Can "A Players" Save the Day?

The methods of Jack Welch (former CEO of GE) are proven, practical and relevant for today's businesses, right?

Not anymore. A recent Fortune Magazine article lays waste to seven of Welch's business tenets, citing changes in business, the world economy and market volatility as key factors that mandate change.

Old Rule:  Hire "A" Players. Remember this? Rank your employees A, B or C, and move the lower ranking employees out at the rate of 25% per year.

New Rule:  Hire Passionate Players. When the marketplace began to change more quickly and companies tried to respond quickly, they couldn't because they didn't have passionate people aligned around the corporate mission. The "old rule" ranking system developed individuals who were more concerned about their individual performance than they were about the performance of the team.

What develops passion in employees?

According to the "Leadership-Profit Chain" study by The Ken Blanchard Companies, excellent operational leadership develops employee passion and leads to greater customer devotion. Achieving passion from your workforce and devotion from your customers leads ultimately to organizational vitality -- profitability.

So "saving the day" starts with the leadership. Successful leaders:

• Create a culture of quality and engagement
• Understand and develop the strengths of every team member
• Communicate their vision, and create communication channels that allow for input from those involved
• Recognize and reward performance excellence

Do employees think about their leaders?  Consider these recent findings:

In 2002, 58% of employees believed that the top executives put their own interests ahead of the company's interests.

61% of workers surveyed said that poor management was the #1 cause for poor productivity in the workplace.

The days of valuing process over people have passed. Build a team of people who are as passionate as you are, involve them in the process and show them that you appreciate their efforts. Then stand back and watch the positive results.

Read the complete Fortune Magazine Article.