform duties. You aren’t talking to your team about how what they do affects your customer, unless it’s to chastise them. Your day to day is very structured and there is a constant need for you to be present, watching and directing employees.
Culture as a Glue (Managing)
Money and Developing Your People
You are mostly focused on making money but you are investing in improving your employees professional skills and abilities. You are aware of what it is your employees want to learn and be. You are clear about your employees roles and always looking for the next step on the ladder for them. You need to manage them to ensure you know how they are adding to profitability.
Culture as a Motivator (Managing)
Changing the World and Performing a Function
You are very interested and vocal about how you change the lives of your customers and secondarily are concerned about making a profit. You are talking to your team about how what they are doing will make your customers lives better. You need to manage the direction of the team regularly so they stay focused on the quality or quantity of their work.
Culture as a Magnet (Leading)
Changing the World and Developing Your People
You are interested in changing the lives of your customers and your employees. You focus your messages to employees on how what they are doing is making a difference for customers. Your team knows you want them to learn and grow. You rarely if ever tell your employees what they need to be doing and are more likely to share the effect their work has on everyone. You hold all your employees accountable for their goals but don’t tell them how to accomplish them. You are providing the information and knowledge to your employees so they know how what they do is affecting the bottom line.
What’s Next
Those that position themselves in the Magnet crowd are in a powerful spot. Their organizations are of all sizes and they typically have no trouble attracting talent because of their reputation. The critical part of their talent strategy is to choose brilliantly when they work to fill an open or new position. Deep in the heart of making a good choice is forming good assessments. This clip from The Hire EffectTM – Hire for Culture and Skill is an insight that may lead you Magnets to choose even more wisely than you do now.
Those that position or find themselves in the Weapon, Glue, and Motivator crowds will suffer when the talent pool is scarce. The most critical part of your talent strategy is to build that employer brand (become a Magnet) — the hinge pin is leading the organization well. In a discussion with Dave Haviland of Phimation the message he provided about this journey to become a Magnet is hopeful. Your path to attracting talent is about moving from tasking and managing to leading your company.
Getting better at choosing your team and leading them is a constant journey.
Don’t suffer with your hiring; we are here to help.
- Buy the book for a complete picture of THE Hiring System™ The Hire Effect™ – Hire for Culture and Skill.
- You can download THE Starter Kit™ and hire better by the end of the day. Download it now.
- You can book time with a coach and have as many people on your hiring team attend as you need. Book a session now.
- Little or no self-accountability in your business culture? Learn more about our Accountability Baseline Project.
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Miche Rayment is the Founder and Chief Facilitator for The Hire Effect™. The Hire Effect’s clients learn about hiring so they have healthy and easeful growth. TheHireEffect.com
David Haviland is the Founder of Phimation providing management consulting to leadership teams at Stage 2 businesses since 2001. Phimation.com