It has become a common buzzword these days to claim to be a disruptor. It is also fairly common to see recruitment ads calling for agents of change and those who can disrupt.
The reality is very different from these statements. Hiring managers and especially recruiters are making these claims and yet hide behind the “safety of the same” when making choices regarding new staff and business practices.
This problem exists especially in the arena of projects and programs. If you need someone who is good with money, you hire an accountant. If you are looking for legal advice you hire a lawyer. Build something, hire an engineer. So why then, when running a project do hiring managers and recruiters refuse to hire project and program professionals?
Hiding behind the phrases of “industry experience” or even better “cultural fit”, many project recruitment activities end up hiring more of the same skills and thinking that you already have instead of bringing in expertise that is lacking from your organisation.
Einstein’s quote regarding doing things the same way yet expecting a different result we all know. What we don’t all do is learn from it. The simple lesson in disruption is that you need to have skills on deck that you don’t have under normal circumstances. That means thinking differently, interviewing differently, and absolutely hiring differently. The best people to solve your problems may be people who have never seen your business or industry before and can bring new approaches to those issues.
There are many professionals out there with real skills in project and program delivery, controls, and risk management. They may not have the experience in your business, bank, insurance company, or utility. What you might find is that these are the right people to help you achieve your goals. They are not indoctrinated into the ways that got you where you are now. They also have experiences in other environments that your current team may learn and benefit from.
So if you want disruption, start with yourself, and rethink the things you “know” to be true in building an effective team.
