8/14/2019 Hire for Attitude.doc

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Hire for Attitude, Train for Skill

by Bill Taylor | 8:24 AM February 1, 2011

In a recent issue of The New Yorker , Atul Gawan e, t!e "ifte writer an acco#$lis!e octor,

$ublis!e yet anot!er of !is #ust%rea accounts of t!e !ealt!%care crisis an t!e inno&ators tryin" to

c!an"e t!in"s for t!e better' (ne of t!e or"ani)ations !e !i"!li"!te was a $!ysician $ractice in Atlantic

*ity, +' ', t!at !as -rein&ente t!e i ea of a $ri#ary%care clinic in al#ost e&ery way'-

T!e .$ecial *are *enter oes all /in s of t!in"s ifferently fro# ot!er #e ical $ractices, inclu in" !irin"

full%ti#e -!ealt! coac!es- w!o wor/ wit! t!e octors but s$en al#ost all of t!eir ti#e wit! t!e $ractice s

low%inco#e $atients, !el$in" t!e# #ana"e c!ronic illnesses an i#$ro&e t!eir lifestyles'

ow oes t!e $ractice s lea er, r' 3us!i/a Fernan o$ulle, fin t!e ri"!t $eo$le for t!ese unusual but

critical5 6obs7 - e recruit for attitu e an train for s/ill,- r' Fernan o$ulle tol r' Gawan e' - e on trecruit fro# !ealt! care' T!is /in of care re9uires a &ery ifferent #in %set fro# usual care' For e a#$le,

w!at is t!e answer for a $atient w!o wal/s u$ to t!e front es/ wit! a 9uestion7 T!e answer is ;es' *an

I see a octor7 ;es' *an I "et !el$ #a/in" #y ultrasoun a$$oint#ent7 ;es' ealt! care trains $eo$le

to say no to $atients'-

+ow t!at s an effecti&e $rescri$tion for inno&ation< (&er t!e years, as I &e stu ie !i"!%i#$act

or"ani)ations t!at are c!an"in" t!e "a#e in t!eir fiel s, t!ey &e a o$te a ran"e of strate"ies an

business #o els' But t!ey all a"ree on one core -$eo$le- $ro$osition: T!ey !ire for attitu e an train for

s/ill' T!ey belie&e t!at one of t!e bi""est c!allen"es t!ey face is to fill t!eir ran/s wit! e ecuti&es an

front%line e#$loyees w!ose $ersonal &alues are in sync wit! t!e &alues t!at #a/e t!e or"ani)ation tic/'

As a result, t!ey belie&e t!at c!aracter counts for #ore t!an cre entials

Ar/a i =u!l#ann, foun er an *>( of I+G irect ?.A, !as in&ente a w!ole new a$$roac! to retail

ban/in" ' (&er t!e $ast eca e, as !e !as recruite t!ousan s of e#$loyees to !is or"ani)ation, !e !as

#a e it a $oint not to loo/ to !is co#$etitors as a source of talent' -If you want to renew an re%ener"i)e

an in ustry,- !e tol #e, - on t !ire $eo$le fro# t!at in ustry' ;ou &e "ot to untrain t!e# an t!en retrain

t!e#' I rat!er !ire a 6a)) #usician, a ancer, or a ca$tain in t!e Israeli ar#y' T!ey can learn about

ban/in"' It s #uc! !ar er for ban/ers to unlearn t!eir ba !abits'-

T!e "a#e%c!an"ers at .out!west Airlines, w!o !a&e $ros$ere for nearly 40 years by c!allen"in"

con&entional wis o# in t!e airline business , !a&e e#brace t!e -!ire for attitu e- $!iloso$!y #ore

intensely t!an any bi" or"ani)ation I &e encountere ' .!erry @!el$s, w!o s$ent years at .out!west,

an , as a to$ e ecuti&e in t!e @eo$le e$art#ent, !el$e esi"n #any of its !irin" $ractices, e $laine

t!e $!iloso$!y to #e'

http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2011/01/24/110124fa_fact_gawandehttp://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2011/01/24/110124fa_fact_gawandehttp://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1633064,00.htmlhttp://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1633064,00.htmlhttp://www.nytimes.com/2010/11/21/business/21south.htmlhttp://www.nytimes.com/2010/11/21/business/21south.htmlhttp://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1633064,00.htmlhttp://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1633064,00.htmlhttp://www.nytimes.com/2010/11/21/business/21south.htmlhttp://www.nytimes.com/2010/11/21/business/21south.htmlhttp://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2011/01/24/110124fa_fact_gawande

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-T!e first t!in" we loo/ for is t!e warrior s$irit ,- @!el$s says' -.o #uc! of our !istory was born out of

battles fi"!tin" for t!e ri"!t to be an airline, fi"!tin" off t!e bi" "uys w!o wante to s9uas! us, now

fi"!tin" off t!e low%cost airlines tryin" to e#ulate us' e are battle%born, battle%trie $eo$le' Anyone we

a !as to !a&e so#e of t!at warrior s$irit'-

T!at s one reason .out!west, #uc! li/e I+G irect, is reluctant to fill its ran/s wit! in ustry &eterans

$eo$le wit! t!e ri"!t s/ills but t!e wron" attitu e to contribute to t!e cause' !en it co#es to fli"!t

atten ants or ba""a"e !an lers, @!el$s an !er collea"ues $refer to recruit, say, teac!ers or waiters or

$olice officers an often o5 t!an "ri))le airline &eterans' - e woul rat!er ta/e an ea"er, !un"ry,

custo#er%oriente #in an #ol it to w!at wor/s well at .out!west, t!an try to c!an"e t!e !abits of

so#eone w!o s co#e u$ t!rou"! an or"ani)ation t!at &iews life ifferently,- s!e says' T!at s not to say

.out!west ne&er !ires refu"ees fro# t!e le"acy airlines' But, notes @!el$s, -It oesn t !a$$en as often as

you #i"!t t!in/'-

In ot!er wor s, t!e co#$any e&aluates talent base on t!e $ro$osition t!at w!o you are as a $erson

counts for as #uc! as w!at you /now at any $oint in ti#e an sub6ects $ros$ecti&e e#$loyees to a

barra"e of c!aracter tests before t!ey 6oin t!e or"ani)ation' (&er t!e years, .out!west !as ele&ate to

so#et!in" of a science t!e $ractice of i entifyin" its star $erfor#ers, un erstan in" w!at #a/es t!e#

tic/, an e&isin" inter&iews, "rou$ e ercises, an ot!er tec!ni9ues to $robe for t!ose sa#e attributes in

new e#$loyees' - e re loo/in" for w!at #a/es you w!o you are,- @!el$s says'

It s !ar to i#a"ine t!ree #ore ifferent fiel s t!an !ealt! care in Atlantic *ity, retail ban/in" on t!e

Internet, an airline ser&ice across t!e country' But .$ecialty *are *enter, I+G irect, an .out!west

Airlines all un erstan t!at you can t create so#et!in" s$ecial, istincti&e, an co#$ellin" in t!e

#ar/et$lace unless you buil so#et!in" s$ecial, istincti&e, co#$ellin" in t!e wor/$lace' An t!e best

way to buil so#et!in" s$ecial in t!e wor/$lace is to !ire for attitu e an train for s/ill'

!at are t!e attitu es t!at efine your best $erfor#ers7 An w!at are t!e tec!ni9ues you &e e&ise to

searc! for t!ose attitu es in new $erfor#ers7