Old style management doesn't encourage personal mind control, employees aren't encouraged to think. That was certainly the case when I started work back in the bad old days however it's still prevalent in many businesses today.

It's evident in many of the organisations that I work with that there's a culture of - "I'm the boss - I tell you what to do - you don't question it."

The successful manager doesn't react that way, he or she employs people who think; people with a mind of their own who aren't afraid to say what they think and feel. You need people who question, who challenge you as a manager.

I remember sitting in on a second interview with John, a manager client of mine who was interviewing candidates for a sales job. One of the candidates was a guy called Phil; he was a very strong character, full of questions and suggestions on how the job should be done.

John turned to me when Phil left the room - "That guy's good, I reckon he'd be a good salesman for us, but I don't think I could handle him." John was a much quieter type of person than Phil and I knew he felt uncomfortable with his style.

So I asked John - "What do you want this new salesman to do?" "I want him to bring in new business" said John. "Do you think he can do that" I asked. "Of course I do, I just think he'll be difficult to handle."

Again, it all comes down to outcomes; of course you've got to consider how you're going to work with a new team member but you sometimes need to get out of your comfort zone and take a risk.

John hired Phil and he brought in the new business that John needed. Phil was always a handful and a challenge for John but they learned to work together.

Discover how you can interview and recruit the best people for your team!

Alan Fairweather is the author of "How to get More Sales by Picking the Best Team" This book is packed with practical things that you can do to