Topgrading is too Dangerous to Try

Our phone has been ringing a lot recently with CEO’s of companies who are reaching out to me with questions about how to do a better job of implementing Topgrading – both to analyze their existing team to make it lean as well as to prepare for new talent acquisition as the economy is heating up and they’re ready to begin scaling again.

In nearly every situation, when I ask them why it is that they’re calling, they tell me, “Well, we tried Topgrading and it it was too hard or it took too long.”

It reminded me of an email I got the other day (I wish I could give credit but I entirely forget where I got it) that I thought I’d share in this blog:

Let’s conduct an experiment.

In the next paragraph, I’ll ask you to try to stop reading, close your eyes and count to 10.  After which, you can open your eyes and continue reading.

Ready?

Close your eyes and count to 10. Give it a good try.

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Did you stop reading, close your eyes and count to 10?

If you did, you didn’t try: you actually did stop reading.

If you didn’t stop reading, you didn’t try.

Confused?

Here’s the point, there is no “try.” You either do something or you don’t.

“Try” is a slippery word. At best, it communicates an intention; not a commitment.

I’ll try to make some call some people that should be on my “virtual bench” today.

I’ll try to get back to that compelling candidate this week.

I’ll try to get a firm plan from my management team around our talent needs for the next 12 months before the end of the month.

I’ll try to work with my HR Leader to help them understand the significance of Topgrading and why they need to learn about it.

You either schedule the time to complete the activity…or you won’t do it.

There is no in between.

Take a look at these two examples:

I’ll try to stop for the red traffic light.

I’ll try to love my children.

When the outcome is important, we leave “TRY” out of the equation.

The next time you’re about to say that you’ll “try to do” something, reconsider.

If the outcome of the activity is important, don’t try.  Because if the activity (like Hiring the Right People) isn’t important, then why even try?

Tags: A-Players, american workforce, chris mursau, hire better, if outcome is important, recruit don't absorb, Recruiting, Scorecard, strategic HR, talent acquisition, Topgrading, topgrading methodology, try, virtual bench