Innovate By Hiring the Wrong People

08/12/2005

Innovate By Hiring the Wrong People

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.

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