She was a hidden gem. A degree in Business Admin, she had taken a job as a server just to get a job. In the economy of her city, jobs were not that easy to find and even though she was way over-qualified, she took the job. For several months she worked, showed up on time, handled her duties diligently, and said nothing while her superior bungled his.
Eventually top management gave up trying to educate and train that manager to handle the minimal demands of the job. When they let him go, they asked her if she would accept the position. She did and grabbed onto it from the first moment. Within hours the top management saw that their choice had been the right one. Now, quite some time later, the positive report holds up. This is a true story, by the way.
So this event provoked me to consider just what it is in certain people that make them stand out, that make them valuable assets to a company or organization. I came up with the following list which I will discuss deeper and post, one at a time, over the next several days.
Here is my list of 16 personal qualities found in people you must keep around you. The series begins tomorrow.
- Resource-fullness
- Aggressive accountability
- Psychological security
- Loyalty (personal & institutional)
- Creativity
- Organization
- Diligence
- Prudence
- Sensitivity – they understand what is important to you
- Skills appropriate to the position
- Truthfulness – no sycophants need apply
- Stewardship
- Learn-able
- Teach-able – can bring others along
- Volunteerism (Initiative)
- Polite