Comments on Experience: The Blog: Passion: The Defining Success Factor in the 21st C...

I agree - when hiring, one of the most important e...

2009-12-18T04:38:35.257-06:00

I agree - when hiring, one of the most important elements is "is this person passionate for this job?" In the end, passion will triumph over everything - if a person is passionate, they will make those extra steps necessary to go from meeting the requirements to exceeding the requirements.

Spot on. This is what has made companies like Zapp...

2009-12-13T11:37:44.510-06:00

Spot on. This is what has made companies like Zappos so successful. Passion, transparency and authenticity. For some strong views on the importance of passion just listen to what Gary Vaynerchuk has to say about it.

Thanks Sue. Since I posted my article, I've been ...

2009-11-30T14:56:16.092-06:00

Thanks Sue.

Since I posted my article, I've been left with two remaining questions (perhaps for future posts):

- What happens to people who just aren't passionate or can't find something to be passionate about? (Can we require passion? If it's contagious--as you suggested--can people catch it from each other?)

- How can we institutionalize this? Employment folks love knowledge, skills and abilities--they are (largely) quantitative and easy to determine; but what about passionate, which is qualitative? How do we fashion hiring, training, and promotion processes in a way that recognizes the need for passion?

Thoughts?

Great post. I am passionate about this paragraph: ...

2009-11-30T13:23:25.794-06:00

Great post. I am passionate about this paragraph:

"Passionate people are committed not because they get a paycheck but because they believe in what they do; passionate people don't keep their skills up to date because they are told to but because standing still simply is not an option; and passionate people are driven by what they possess inside rather than what happens around them. Passionate people see things others do not, stretch to get the job done, are more willing to embrace risks, and are their own harshest critics."

The fact that passionate people do stretch, take risks, and constantly push for greatness is - in the best circumstances - contagious. What client or customer doesn't want to work with passionate partners?

I agree with you wholeheartedly, and believe that cultures of passion - e.g. Zappos - create a considerable competitive advantage for themselves.

Thanks for the inspiration.

Sue Spaight