How to Avoid an $8 K Mistake

As a leader, when it comes to talent management, you often hear the call to not only have the right people on the bus, but also to have those people in the right seats. But what does that mean exactly? Yes, it means hiring the right people for the right position, but it also includes assignments the individual participates in once on board. Let’s look at some scenarios.


1. A frustrated VP and I were discussing a hiring project he was working on and that it had been assigned to one of his executives. When he told me this assignment was made six months ago and that no progress had been made, I began asking probing coaching questions designed to get at the core of the frustration.

It seems the assignment had been given to someone who is responsible for building business. Further, this individual is on salary plus commission. Where’s the motivation? This executive is not motivated to take money out of his pocket for a hiring project. Solution: Make the executive the chief advisor on the project and gather a few other individuals together who are not on commission or in sales and have them take on the hiring project.

2. Sometimes an employee will even warn you that he/she is not right for a job. A trainer for a major hotel, who was excellent at her training job, was suddenly asked to do payroll. She tried to tell her manager that it would be a disaster, but to avail. The trainer was having to work with time keeping software she had no clue about with virtually no training, she knew very little about accounting, and was a total wreck for fear of mistaking a mistake. Well, make a mistake she did. She wound up paying a housekeeper about $8 K for her regular bi-weekly pay. Thank goodness the housekeeper was honest and turned in the check. Sometimes it pays to listen when someone tells you they are not right for a job or project.

3. A VP of Retail with a lively personality who aspires to motivate, coach, and inspire her employees was given a project that was boring and out of her skill set. The project consisted of writing dull policies and procedures. Yet she was supposed to be out charming customers and bringing in new accounts. She became increasingly more depressed and even became physically ill from the stress. Not good. She finally decided to meet with the CEO and the project was given to someone better suited for the job.

So yes, continue hiring the right people for the right job. But, don’t stop there, be sure you continue putting the right team members on the project matching their skills and attributes and avoid $8 K mistakes and others.

 Thank you for reading this blog. If you would like to know your team better call 404-320-7834 or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or visit www.performstrat.com

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