When you’re building the team, whether it’s internal or with a wider group of partners, there are always plenty of options if you’re prepared to go looking. By the time you’re making final choices all of the remaining candidates can do the work.

The questions you have to answer are … how will they be when the fan takes a hit, can we work with them through a crisis, will they still be effective when the pressure is on?

There’s no way of knowing for sure. Not until the pedal is pressed and your eyes pinned open. No clever interview technique, no references, no psychological testing can take the place or real work under real stress in the real world.

Trust your gut. Look them in the eye and decide.

Is this the one?

Skippy strategy: After the parade … will they work out when things go bad?