If we could improve in any way, how would we do it? What’s the number-one problem with our organization? Why? What’s not fun about working here? Who … - Ben Horowitz

One excellent way to develop a high standard is to interview people who you see doing a great job in their field. Find out what their standard is and add it to your own. Once you determine a high yet achievable performance bar, hold your executive to that high standard even if you have no idea how they might achieve it.

However, intelligence is not the only important quality. Being effective in a company also means working hard, being reliable, and being an excellent member of the team.

Much has been written about process design, so I won’t repeat that here. I have found the “The Basics of Production,” the first chapter of Andy Grove’s High Output Management, to be particularly helpful. For new companies, here are a few things to keep in mind: Focus on the output first. What should the process produce? In the case of the interview process, an outstanding employee. If that’s the goal, what’s the process to get there? Figure out how you’ll know if you are getting what you want at each step. Are you getting enough candidates? Are you getting the right candidates? Will your interview process find the right person for the job? Once you select the person, will they accept the job? Once they accept the job, will they become productive? Once they become productive, will they stay with your company? How will you measure each step? Engineer accountability into the system. Which organization and which individual is responsible for each step? What can you do to increase the visibility of their performance?