Home » ExchangeEveryDay » Innovate By Hiring the Wrong People



ExchangeEveryDay Past Issues


<< Previous Issue | View Past Issues | | Next Issue >> ExchangeEveryDay
Innovate By Hiring the Wrong People
August 12, 2005
Every beginning, after all, is nothing but a sequel, and the book of events is always open in the middle.
-Wislawa Szymborska

In his book, Weird Ideas that Work: 11 and a Half Practices for Promoting, Managing, and Sustaining Innovation (New York: The Free Press, 2002), Robert Sutton recommends managers “innovate by hiring people who make you uncomfortable, even those you dislike.” He observes…

* If you have a negative reaction to a job candidate, ask yourself: Is it because the candidate is different? If hired, can this person bring in valuable new ideas, see things in new ways, and help the company break from the past?

* If people want to hire a candidate because “I like her” or “She is just like us,” these might be reasons not to hire the person if the job requires creativity.

* If you hire people who prompt discomfort in yourself and others, take extra care to listen to their ideas and insist others do so as well.

* Warn people they will find it frustrating and annoying to work with people who are “different” and teach them to cope with these negative feelings.

ExchangeEveryDay

Delivered five days a week containing news, success stories, solutions, trend reports, and much more.

What is ExchangeEveryDay?

ExchangeEveryDay is the official electronic newsletter for Exchange Press. It is delivered five days a week containing news stories, success stories, solutions, trend reports, and much more.

For more ideas on creating a creative, learning staff, check out the Exchange Article Collection on “Staff Training” at https://secure.ccie.com/catalog/product_info.php?products_id=5400106




Post a Comment

Have an account? to submit your comment.


required

Your e-mail address will not be visible to other website visitors.
required
required
required

Check the box below, to help verify that you are not a bot. Doing so helps prevent automated programs from abusing this form.



Disclaimer: Exchange reserves the right to remove any comments at its discretion or reprint posted comments in other Exchange materials.