Forget Strategy. Get Results.: Radical Management Attitudes That Will Deliver Outstanding Success

5

Faith

“I don't use analytics to make decisions, only my gut feeling and intuition. I use the analytics to monitor my decision along the way. Stats can tell you anything you want to know.”

The Problem: Spoilt for choice

Towards the end of 2006 I was attempting to recruit a head of media. The final choice came down to two candidates recommended by the headhunter I was using: one already had the right experience and credentials, the other was a project manager from Cable & Wireless. For the job itself I went with the candidate who had the media experience. At the time the business was still in recovery mode and we could not afford the luxury of making errors of judgment in our recruiting. However, I had really enjoyed meeting Rob, the guy from Cable & Wireless, liked him, and didn't want to lose the opportunity to work with him. I always recruit on my gut instinct and there was something about him …

The Solution: The leap of faith

Although I could not offer Rob the media position, I went back to him and said, “Rob, I really like you. You haven't got the head of media job, but I would still like you to come and work for me.” “Doing what?” he asked. “I don't know,” I said.

Rob was puzzled. “So you're saying you want me to commit to working with you: leaving a well-established company for a small private one, for about the same money, but with at least two hours a day extra commuting – and you can't actually tell me the job I will be doing?” “That's right.” “Sorry, Mike, it's ...