I just finished reading Jim Collins’ new book How the Mighty Fall and it was a great read.  There were lots of excellent points in the book, but weirdly the part I loved the most was the fifth appendix.  In the 5th appendix Collin’s discusses how to pick the right people for your team. He comes up with six characteristics.  In his words, pared down a bit…

1. The right people fit the company’s core values. People often ask, ‘How do we get people to share our core values?’  The answer: you don’t.  You hire people who already have a predisposition to your core values, and hang on to them.

2. The right people don’t need to be tightly managed. The moment you feel the need to tightly manage someone, you might have made a hiring mistake.

3. The right people understand that they do not have “jobs”; they have responsibilities. The right people can complete the statement, “I am the only person ultimately responsible for…”

4. The right people fulfill their commitments. In a culture of discipline, people view commitments as sacred-they do what they say, without complaint.

5. The right people are passionate about the company and its work. Nothing happens without passion, and the right people display remarkable intensity.

6. The right people display “window and mirror” maturity. When things go well, the right people point out the window, giving credit to factors other than themselves…yet when things go awry…they point in the mirror and say, “I’m responsible.”

For any team to be successful, you have to have the right people on the bus.  These are six great characteristics to look for when hiring, or looking for volunteers.