4 attributes & 4 types of people, we should have in business

Why is it important to have the right people in a business?

When we have a clear understanding of the problem we are trying to solve, it simplifies the way businesses can operate. Generally, businesses evolve over a period of time, for such an evolution to happen, it should be up and running after facing challenges one after the other. And the kind of individuals part of such a team is very critical and I am going to discuss mainly about the different types of people a business should have, to go past one goal post after the other. Rest of the things like idea validation, business model, sales & marketing strategy, funding availability do have an impact, but the key is the people who are part of the business.?

What’s important when it comes to people whom you hire and people whom you partner with? And what are the attributes that make the difference?

These are common questions that come to mind when we start looking for a co-founder, or when we recruit an employee, or when we are looking to partner with another firm, or when we are seeking a business opportunity with the customer. All of the above involve people. In my experience, I see four key attributes that could pave ways for a successful & collaborative environment. They are as follows:

Positivity, Perseverance, Patience & finally the Process.?

I call it the 4Ps.?

It's very important to have the aura of positivity around as a work culture. People around you should have the perseverance to go above & beyond to help reach the goal post set irrespective of the hardships. Having put all the effort in, you need to have patience to wait and see the light at the end of the tunnel. There is a beginning and end to any journey and there is always another journey waiting around the corner so, continue… Finally the process. The reason why I am bringing the process as the final piece of the puzzle is because of its importance in any business, especially in a startup environment. With the people in the team, find ways to set up a process as early as it could be, as this will put the business on autopilot mode once we start growing.

And People are the undeniable factor in business life. As Steve Jobs rightly has said, “It’s not faith in technology. It’s faith in people”

With that said, I am a constant believer that people we have around us will make a lot of difference and impact in both businesses and life. Be it positive or otherwise.

The types of people we should have:

When I say a business is all about the people who drive us, I am also underlining the nature and vibe of the people that decide what path we are on - Good or bad, progressive or regressive.?

So, there comes the filter - Who we should have? Who should we look for?

In my last 6 years of entrepreneurship, I have seen, interacted and worked along with people having varied mindsets, attitude and philosophies and I have had my fair share of ups and downs and that gave me the confidence to write about it.

The one who sticks around no matter what:

These are the types who show positivity in spite of the hardships and challenges. People who understand the team's strengths and weaknesses and play according to the strengths. They see opportunities in adversity. They show a sense of responsibility and stand up for the team when needed.

For example, I am a complete non-technical person who goes by logical and customer-centric understanding. I am in a tech space. So, I should be looking for a person who is tech-savvy, passionate about numbers and analytics. Because, only this match can shoulder each other and help each other move forward in the journey.?

And, special mention to the word - ‘Shoulder’. I could’ve used the word - ‘Compliment’. I didn’t, because we have to make sure the thickness in that relationship is a very much needed one.

The one who always has questions and asks them:

The conduct of a good organization comes good when the team members are empowered with the sense of responsibility & onus eventually giving them the respect they deserve.This freedom and liberty to express what they think is right and considering their inputs, helps them find more solutions on your behalf. This kind of an environment is infectious and will lead to a culture where everyone feels important and everyone has something to contribute.

In contrast, the general mindset while hiring would be to look for people who would agree to what we tell them or suggest them to do. Sadly, that is not going to help us in the longer run. As a founder, it is our responsibility to interview every individual and get to know more about them before the hiring and let them know what they could expect in return. And, being in the leadership position, every choice or decision we make, be it right or wrong, will directly impact the business and the team.?

So, in that context, it is very important to keep people who are curious and come up with lots of questions. Eventually bringing more clarity of thought amongst the team and who knows, it could potentially be a gate to all success the team goes through.

As the old adage goes, A prudent question is one-half of wisdom.

The one who is passionate about what they do.

I have watched so many videos of Girish Mathrubootham , CEO of Freshworks , and Jason M. Lemkin , Advisor at SaaStr , constantly says in most of their interviews when asked about their secret recipe to hiring.?

Hire the talent that is truly passionate about what he/she does.?

I think it’s one of the golden rules to be adhered to when hiring.

What drives them to do a job??

Why them for this profile??

Passion should be the reason. One who works passionately will reap better results compared to one who works tiringly.?

As a leader or recruiter, it’s our duty to identify what their true passion is and map the passion to the role we are looking to hire for. I have seen numerous times during interviews where the candidate would have applied for a certain opening, but he/she could be suitable for another role which we have in mind. It will be our responsibility to bring that passion in them, out during the conversation for us to understand them better as well as for them to understand their capabilities and try and unlock the clutches for them to feel the wings and fly. Once you start inculcating this kind of a culture, it will be a cascading effect and everyone will follow suit in identifying the right potential and things will fall in place automatically.?

One small addition is that we have to make sure their passion and interest align with our business benefits.?

The one that can bring in a process and also adheres to it, whole-heartedly

As entrepreneurs we have lots of people around us who come up with newer ideas to streamline things which had always been chaotic before. But implementing the idea and following it is a different ball game altogether. First we need to believe in the idea and secondly, start it as a process and let everyone follow it. Then identify the positives & negatives of it and keep iterating it till you start seeing results. They are the ones whom you can rely on as an entrepreneur and they are the ones who will bring the positive change you always dream about. They are leaders in their own aspect and potentially a future entrepreneur. The satisfaction they get when their ideas are implemented and the sense of relief you get when their processes start bringing in results is an out of the world experience.

To conclude, if we find the right candidates as discussed, we tend to give ourselves more time to think ahead of time to ensure consistent increase in business and identify more opportunities than constantly handling problems, looking for solutions. The more we surround ourselves with such individuals, the better it is for us.

If you have any further characteristics in mind that could potentially be beneficial from a start-up journey, apart from what I was able to discuss, I will be happy to hear it from you. Or if you have any feedback for me, where you think I may be wrong or right, I will still be happy to hear it from you. See you soon through my next article.