having what it takes

Recently I've been thinking about the whole topic of interviews, skills, competencies etc and have had to explain to a few people what it is that people look for when recruiting someone. Of course every job is different, but I do want to discuss a couple of key concepts.

It is not what you know that matters that much. It is what you are capable of doing and what you want to do. If you have the capability and the ideas of how to direct that capability to achieve the results, then that is wonderful.

It is not what you achieve, but how you achieve it. Sounds contrary to my previous statement; but in my point of view this is crucial for modern organisations. It is not just about issues like corruption or management, it is related to an organisation's culture. Will you be someone who is inspired to achieve a numerical result or inspired to achieve the result of that result? Will you be content with reaching a goal or want to go further? Are you motivated by the number or the consequence? Do you have a plan or a vision? First you need to have a vision or a dream of where that plan leads to, then you create the plan. You have to be inspired by the vision primarily, not just the plan.

The how matters, because when you join an organisation you do just that -join an organisation. This requires communication, teamwork, motivation and so on. When you work with someone who challenges you, inspires you, provides ideas, helps you generate ideas then you are very lucky! But that is what makes an organisation a success and that is what makes an individual a success: even if a job does just require you sitting by a computer and a phone, there are still people around you to talk to, to eat lunch with and at the other end of the email or phone!

Real teamwork cannot be measured. It is not just having team meetings; it is about helping others to achieve and helping others to help you achieve.

Now, all this said, having these qualities (or an organisation that allows these qualities to develop and exist) is not easy. I'm yet to find either a person or an organisation that is perfect -but still, when you are interviewing someone you want to try to find that perfect person, and you want to try to develop that perfect organisation.

And if you don't, then you need to! Which comes to the final quality: Perfectionism is not an optional trait. Everyone needs to aim to be perfect, to achieve perfection somehow -when you define perfection aim high (and realistically) -and yes perfectionism requires persistence. The problem is, how many leaders know any of this, let alone try to make it happen? I hear about some organisations where all this is true.. let it be known that I hope to create an organsiation like this some day!