Team members have unique strengths that add to the exponential value of an organization. What strategies can leaders implement to allow for better collaboration? Today, Jaime talks with John Fairclough about how ‘putting people first’ brings success.

A bit from the episode…

“Jaime: Well, I really… That’s something I can completely get on board with. So, when I’m growing my company, I look for people that are strong in certain areas that I’m weak, and like you said, you were searching for your importance, your place in life when you were younger, and I’d love to ask another question about that, hopefully I remember. But when you were talking about that, I was kind of thinking the same thing. It was hard for me to admit that hey, that wasn’t a good strong suit of mine, in particular details, terrible at details, but had to go out and find somebody who was really good at details, and also find somebody at the same time that bought into our culture, right. There’s a certain way that I wanted to run this company, and I know I can always have someone else that’s going to be better in certain things and be able to improve it. But I wanted them to, like you said, I wanted to like them, right.

Jaime: And I wonder, what is it you look for when you’re growing your team, when you’re growing your company? Perhaps even with the private equity, what do you look for to make sure that it’s someone that you’re goin to like to work with?

John: Well, I believe that, if we look at the human body, we’ve got all these different parts, right, and your pinky toenail is nothing like your knee. So there’s got to be some diversity as to what makes up the whole, but the things that I believe are core really come down to our core values, and if those things are present then the nuances are fine. Because we’re looking for diversity. We have some clients that are super analytical, and then we have other clients that are just super let’s say extroverts. Well those extroverts do not want to hang out with the analytical person, so it’s not like, oh well this person is… This person’s full of energy and life, and they’re a great sales person.

Yeah, they’re a great salesperson for someone who likes to interact with that kind of person, but not for the guy who’s super analytically driven like a lot of procurement professions. And if those are who’s ultimately buying our services, maybe we don’t pair them up with the guy that really is the life of the party. So, I believe that diversity is there, but it all comes down to if they have our core values, where if they get it they want it, and they have the capacity for it then I’m all in. They’re the right kind of person for us.

Jaime: Yeah, that’s fantastic. So, over the… About how big is your team there?”

Ready or more? Be Sure to Listen to the Full Podcast or Read the Transcript!

About the Host

Welcome to Culture Eats Strategy with your host, entrepreneur Jaime Jay. On this podcast, we unpack the most powerful intangible, culture. Culture is way more than a mission statement or words on a wall, it’s how a company behaves. It’s what informs every decision, action, and reaction. Culture is the invisible hands, the True North that guides every organization, and if you create a legendary culture, you will build a legendary company.

Link to the podcast:
https://culture.bottleneck.online/how-putting-people-first-brings-success-john-fairclough/