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"Hiring and firing is 60% of my job," said the best boss you could ever hope for

Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports


Homer spent three decades in a major network news operation, and had the pleasure of working with and for some terrific people. One stands out.

The best, by far, was the ABC News Washington Radio Bureau Chief, a gentleman name Ken Scott. Ken was a former Medivac chopper pilot in Korea who also spent time with Armed Forces Radio and Television Services.

When ABC showed interest in Homer, there were openings in both New York and Washington. Homer asked a couple of people he knew in those two shops what they thought. "Scotty," was the answer he got. "You want to work for Ken."

Homer went down to DC the week of the historic Cleveland Superbomb storm of 1978 to interview with Ken Scott. The job interview lasted more than two hours. It was the damnedest interview you could imagine. War stories, both military and journalism. Discussion of what was right and wrong with the news business. And a little more than an hour into it, Ken turned his swivel chair, reached down, and opened a cabinet and pulled out a bottle of Chivas Regal. The start of a beautiful friendship.

One year later, Ken had an opening for a job and more than a hundred resumes were on his desk. He mentioned what a pain in the ass it was to make the decision, and then he blurted out, "goddammit, gimme that Arab," "Karla," he shouted to his secretary in the next room, "get me Raja's number."

"You'll love Raj," he said. "He and Les Blatt fought the Six Day War here in the bureau!"

It turned out Raja Helou was a former desk assistant at ABC - who went on to become a college instructor. He was a Palestinian refugee who came to the US as an exchange student from his exile home in Lebanon. Raja and Homer became great friends, and worked together for 28 years, till 2007, when Raja passed away.

When Ken hired Raja, he shared a piece of wisdom that you should know.

"Hiring and firing is 60% of my job," he said. "Especially hiring."

"If I hire the right people, my job is to give direction. And if I hire the right people and they know what is expected of them, I could go out and play golf two or three days a week." (He didn't go out and play golf, but he could have.)

"That's why I take so much time in hiring decisions." he explained.

Homer and Raja both had opportunities to move on and up by moving into different departments or locations, but opted to stay with Ken. But Ken's honesty and loyalty to his staff were the stuff of legend.

At one point, when Ken was battling stomach cancer, he recommended Homer for a terrific opportunity. Ken knew he was dying and this seemed to be a parting gift. Homer turned it down to stay on. Loyalty is a two way street.

Ken Scott was from York, PA but he could have been from Pittsburgh and could have been a Rooney.

Nothing was more important to him than taking time, keeping an open mind, and hiring the right person. He wanted to be as sure as possible that person would fit in with the program, and Ken was open to bringing back people he knew and trusted and who knew the organization, but had gone on to other things.

Sound like what the Steelers have done with the hirings this past week?

Hiring right is why you have three head coaches in 53 years and still managed the best win-loss record over the past half century. Stability. Trust. And the best people want to work for you.

If you hire the right people.....

No guarantee that the team of Omar Khan and Andy Wiedl will be the perfect team, but the way the Steeler family goes about these things is time tested and gets Homer's Seal of Approval.

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