Make the right hire for your business

Let me tell you a story about a business owner who was in pain, let’s call them Jo.

Their pain was mental, physical, and emotional.

They decided that the solution was to hire a General Manager. They went online and saw a few ads describing the role of a General Manager, they copied what they thought sounded right and threw together an ad.

They posted the ad online. As they clicked “go” to advertise they started to feel better.

The ad was up, so all they needed to do now was wait for all the applications to roll in, and then they could choose one.

This person was going to be great, they’d do all the things Jo didn’t have time to do, or didn’t want to do. They would get to work right away and plug all the gaps.

Jo was on the right path, finally.

Lo and behold there was a huge response to the ad!

Jo got a few people in for interviews and quickly chose someone, they 'clicked' immediately in the interview, and they could start immediately! Bonus.

Fast forward two weeks.

Jo is starting to wonder whether their new General Manager is the right person for the business. They are paid “well”, so why aren’t they just getting "it" done? They keep asking questions, they question priorities, and they are rubbing the team up the wrong way.

Fast forward three months.

Jo is wondering whether it is working, the new GM hasn’t really achieved much. Jo is still getting calls all hours of the night, customers are still complaining, and the team is constantly complaining that the GM is too hard on them.

Six months later (if you're lucky).

The only option now is to end it. It hasn’t worked. The GM hasn’t made an impact, the team doesn’t like them and Jo is actually doing more hours than before, and feels in more pain than before.

Perhaps Jo should put that ad up again and give it another go?

The answer? "Not yet." First you need to get off the merry-go-round.

The "General Manager merry-go-round" is real. So is the struggle.

Jo was doomed before that ad ever went up.

So, what can you do to avoid the merry-go-round?

Here are five things you can do to dramatically shorten the odds of success.

1. Work backwards from the needs of the business, not from the General Manager position description you found online. Take time to understand the major functions of the business. Identify the gaps and look for logical groupings like Sales & Marketing, Operations, and Finance. In EOS? we call this the Accountability Chart. You may discover you need a Service or Operations Manager to cover some key roles and responsibilities, not a GM.
2. Get clarity on your values. Hire for values fit first. Your values should consist of 3 – 5 traits that you hold most dear, that you embody, and that differentiates you from other companies. Knowing you have hired the "right person" is the battle half won.
3. Set goals. If you have a short list of big-ticket items captured they will act like a North Star for your new leader. They will give them (and you) focus on what is most important to deliver upon, the timeline and outcomes. I recommend focusing on the first 90 days, and set them up for success.
4. Create a scorecard. Get clear on the handful of numbers that are most important. perhaps focus on the high-impact numbers for the first 3 months of their tenure. These should be a good indication of whether the needs of the business are being met and progress is being made toward the goals. You will both know if they are making an impact.
5. Drop the ‘General Manager’ title, it isn’t necessary, it isn’t helpful, and being vague in nature it also sets the tone for the role. The odds are that you don't need a General Manager, so don't put the blinkers on.

If you are on the merry-go-round, get off and work through this list. Please.

If you have been trying to make that key hire don’t give up. Get clear and hire with clarity. That perfect candidate is out there, they may already be working in the business, and maybe you’d ruled them out in your pursuit of a generalist.

There are fractional/outsourcing solutions you can consider too that may buy you some time while you get clear on what you need. I know a few people, so contact me if you want help.

Lead well.

Have fun.