When my clients build their Accountability Chart, they often find it challenging to depict a strong organizational structure that is independent of the people in it.
Structure First – Always
People flow in and out of your organization but the right structure should be long lasting and developed independently from the people working in it. Your organizational structure should represent the needs of the business. Only then can you assess the talent of the people that are needed to run it.
The right structure is simply depicted by all the “seats” that drive the business, i.e. sales, marketing, operations, finance, etc. Then clear indications of the strengths needed from each seat to propel your organization to its full potential.
Add Great People to a Great Structure
After you’re clear about the right structure for your business, you can then objectively assess the talent of the people supporting that structure and adjust accordingly, i.e. get the “right people” in the “right seats.”
The “Right People” are those who share your Core Values, and fit the culture. Getting the right people into the right seats requires that you understand the key roles/responsibilities for each seat and that each person “GWCs” their seat:
Get It
Want It
Capacity/Skills to do the job
The moment you adjust the structure of your organization to accommodate any one person’s strength or weakness, you’re diluting the actual potential of your organization. This is damaging whether it’s a superstar doing extraordinary things or a non-performer. In both cases, you’ve structured the business based upon people’s talents and weaknesses and therefore lose focus on the true needs of the organization.
Remember, get the right structure first and then plug in great people. Always do it in that order and you can be confident that you’re building a great organization ran by great people.
For more information on building your Accountability Chart and finding the Right People for the Right Seats contact us at www.bluecoreleadership.com.
11710 Plaza America Drive, Suite 2000 Reston, VA 20190
703.278.CORE (2673)
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