Generally, companies are not particularly adept at ridding themselves of underperforming executives. Rather than get on with the unpleasantries, firms procrastinate, waffle, rationalize, or simply put their collective heads in the sand. They do so in part because the issues surrounding a ‘problem’ executive are rarely black and white. Good qualities weave in with the not-so-good and productive days alternate with the counter-productive moments. An executive is functionally competent but political and divisive. Another individual lacks key skills or struggles to scale but is a great team player. And on any given day the balance of deficiencies and assets may be tolerable or not.
When companies finally do pull the plug on someone and their attention turns to a replacement it is often not with the sum of desirable attributes in mind but rather the deficiencies of the now former incumbent which must be avoided at all costs. Though the departing executive was a complex amalgam of attributes, firms generalize the positive attributes and hone in on avoiding the negative. Inadvertently firms end up hiring replacements that are the opposites of the person they discarded.
To illustrate, the firm with the brilliant though process/systems challenged entrepreneur is often replaced by a systematic professional manager. The police-like, “Dr. No” CFO is replaced by an enabling ‘business partner’ who tends to say yes to everything and everyone. The problem, of course, is that in the hurry to put balm on the pain of the past, the bigger picture gets lost and mistakes are made. The professional manager lacks market or street savvy or instincts for the business and the nice guy lacks the backbone to ever say no. The result can be less than hoped for.
Replacing executives requires that companies step back and consider not only the tasks, the culture and the context of the organization but also the whole complement of attributes of the outgoing executive. These must be understood and replaced. Unpleasant surprises await those who do not.
An Abject Failure in Due Diligence and Judgment
August 10, 2010
There are few shortcuts when it comes to hiring senior-level executive talent. And when firms are not careful, the price they pay can be exorbitant. Consider the true story of a company that paid a big price.
One Reason Interviewing Candidates is So Difficult
July 13, 2010
I was browsing in my local bookstore on the weekend when I came upon a small book titled ‘Toughest Interview Questions'. Always interested in this subject I quickly leafed through it and put it in the pile to buy.
Strategies for those wanting to make a career or sector change
June 23, 2010
Many transitional executives contemplate career changes. It may be a career auto or general manufacturing sector executive questioning its future, or a large-company type who covets the chance to work in a smaller organization. Often, it is simply individuals longing to shed unfulfilling careers for exotic destinations as yet unknown.
Executives in Transition- Why a rifle beats a shotgun in nabbing that perfect job
June 21, 2010
As a headhunter I am an obligatory stop on the networking circuit of many executive job seekers. I hold the promise of a barometer on the employment market, contacts, ideas, and even suitable ongoing searches. I am always happy to participate in courtesy interviews as I neither envy the job seekers' circumstances nor take lightly their courage in reaching out to me.
The Perils of the Successful Matchmaker
June 14, 2010
What is a successful matchmaker?
Last week, the Wall Street Journal published an interview with Patti Stanger who runs The Millionaire's Club, a Los Angeles-based "elite" matchmaking service and reality television program.
Interviewing: The Quest for Patterns and Themes
May 14, 2010
Last week, two seemingly unrelated articles caught my attention. The first was a magazine obituary on C.K. Prahalad, the management thinker best known for his work on core competencies. The article spoke extensively of his ‘big ideas' and noted his habit of traveling the world "prying useful information out of everyone he met…always looking for connections and patterns, hoping to predict change".
Checkers vs. Chess: Why Candidates Play The Wrong Interview Game…and Pay the Price !
May 4, 2010
I often join my clients when they conduct candidate interviews. I moderate, participate, listen and learn. They are fascinating glimpses into how candidates and companies alike play the complex game of talent acquisition.
The superhero hiring game and why everyone loses
April 5, 2010
When it comes to recruiting leaders, companies continue to search for those Steve Jobs-like characters that can single-handedly turn around a company's fortunes, blaze paths of innovation and market their wares like no other before them.
Why candidates should expand and prep their references
February 3, 2010
As headhunters scramble to match candidates with their shapeshifting clients, process and painstaking due diligence rule the day. To some candidates such rigor may feel intrusive or simply unnecessary. It shouldn't. In fact, rigor should be embraced and used to all candidates advantage. Consider the use of references as an illustration.
The Unwanted CEO Job …and the one individual who thought otherwise
January 8, 2010
Several recent articles have lauded the success of Ottawa-based Bridgewater Systems. With skyrocketing revenues, a growing market, and money in the bank, the firm's prospects have never been better and the street appears to love the story. It was a much more difficult story to sell in 2003, with one notable exception.
Resist the temptation to hire the opposite of what you fire
May 8, 2009