Soup: A Recipe to Nourish Your Team and Culture

Chapter 16. Hire Possibility Thinkers

Interestingly, for all the information the surveys provided, Nancy didn't need a survey to determine who was optimistic and who was pessimistic. Nancy knew exactly who fell into each category. While she and her leadership team waited for the surveys to come back, they met with every department manager and leader in the company. It took almost every hour in the day to accomplish this, and although she didn't get to see much of her husband and kids for a few weeks or visit Grandma's Soup House, it was well worth it. The surveys, her reports, and the reports of her leadership team matched up perfectly. There was a ton of pessimism in the company, and it started with a core group of negative managers who made life miserable and unproductive for their employees.

It wasn't easy, but Nancy and her team let them off the bus compassionately, providing a fair severance, transition counseling, and advice to help them learn and grow from their experience. Then, using a talent company, they focused diligently on finding the right optimistic people, both within and outside the company, who could lead, manage, and rally their teams. They weren't looking for yes-men. They wanted possibility thinkers, and these came in all personality types. They welcomed nonconformists who would contribute new ideas to help the company grow. They were okay with people who played devil's advocate, as long as their ultimate goal was to serve the team and deliver the best product ...