Match: A Systematic, Sane Process for Hiring the Right Person Every Time

Chapter 20. Foster a Culture of Effective Hiring: Step 16

Excellence is an art won by training and habituation. We do not act rightly because we have virtue or excellence, but we rather have those because we have acted rightly. We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act but a habit.

—Aristotle

Have you ever had problems establishing a new habit? Perhaps the better question is, have you ever not had a problem establishing a new habit? Whether it is becoming more organized, eating less, learning a musical instrument, writing in a journal—establishing a new habit is excruciatingly difficult. But, have you noticed that once you've gone through the difficult process of establishing a routine, it becomes easier to maintain?

Let's use exercising as an example. Most people find that exercising every day is easier than exercising only once or twice a week. Establishing a pattern makes the exercise event easier over time. Soon, the pattern becomes a habit, the habit becomes a culture—and once established as a culture, it is very difficult to break.

Personally, I discovered this human characteristic when studying for my college classes. I found it much easier to hit the books every night than every once in a while. By making the process of nightly studying a habit, opening the books became a painless undertaking—a natural act instead of an accomplishment.

Note

Sticky Notes:

• The business leader should strive to make effective hiring an organizational habit.

• Work on establishing small ...