Page 375 - Ray Dalio - Principles

whether he has the qualities of an outstanding plumber. Yet the
difference between an ordinary plumber versus an outstanding one
is huge. When reviewing any candidate’s background, you must
identify whether they have demonstrated themselves to be
extraordinary in some way. The most obvious demonstration is
outstanding performance within an outstanding peer group. If
you’re less than excited to hire someone for a particular job, don’t
do it. The two of you will probably make each other miserable.

e. Don’t use your pull to get someone a job. It is unacceptable to use your
personal influence to help someone get a job because doing so
undermines the meritocracy. It’s not good for the job seeker,
because it conveys they did not really earn it; it is not good for the

person doing the hiring, because it undermines their authority; and
it is not good for you because it demonstrates you will
compromise merit for friends. It is an insidious form of corruption
and it must not be tolerated. The most you can do at Bridgewater
in this respect is to provide a reference for someone you know
well enough to endorse. Even though Bridgewater is my company,
I have never deviated from this policy.

8.2 Remember that people are built very

differently and that different ways

of seeing and thinking make people

suitable for different jobs.

Some ways of thinking will serve you well for some purposes and
serve you poorly for others. It is highly desirable to understand
one’s own and others’ ways of thinking and their best applications.
Some qualities are more suitable for some jobs. For example, you
might not want to hire a highly introverted person as a salesman.
That’s not to say an introvert can’t do that job; it’s just that a

gregarious person is likely to be more satisfied in the role and do a
better job.

If you’re not naturally good at one type of thinking, it doesn’t
mean you’re precluded from paths that require it. It does,
however, require that you either work with someone who has that
required way of thinking (which works best) or learn to think
differently (which is difficult or even impossible).