There’s an excellent book called Good to Great by Jim Collins, where he discusses how eleven companies became “great” after years of being only “good.” One key element needed before the transition could take place was “the right people.” He calls it, “getting the right people into the right seats on the bus, and the wrong people off the bus.” (I know, that one was a big, “Duh!” but I like the way he puts it.) (Some of the other elements are more surprising - you must read the book.)

The same is true, he says, for startup companies which want to become great from the ground up (and skip the years of mediocrity), or for any organization at any stage. It’s definitely true for The Sensitive Baker. We have to hire more people now to grow, and we are trying, but we want to make sure we get the right people. Those of you who have been coming since we opened know we’ve already had people come and go. (That’s all part of getting the wrong people off the bus.)

And if there’s one thing I’ve learned in these past few months, it’s that the wrong people can be a real drag on your bus.

Eugenie is more than just a passenger on the bus;
she’s a veritable cruise director!

Collins even contends that it’s more important to fill your bus with the right people than it is to know where the bus is headed. (See, now, that’s surprising.) G-d knows that’s how we function. This bakery is a work in progress.

And you get to watch it all unfold here, at TheSensitiveBaker.com blog. Ah, the miracle of modern technology.

One Response to “Getting the right people onto our bus; or, Why we’re sold out of Thanksgiving pies”

1. thesensitivebaker.com blog » Blog Archive » Dylan is our new intern! Says:
   January 25th, 2008 at 4:00 pm

   [...] Welcome, Dylan, to our bus. « Gluten-Free Girl is coming to The Sensitive Baker!! [...]

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