Live and Learn

I’ve heard it said countless times in my life.? As I reflect on 2023, those words come to mind again.? Having spent almost 30 years in the staffing industry, one might think that, at some point, I’d figure it all out.? I have not.?

Last year was a prime example of my ongoing learning journey and a reminder of hard-earned lessons from the past. As I engage with entrepreneurs, executives and acquirers, it feels fitting to put pen to paper and share my experience.

When Jeffrey Bowling asked me to serve as interim president of Curative's locums business last year, I confess to being apprehensive.? I didn’t really know how to be an interim leader.? Coupled with Jeff’s unexpected (and unwelcome) departure 5 days into my new post, I found myself largely flying solo, trying to figure it out.?

I spent a month asking questions and learning about the business and its people from leaders and top producers and anyone else who would indulge me with their thoughts about what was working, what wasn’t and what they would like to see me help with.? I was long on questions and short on answers; despite having initial thoughts and ideas, I fought to stay in learner mode.? Taking that time to learn, without judgment, was a key to gaining acceptance and eventually being welcomed.? Once we turned the corner and started working to drive change, I was blessed to find them right alongside me, eagerly seeking rather than fighting change. Here's what I learned or re-learned last year:

Lesson 1:? Staffing is staffing.?

Another source of concern for me was that, while I had been around locums for 30 years, had looked at buying several locums businesses and had run a healthcare IT consulting (temporary) business, I had never actually led a locum tenens business.? After immersing myself in learning from the amazingly talented folks at Curative, I concluded that locums is 90% the same as perm placement. The other 10% took some getting used to but the bottom line is, whether you are involved in perm or temp staffing, whether it’s for physicians, nurses, attorneys, or IT staffing… ?the foundations are the same.?

Lesson 2:? People first.?

It’s a people business.? Everyone is chasing differentiators that will translate into more clients and more candidates, greater efficiency and speed; some companies possess actual differentiators, others often tell tall tales.? Regardless of where a company falls on that scale, no matter the technology or competitive advantage, the staffing business requires great people to be outstanding.? Having great people requires a commitment to people, to effective training programs around workflow, process, and most definitely (and unfortunately rare) salesmanship training.? It also requires a commitment to great leaders who are equipped with an effective performance management plan and a great leadership development program.? I learned last year that some companies don’t value people in the same way I always have.? Perhaps in other industries people matter less, but in a service-based business, you can’t lean solely on your product for results.? Businesses that fail to put people first will also fail to grow.?

Lesson 3:? Trust drives Engagement.?

Trust is everything.? Talented, committed, hard-working people will fail to contribute to their potential if they lack trust in the company’s direction and their role within it.? A leader must articulate the vision clearly, create a framework for its accomplishment, and relentlessly ensure that everyone in the organization understands the significance of their role in achieving the goal. Everyone has bad days but engaged team members who trust in the company, its leaders and future come back to fight the next day.? Those who lack trust in the future look for workplaces where they find it.? When the leader doesn’t know the plan or when the leader’s plan differs from the board or owner or parent company, it simply won’t work.?

Lesson 4:? Challenges scaling a business are all the same.

Last year and in dozens of conversations over the last month, I’ve re-affirmed that the problems staffing businesses (all businesses) face in scaling are both predictable and universal.? I’ve yet to speak with a leader who is encountering a problem related to growth that I’ve not personally faced in the past.? Encouraging growth beyond the leader’s shadow is scary and can be expensive if done well, devastatingly costly if done poorly.? The Adizes lifecycle is a great visual and on their site, they say it better than I ever could: “The same methods that produce success in one stage can create failure in the next. Leaders who fail to understand what is needed (and not needed) can inhibit the development of their companies.”

Understanding where your business or team is, what is needed to take the next step and being prepared to take on the challenge is paramount.?

Lesson 5:? Who I choose to spend my time with is important.?

I realize that I’m blessed in being able to make that choice.? But, if you think about it, isn’t everyone?? I choose to work with people who are honest, people who have fun even when the stakes are high and pressure is through the roof, people who care about others not just in words but in actions, and people who are willing to put forth discretionary effort for the good of the team, their clients or the candidates with whom they work.? We all get to choose whether the people we work with make the stresses of facing challenges together worth it.?

I learned last year that my experience in starting and building The Medicus Firm was not the only way to achieve that connection; I was quick to bond with a completely new team and willingly and enthusiastically put their needs ahead of my own.? The deep connection I developed with Curative’s people (I miss you guys!) gives me confidence that I’ll find a similarly close bond with others in my future endeavors.? ??

If you’ve already found your tribe, fight like hell to keep it together and on track, growing and succeeding.? If you haven’t been so blessed yet, don’t settle.? Who you choose to work with matters.?

Closing?

The staffing business is beautifully simple but rarely easy. I’m so thankful that I couldn’t find any other job besides being a recruiter when I graduated from college.? This industry is full of great people providing an invaluable service to clients and candidates alike.? Done correctly, it’s one of the greatest opportunities I know of where you can do good and do well. I look forward to working with other leaders and companies to help solve problems, grow and succeed at scale.