"The Believers" vs "The Non-Believers" — by Dan Lynn

By Dan Lynn

As everyone knows, hiring great people is critical. For a service company you are only as good as your team. So, the interview process is incredibly important. In fact, we spend a tremendous amount of time interviewing prospective candidates - as many as 10 interviews over several days. But, for those hires who make it through a tough interview process, what makes some successful while others just don't work out?

I don't know how to explain it but as a business owner you can get a good feel pretty quickly for "The Believers" versus "The Non-Believers" within your company. The Believers are those folks completely on board - 100%. They appreciate the work that's already been done to build the company, can see the opportunity in front of them, and are excited about pursuing it. They've had a sip of the Koolaid and they like it. They are moving 100 miles per hour on day one - as if they've been part of the team since the start. The Believers have a single-minded focus on driving the business forward. This doesn't mean they don't challenge decisions - but they do so in an effort to help them better participate in achieving the desired business goals. They aren't "Yes Men" - they just see the glass as half full and want to fill the remaining portion. A key point is that The Believers believe in good times and in bad. That is critical - because there are always some bad times. This unwavering support helps right the ship and prevents any further downward spiral.

The Non-Believers are the naysayers. They are never fully "engaged" in the business. They always seem to be on the outside looking in - evaluating. Often using "you guys" as if they aren't yet part of the team. Although you have agreed to hire them and they've accepted the offer, they've never really signed on - as if they are still going through their side of the interview process. They often challenge decisions not to better understand them, but just to challenge them. They seem to look at the glass as half empty versus half full. An interesting point is that they are typically less visible in the good times because the positive momentum of the business essentially proves them wrong and hides them. However, they are extremely visible during the bad times - essentially saying "see, I told you so."

My suggestions:1) If you are starting a new job, be a Believer. You've already made the decision so stop evaluating and get committed.2) If you own a business or hope to own a business, surround yourself with The Believers. In fact, during the interview process just come right out and let them know that there are The Believers and The Non-Believers and The Non-Believers just don't last in your company.

After many years and many businesses we've gotten pretty good at quickly identifying and weeding out The Non-Believers and, as a result, have built some incredibly strong, high-performing teams.