Page 103 - How to Drive the Bottom Line with People

Knowing Players from Fans

focused for a brief moment, and sank the second free
throw to secure the win. Several fans who had hurled

insults downed the last of their beer and ran onto the
floor, hoping to pick the hero up and carry him
around on their shoulders. Security intervened. That

moment convinced me that fans can be tough to please
from one minute to the next, and players must be
focused to avoid distractions.
That night, on the way back from the game, I asked
McLemore if it bothered him to hear so many Hous-

ton fans acting poorly. I could tell by his expression
that he was not fazed—successful pro athletes focus
79
on winning, not on fans. That is part of what makes =

them professionals.
Organizations are similar; only the problem is
worse. In organizations, fans actually infiltrate the
team, interfering with the players focused on getting
the job done. Often, they dress in the same uniform as

the players, so security cannot readily differentiate
between players and fans. In organizations, fans
attend meetings, make sales calls, prepare reports, and

even claim job titles, but they are nothing more than
impostors—fans masquerading as players.
Looking at an organization’s hiring process often
reveals how impostors are able to enter organizations