Recruiting for Success in Turbulent Times

Fall, 2001
by Joyce Herring

Change is necessary to revitalize and improve corporate performance. Given this premise, how can companies select managers who embrace change and harness its energy for growth? Consider these six qualities we, at The Dalley Hewitt Company, consider critical for making the most of change.

Acquire knowledge: A constant quest for knowledge about new markets, technologies, social change, environmental issues and industry trends gives managers the kind of "x-ray vision" needed to anticipate change and be ready for it. Few managers have the ability to set up a system for collecting, digesting and storing information. You want the ones who do.
Be elastic: The ability to anticipate and manage countless changing targets and directives is critical to the flow of the organization. Managers need to "stretch" and try new ideas with creative thinking then bounce back with ease and try something else. There just isn't time to agonize over mistakes.
Handle complexity: The devil's in the details, you know. Managing through change and chaos requires studying the intricacies of critical issues – without getting bogged down. For example, you may need to develop a simulation model that examines possibilities rather than simply use results of a customer survey.
Tolerate ambiguity: Little is black and white anymore. It's just not clear which strategy will work, which marketing promotion is best or what is the most profitable price point. You want managers who can develop alternative scenarios, identify critical uncertainties and take calculated risks. If you are waiting for a clear answer, you will most likely miss the moment.
Work within paradoxes: Contradictions and inconsistencies have become a daily occurrence. One paradox is that organizations and institutions are becoming simultaneously larger and smaller (for example, the reorganization of IBM into component companies). Effective change agents are skilled at reconciling apparent contradictions without getting stalled.
Recognize patterns: Managers need good eyesight to spot trends (globalization) and counter trends (tribalism), then evaluate the impact of both on your organization. You want someone who talks to the trend spotters – students, global travelers, mavericks and outsiders – to spot the shifts and patterns, then sifts out the relevant ones for action.

"Our recent searches reflect this quest for effective change agents," commented Rives Hewitt, president of The Dalley Hewitt Company. "We currently have a client seeking a financial/operations executive who can be innovative and modernize existing planning processes. This client wants someone who can also improve the use of technology, empower employees and nourish continuous learning within the staff."

It's not enough today to just have the technical credentials. Managers must also think and act strategically, crave knowledge and innovation, embrace technology, be disciplined visionaries, learn to multitask, welcome ambiguity and thrive on change.

Sources: American Management Association
V. Littlejohn, chairman and CEO of Tradebuilders

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