One of the first things I assess when bringing someone onto my team is: How quickly do they deliver value? In a fast-moving company, there isn’t time for prolonged ramp-up periods with no impact. Every hire, regardless of their role, needs to demonstrate their ability to contribute meaningfully—and fast. If someone takes too long to provide value, it’s usually a sign of one (or more) of these issues:
- They don’t fully understand our mission, the job, or the task.
- They’re getting distracted by things that aren’t important.
- They’re focused on activity instead of outcomes.
The Difference Between Work and Value
I recently hired a marketing person to help us generate leads. The expectation was simple: Find ways to bring in high-quality potential customers. But instead of diving into lead generation, they spent the first week compiling reports, spreadsheets, charts, and internal presentations that analyzed things we didn’t need at this stage. By the end of the week, we had a well-documented view of our past marketing efforts… but not a single new lead.
This is a classic example of someone mistaking work for value. The reports might have been insightful, but they didn’t move the business forward in a tangible way.
What Have You Delivered Since You Got Here?
This is the question I ask myself constantly when evaluating a new hire: What have you delivered since you got here? And more often than not, I can see the answer clearly. I am known for frank discussions with new hires where I go through their list of achievements and ask them a simple question: How much would you pay for each of these actions if it were your company?
Most of the time, when we go line by line, the reality sets in and there’s a discernible gap between their contributions and their salary. If someone has spent weeks on activities that don’t directly impact growth, the numbers don’t add up. And that’s a problem.
Fast Value: Why It Matters
Early impact is a strong indicator of whether someone will succeed in a role. The best hires quickly assess what’s most important and align their efforts accordingly. They don’t wait for excessive direction. They don’t get caught up in unnecessary tasks. They take initiative and start delivering results as soon as possible.
That’s not to say every hire needs to be perfect from day one. Learning curves exist. But even during the learning phase, people should be demonstrating some kind of tangible value—whether it’s generating ideas, solving small problems, or executing low-risk tasks to gain momentum.
The Leadership Responsibility
That said, fast value isn’t just a test for the employee—it’s also a responsibility for leadership. If someone isn’t delivering quickly, it’s worth asking:
- Have they been given a clear definition of what success looks like?
- Do they understand which actions will create the highest impact?
- Have they been misled into thinking that effort alone is enough?
In the case of our marketing hire, I don’t think the issue was intelligence or capability. They simply needed better guidance on what actually mattered. Had I explained more explicitly that securing a lead was the only metric that mattered in their first week, we might have avoided the wasted time.
Frank Conversations Are Necessary
I believe in having direct, honest discussions in the workplace. If someone isn’t delivering, I’d rather address it head-on than let things linger. These conversations aren’t about tearing someone down—they’re about clarity, accountability, and alignment.
People should always know where they stand. If their work isn’t adding up to their paycheck, they need to hear it early, not months down the line when it’s too late to course-correct.
Setting the Right Expectations
Fast value doesn’t mean rushing or cutting corners. It means identifying the most valuable action and executing on it as soon as possible. It’s about focus, clarity, and urgency.
As leaders, we need to reinforce this mindset early. If someone is taking too long to deliver impact, they may be the wrong hire—or they may just need clearer direction. Either way, addressing it early prevents wasted time, energy, and resources. Because at the end of the day, success in any role isn’t about how much effort someone puts in—it’s about how much value they create.
…