What's your criterion for choosing an employee or partner?
There are many options:
Professionalism
Industriousness
Responsibility
Intelligence
Integrity
Energy, etc.
My main criterion is the answer to the question: "Are we headed in the same direction?"
Why? If he (or she) needs to go the other way, then all his admirable qualities will turn against your business and you.
It's fine if your paths align only for a short distance. Instead of a long-term collaboration, you'll have a productive project.
The problem arises if you're moving north, and he’s going south, or even northwest. Such divergence creates resistance, friction, boycott, and potentially rebellion.
It takes seasoned management experience to guess a person's true goals, no matter what he says. Often, people don’t realize where the river of life (read: the subconscious) is carrying them.
But if you find a fellow traveler, you're in luck. From there, it's a matter of technique to reveal his strengths and smooth out his weaknesses.
By the way, an effective motivation system doesn't create anything new; it merely amplifies what’s already there.
But there's one catch. First, you need to answer the question of what your North Star is.
Sincerely yours,
-Alexander
About me:
As a business therapist, I help tech founders quickly solve dilemmas at the intersection of business and personality, and boost company value as a result.
How can I help you?
If you've long been trying to understand what is limiting you and/or your business and how to finally give important changes a push, then The Catalyst Session is designed specifically for you. Book it here.