Godin's Five True Statements

The daily blog from Seth Godin is one of the first things that I read every work day. Today's post, as many of his do, hit me square between the eyes.

In his post, Godin wrote that there are "five true statements we don't hear very often." Those statements are:

1. "I don't care enough to do what you're asking."

2. "I don't trust you enough to hear you out."

3. "I don't believe it's worth what it will cost in time, money or risk."

4. "I'm afraid of the changes it will cause."

5. "I don't believe that I'm the kind of person who can do this."

In this past year of consulting, I haven't heard any of these statements voiced directly to me. But I absolutely have experienced every one of them.

As Godin writes, people often talk about features, quality or budget, which all may be genuine but usually are a simple way to stall until time runs out.

Wouldn't we all be better off - on both the buy side as well as the sell side - to simply state the truth? 

If we heard any of these statements, we could do a more effective job of counseling and bringing ideas to the table. Or, we could simply say "thank you" and move on to our next opportunity.

Let's push for more true statements.

"Are They Smart?"

I had a work colleague years ago - let's call him "Bill" - who would always ask me "Is she (or he) smart?" when I talked about interviewing and potentially hiring a new member for our team. There was never any other question - only the query about the person's smarts. 

What I found irritating about this was the lack of definition as to what constituted "smart" in the mind of Bill. And why the infatuation with the candidate's IQ when there was so much more to consider related to their candidacy?

I lost touch with Bill but his question has stuck with me these many years. Every time I think about it, I feel the same feelings of irritation and impatience. 

What are the key things that you want to know when considering candidates for an open position? For me, the biggest driver is the fit with the team. Does their prowess fill a gap on the team and/or provide a complement to another team member's talents?

I also look for a sustained record of results that meet and, hopefully, exceed prior work expectations. Is the candidate proven in their ability to succeed? Have they succeeded in a variety of work environments? Do they have proven success in other endeavors in their life?

Finally - and this is very much an intangible - are they someone that you want to work with? Do they challenge convention? Do they make the team better? Are they fun to be around? Do they motivate me and other team members through the way they think and act and achieve?

Yes, "are they smart?" is an important question. It just isn't the question.