Get the full pilot season of the blog here: charleskunken.com/season0
It’s not how much you love a company, it’s how good you are at solving their problems.
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In 1995 the Bulls acquired Dennis Rodman from the San Antonio Spurs (the guy with the neon hair and the piercings).
The previous season Rodman had frequently missed practice, was given a paid leave of absence, and was benched twice during the playoffs.
Of the acquisition, Bulls coach Phil Jackson said: ‘He likes to have freedom and the expression that he has. We think that's O.K. as long as it stays within the team confines of playing ball together.’[1]
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I always ask people in interviews ‘why do you want to work at Amazon?’ and too frequently I hear answers such as ‘I love Prime.’
How much you love a company and your cultural fit are icing, not the cake. The number one thing that matters when you are interviewing for a job is how good you are at solving the types of problems the company needs you to do.
Thank You For Smoking
In the movie ‘Thank You For Smoking’ Aaron Eckhart plays Nick Naylor, a tobacco lobbyist who is also trying to figure out how to be a good role model for his son.
In one bonding attempt Nick takes him on a work road trip to L.A...where he is going to negotiate product placement for cigarettes in movies.
By the end of the story Nick finally finds the only thing he can say. ‘Michael Jordan plays ball. Charles Manson kills people. I talk. Everyone has a talent.’
The Opposite
Maybe you want to go work at Disney. Everybody loves Disney.
But just because you love ESPN doesn’t mean you’d make a good anchor.
For the record, smoking is bad.
And On Dynasties
‘In 1996 Rodman appeared naked astride a motorbike on the cover of his autobiography ‘Bad As I Wanna Be’. During his book tour, he revealed he was about to marry a beautiful, intelligent woman. The next day he turned up at a New York bookstore in a horse-drawn carriage, wearing a wedding dress and a wig and claiming he was marrying himself.’[2]
The 1996-’98 Bulls won three consecutive championships and were one of the best basketball teams ever assembled.
Your potential employer definitely wants a good cultural fit who loves the company.
But they need somebody who’s gonna grab a ship ton of rebounds.
Photo Credit: Nathaniel S. Butler, NBAE/Getty Images