For the Love of Business

What's more important, finding talent with outstanding skills/experience or finding folks who are passionate about the business? Both would be bliss, but we are often put in a position to choose. This question and others are at the heart of Jon Strande's recent post on the Business Evolutionist.

I will say that my experience with managerial scope does not ring true with his observations - I think middle managers have broader and more complex jobs today, with equal or more team member reports (his example suggests the opposite).

That being said, this is a thought provoking post and I whole-heartedly support the notion that one's personal connection to the business is critical to recognize and nurture. Amazing performance can only occur when an individual’s heart and mind is engaged.

When you love your business, the possibilities are endless. When many in an organization love the business, they are an awesome organizational force.

Caring and connected people can even save otherwise troubled companies - For a time. I worked for a medium sized company that was highly dysfunctional but managed to appear efficient and well run from the outside. This company benefited from many very dedicated and loyal managers who helped the company succeed despite its internal shortcomings and dysfunction. There was not a week that went by that a manager didn't say something like, "why does it have to be so hard to get things done here?" It was an interesting and challenging place to be an OD and management development professional, to say the least.

Unfortunately, because results were OK, senior management did not feel compelled to reduce the dysfunction. If it's not broken, don't fix it - right? Even the most engaged managers will get worn down in a company like this one and that's what is beginning to happen.

Would you say that you love your business?

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