Who: the A method for hiring

『Who』の要約

1. 1

   The Barefoot Toddler and Your Biggest Business Problem

   

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   A two-year-old running naked down the driveway unsupervised. That's the wake-up call Geoff Smart received after a disastrous hiring decision-not just a parenting crisis, but a mirror reflecting what billionaire investors, Fortune 500 CEOs, and entrepreneurs unanimously identify as their number one challenge: finding the right people. Here's the uncomfortable truth: half of all hires fail. And each failure costs roughly fifteen times the employee's base salary. Yet we spend more time choosing a smartphone than selecting the people who'll shape our company's future. Warren Buffett personally recommends this approach to his CEOs. Amazon and Google make it required reading. Why? Because most leaders obsess over what problems-strategy, products, processes-when they should focus on who problems: the people making every decision that matters.

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   The Lucy Problem: Why Your Real Challenge Isn't What You Think

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   Remember Lucy and Ethel frantically stuffing chocolates as the conveyor belt accelerates? The supervisor didn't have a conveyor problem-she had a Lucy problem. This distinction between "what" and "who" separates thriving organizations from struggling ones. We obsessively chase what problems-tweaking strategies, refining products, optimizing processes. These feel productive and measurable. But thirteen hundred hours of interviews with billionaires including Warren Buffett, Michael Dell, and Jack Welch reveal that about 50% of business problems stem from having the wrong people in critical roles. Consider Nate Thompson, CEO of Spectra Logic. Despite thorough interviews, his poor hires created embezzlement, toxic culture, and millions in lost revenue. Steve Kerr, who built GE's legendary Crotonville institute, explains: "Otherwise smart people struggle to hire strangers." Traditional interviews are only 57% predictive of job performance. Yet executives spend fewer than fifty hours hiring key personnel but over five hundred hours managing problems caused by poor choices.

3. 3

   Building Your Blueprint: The Scorecard That Changes Everything

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   You wouldn't build a house without architectural plans, yet we routinely hire without clear definitions of success. The Scorecard-the first component of the A Method-translates abstract concepts into concrete expectations through three elements: mission, outcomes, and competencies. The mission distills a role's core purpose: "To serve as a visionary leader who helps the bank capture market share by analyzing the market and devising successful new strategies." Outcomes describe what someone must accomplish-typically three to eight objectives ranked by importance. Unlike traditional job descriptions focusing on activities, scorecards focus on results. For sales: "Grow revenue from $25 million to $50 million by end of year three." Even for hard-to-quantify roles, outcomes should be objective: "Create and implement a new marketing campaign within 180 days." Competencies define how you expect someone to operate: efficiency, honesty, organization, intelligence, persistence. Cultural competencies ensure organizational fit-a factor cited by one-third of executives as a major reason for hiring mistakes. At Sewickley Academy, their Head of School scorecard included curriculum improvement within a year, building a team of 90% A Players, and meeting fundraising targets. Five years later, their selection had reversed budget deficits, increased giving to record levels, hired nine A Player faculty members, and overhauled the curriculum-validating the scorecard-based decision.

4. 第4章

   Creating Your Talent Pipeline: The Art of Continuous Sourcing

   Most hiring failures stem from weak candidate pools. Traditional job postings yield mediocrity. Successful executives maintain constant talent flow through disciplined networking and systematic relationship building. The data is compelling: 77% of business leaders cite referrals as their primary source for exceptional talent. Patrick Ryan of Aon Corporation recruited thirty people annually by asking: "Who are the most talented people you know that I should hire?" This patient approach successfully recruited numerous top executives, including his successor. In-house referrals prove particularly effective. Employee referrals at Middleby Corporation accounted for 85% of successful hires, with higher retention and faster productivity. Paul Tudor Jones' organization saw employee-referred candidates demonstrate 60% higher success rates. Expand your search through strategic "deputy" networks offering recruiting bonuses up to $5,000, premium gifts, or exclusive investment opportunities. BSMB developed an innovative approach: deputies receive fee-free fund investments for quality referrals. The critical practice? Dedicate thirty minutes weekly to nurturing relationships with potential A Players. Prioritize your prospect list and make calls until achieving one meaningful conversation. Each interaction should conclude by requesting referrals, allowing organic network growth. This systematic approach-demonstrated when Bank One board members recruited Jamie Dimon, doubling company value-proves persistence and method trump luck.

   第5章

   The Four Interviews That Reveal Truth

   Traditional interviewing fails to predict performance. The solution? Four sequential interviews evaluating candidates against your scorecard, focusing on facts rather than impressions. The screening interview uses "What? How? Tell me more" to uncover true strengths and weaknesses. Key principle: "hit the gong fast"-quickly eliminate unsuitable candidates rather than waste time on borderline cases. The Who Interview follows a conversational five-question format exploring each job from the past fifteen years: What were you hired to do? What accomplishments are you most proud of? What were some low points? Who were the people you worked with? Why did you leave? A Players connect accomplishments to expectations; B/C Players speak generally. The "threat of reference check" technique uncovers honest assessments of colleagues. The focused interview involves team members asking structured questions about specific scorecard outcomes and competencies, using the same "What? How? Tell me more" framework. The reference interview provides validation through seven total interviews-three bosses, two peers or customers, two subordinates. Have candidates facilitate connections, doubling success rates. References speak in code-hesitations signal problems; enthusiastic endorsements indicate A Players. Finally, evaluate using the Skill-Will Bull's-Eye: Is there 90% confidence they can achieve each outcome and display each competency?

   第6章

   Sealing the Deal: The Five F's That Win A Players

   You've found your ideal candidate. Now comes the critical moment-closing the deal. Successfully selling candidates means addressing the "five F's": fit, family, freedom, fortune, and fun. **Fit** is paramount. A Players want roles where they can excel and make an impact. Show how their goals, talents, and values align with your vision and culture. As Mark Stone of the Gores Group advises: "Show that you are as concerned with the fit for them as you are in the fit for you. Ninety-nine percent of your competitors are not doing that." **Families** often pose the greatest obstacle. Spouses and children resist life-changing moves. Address family concerns throughout recruitment. One executive assistant created a Texas-themed care package with family videos, real estate listings, and entertainment options to convince a reluctant family to relocate. A Players despise micromanagement and crave **freedom**. George Buckley of 3M builds trust through authenticity: "If you know that I am confident in you, you are likely to take more risks, to work a little harder, because you know that I am not going to take your head off if something doesn't work perfectly." **Fortune** alone rarely seals the deal. Compensation becomes a disincentive if too low, but rarely the key motivator. Link variable compensation to scorecard performance. Since we spend over a third of our lives at work, **fun** matters. What constitutes fun varies-from start-ups resembling rec centers to financial institutions where fun means wearing a two-piece suit instead of three. Sell throughout the entire process across five critical waves: when you source, interview, between offer and acceptance, between acceptance and first day, and during the first hundred days. The single most important aspect? Persistence.

   第7章

   Your Path Forward: From Method to Mastery

   The A Method represents a fundamental shift in organizational success. When four hundred CEOs and billionaires quantified success factors, management talent dominated at 52%-execution accounted for 20%, strategy 17%, and external factors merely 11%. People decisions outweigh everything else. John Varley, CEO of Barclays PLC, captures this reality: business strategies among rivals are increasingly similar. What distinguishes exceptional companies is execution capability, which fundamentally comes down to people quality. Installing the A Method requires comprehensive commitment. Leadership must elevate people decisions through personal modeling, building executive coalitions, articulating compelling visions centered on A Player talent, implementing training, removing barriers, and creating cultures of continuous improvement. Real-world results validate this approach. When Blackstone and Apollo hired John Zillmer as CEO of Allied Waste, he recruited 27 new A Players-the company's value increased 67% in eighteen months. Bill Koch's 1992 America's Cup victory demonstrated these principles, defeating heavily favored opponents despite 100-to-1 odds. Selim Bassoul transformed Middleby Corporation, producing a 3,500% stock price increase over five years. Most compelling is the COO who transformed both his organization and life-initially struggling as a B Player working excessive hours, he systematically implemented the A Method, building a team of A Players who recruited other A Players, creating a virtuous cycle of excellence with improved performance and reduced hours. This is your greatest opportunity. The people you choose determine everything else. Stop chasing what problems and start solving who problems. Build your scorecard. Cultivate your network. Master the interviews. Sell the vision. Your organization's success isn't measured by strategy brilliance-it's measured by the caliber of people executing it. The question isn't whether you can afford to implement the A Method. It's whether you can afford not to.

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