Are You Creating a Saltwater or Freshwater Culture
Some time ago, we were recruiting for a new team member.
After a series of interviews, we sat down to review applicants & recount the interactions.
We were intrigued by one particular candidate. He carried himself well, answered all questions with ease, & had a very impressive resume.
Yet, no one was excited to hire him.
Something just didn’t feel right. All indications were that he was a great person & a real professional. We were just struggling with seeing him on our team – as part of our firm. It ‘felt’ like he wasn’t quite a ‘fit’.
Then, one of my colleagues said something that I will never forget. “He seems like a great guy, but I think he is more of a freshwater fish & we swim in saltwater.”
Her comment made sense.
It wasn’t that he was ‘wrong’ and we were ‘right’ – or the other way around. It just meant that he wouldn’t thrive in our saltwater world.
Before you get too wrapped up in whether the next job candidate is an expert at a particular swimming stroke (e.g., breast stroke, freestyle, etc.), consider if he will truly thrive in your water.
From that day forward, we kept a saltwater candle in our office to remind us that we were creating a culture of saltwater swimmers. Click here to see such a candle http://shopstyle.it/l/kruT.
Photo by Ethan Sykes on Unsplash
Patrick Leddin, PhD is a speaker, global leadership consultant, and The Wall Street Journal bestselling author of The Five-Week Leadership Challenge. Patrick is an Associate Professor at Vanderbilt University with a thriving leadership blog and podcast, and 25-years of leadership experience. He offers an unparalleled mix of academic rigor and real-world experience.