Making Employee Changes

This question and answer came in an interview with Caryl M. Stern, president and chief executive of the U.S. Fund for UNICEF and was printed in The New York Times’ Corner Office feature.

Q. What were some other changes you made early on?

A. As a new CEO, I had breakfast with every single staff person over the course of the first six months. And then I said to every boss, every senior employee: “I want your brightest and your best. Give me a list. Who are your brightest and your best?” I didn’t tell them how many names. They all gave me their lists, and I said: “OK, you’ve got one year. At the end of the year, either everyone working for you is on this list, or you’re telling me how you’re getting them there or you’re getting rid of them. If we are going to attract the brightest and the best, then we’ve got to keep only the brightest and the best.”

“That was one thing we changed immediately. Some people were really good at what they did, but they were really difficult to work with. They’re all gone. I can teach people skills. I can’t teach them how to play in the sandbox.” ◆