To frame the conversation, I should start by saying that I work for a well-established company that has survived economic and industry ups and downs for more than a hundred years. In the last decade, the top line has grown significantly while the geographic footprint has continually expanded. IMHO, much of this success is borne firmly on the backs of many long-term employees with great operational knowledge, relentless work ethic, and unfailing dedication to the company.
Recent discussions around the idea of recruiting ‘Rockstars’ got me thinking about the existing company culture and how the idea of a ‘Rockstar’ employee fits into the organization. For example, my history with the company goes back almost 20 years. During this time, I’ve made many significant contributions, including quite a few “Firsts’ in the company’s history. Does that make me a ‘Rockstar’? What about the other employees who have been there all of these years, making important contributions to the growth and success of the company, are they not ‘Rockstars’?
I think it is easy to look at the likes of Google or any one of the “Ooh Shiny!’ companies in Silicon Valley and associate their success with the idea of ‘Rockstar’ employees. It is a given that there are some incredibly bright people working for these renowned and innovative companies. No doubt, the people who start up these groundbreaking companies are pretty smart people, too. My question is, can you directly translate this idea to companies outside of the modern startup and tech industry?
In my experience, company culture is a bit like a spinning gyroscope. Once it's moving, it resists any force that would change its direction. Bisel, Messersmith, and Keyton describe this in great detail in their 2009 work titled Understanding Organizational Culture and Communication through a Gyroscope Metaphor. So I’m left wondering if an established organization has the available excess energy to overcome this inherent resistance to change.
In his Inc.com article, Eric Holtzclaw posits Why You Don't Want Your Next Hire to Be a Rock Star. Eric outlines a few positive and negative traits that are typically associated with a ‘Rockstar’ employee. In both cases, these appear to produce strong inflections that work directly against the gyroscopic forces of an existing corporate culture. Specifically, are your managers and leadership up to the challenges a ‘Rockstar’ will present?
On the other hand, Ty Kiisel takes a completely opposite stand in his Forbes.com article titled The Problem With Rockstar Employees and Why a Smart System Fails. Ty’s position, which takes on Michael Gerber’s Smart System concept from the E-Myth (A great read by the way). Ty demands that product and service success is ultimately dependent on ‘Rockstar’ employees and that companies who fail to recognize this are doomed to fail.
So, where do you stand on the ‘Rockstar’ employee discussion? Do you think you’re a ‘Rockstar’? Is your organization prepared and capable of hiring and retaining ‘Rockstar’ employees? Chime in and let me know what you think.