The Truth About Getting the Best from People, Second Edition

Truth 42. B players are your A team

We all know who the A players are. They’re the ones with the sterling resumés who track steady upward trajectories, starting with preschool. They’ve worked for your competitors and know all their secrets. They keynote the big conferences and get invited to the receptions that the riffraff don’t know about—not even you. When they open their mouths to speak, everything grinds to a halt, even the factory floor, so that people can hear every single word. They’re paid exorbitant salaries, as well they should be. They’re quite the catch, you know. You’re lucky to have them.

You know who they are, but you don’t know them very well. That’s understandable. They haven’t been with your department very long. And, actually, ...