Why are there 27 Cirque du Soleil shows, but only one Barnum & Bailey show? Because Cirque doesn't have to hire stars, they hire average people. Old style Barnum will hire only proven circus stars. Barnum's talent pool is limited. Cirque's is unlimited. Cirque has a system. Barnum has stars.
Traditional circuses lived and died by their ability to hire star performers. Whoever hired Gunther Gebel Williams, Clyde Beatty, or the Flying Wallendas, sold the most tickets. A circus was only as strong as it's star performers, it's heroes. Cirque has no heroes.
Cirque du Soleil has 27 different shows, 8 of them permanently in Las Vegas. Cirque's revenues topped $1 billion, and they don't employ one super star! No one performer is a known entertainer.
I'm stunned by Cirque's business model. The idea of hiring average people and engaging them in this amazing system. It is where we're all being pushed in business. The talent pool is shrinking for the next eight years. Our systems will have to produce the results because there won't be enough heroes to go around.
Right now BC's economy is doing great, and Alberta is doing better. Still good for us because many local companies are doing a lot of business in Alberta.
Hiring for potential means you have to have better management and tight systems. Systems introduce structure, reduce subjective decision making, push creativity to corporate, and execution becomes the duty of the line. Systems make results predictable. Heroes do not.
This model forms and shapes people. Formative employers benefit from huge loyalty, reduced costs, (because you're not paying star wages), and the ability to sculpt performers tightly to their company's needs and culture. Not bad, but it's sure a lot of work.
Today, unemployment in BC is at 6.7%. That's low, and at pre 2008 levels. By 2015 unemployment will fall to 5.2%, (according to BC Central Credit Union). Alberta's unemployment today, still lower at 4% which effects us because BC workers migrate to Alberta, reducing available talent here.
Traditional circuses lived and died by their ability to hire star performers. Whoever hired Gunther Gebel Williams, Clyde Beatty, or the Flying Wallendas, sold the most tickets. A circus was only as strong as it's star performers, it's heroes. Cirque has no heroes.
Cirque du Soleil has 27 different shows, 8 of them permanently in Las Vegas. Cirque's revenues topped $1 billion, and they don't employ one super star! No one performer is a known entertainer.
I'm stunned by Cirque's business model. The idea of hiring average people and engaging them in this amazing system. It is where we're all being pushed in business. The talent pool is shrinking for the next eight years. Our systems will have to produce the results because there won't be enough heroes to go around.
Right now BC's economy is doing great, and Alberta is doing better. Still good for us because many local companies are doing a lot of business in Alberta.
Hiring for potential means you have to have better management and tight systems. Systems introduce structure, reduce subjective decision making, push creativity to corporate, and execution becomes the duty of the line. Systems make results predictable. Heroes do not.
This model forms and shapes people. Formative employers benefit from huge loyalty, reduced costs, (because you're not paying star wages), and the ability to sculpt performers tightly to their company's needs and culture. Not bad, but it's sure a lot of work.
Today, unemployment in BC is at 6.7%. That's low, and at pre 2008 levels. By 2015 unemployment will fall to 5.2%, (according to BC Central Credit Union). Alberta's unemployment today, still lower at 4% which effects us because BC workers migrate to Alberta, reducing available talent here.
- Do you have strong systems that would allow you to hire average people based on potential? Systems strong enough to allow average people to deliver exceptional performance?
- Heroic employees, (though we love them), are also an indictment of a poor systems. Great systems don't need star performers. They deliver without any special individuals. Only terrible systems require heroes to bail them out.
Every seminar is about turning a management problem into a system. Predictable, and it will work for you every time.
See you for breakfast!
Wolfgang
p.s. The Blue Man Group has a similar business model. They might have 8 groups going at one time. Same thing, no individual stars, no speaking, the show is scripted. No creativity required. A business model easy to clone, uncoupled from heroes.
p.s. Download some great interview questions.
Nine Mindhunter Interview Questions.
If you're interviewing, download this pdf. I wrote it a few years ago and it's still solid. Nine questions with explanations attached. The reason for the question, what you'll learn, etc. The battle is to get past the candidate's message and into the facts. This tool will help you ask better questions.
p.s. I'm not oblivious to the Euro zone falling apart and Obama wondering why his constituents, (democrats) are bypassing him and occupying Wall street. It appears the euro zone will pull itself out and the USA economy, regardless of what we think, is growing at slow, bumpy pace. We're all tied together and I'm not at ease yet.
p.s. Dealing with people. "You don't have to be angry, you don't have to be loud, you just have to be clear."
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