Protect Your Pioneers And Run Interference for Them
Once you’ve hired some terrific people, the next job is to hang on to them. Interestingly enough, that’s getting harder, not easier, to do even in these tough economic times because (a) no one assumes any longer that they’ll spend most of their career at the same place and (b) people these days don’t commit to companies, they commit to other people and other people change and move on all the time. So how can you keep the stars (and the rest of the troops) happy, healthy and motivated?
First, nothing is more important than making room for people. All kinds of people – because talent comes in lots of different sizes, shapes and packages. We want the talent, but we aren’t always willing to understand that it’s a package deal. Some people like to work all night; some don’t especially care to bath; some are insufferable and brilliant at the same time. You need to make room for these people and run interference for them if you want to build a great company. Too often, entrepreneurs try to find and hire people that look, act and talk like them and this never works beyond the first few employees. You need all kinds of people – even people just looking for a job – not a career and not looking to join your sacred crusade – just as long as they’re willing to do their job and do it as well as they can. And honestly, your employees also don’t have to love each other or go bowling every Thursday night. They just all need to show up and each do their jobs. Everything else is Kumbaya and gravy.
Second, you’ve got to talk straight to everyone, tell the truth, and do a couple of administrative things right away: (1) define and nail down each new person’s job and the reporting hierarchy; (2) explain your expectations – tell people what you’re trying to accomplish and what you’re willing to sacrifice to accomplish it and make sure that they’re signed up for the same trip; and (3) establish the criteria to measure and evaluate success and confirm in writing that they are understood by everyone.
It’s funny, but over the years, you learn that that the people from whom you really learned the real things of value (good or bad) were not the warm and fuzzy folks. They were sharp, hard-edged, driven people with a clear sense of purpose who were always asking more of you. And the real reason that those times were so instructive was that, in the midst of all of the blood, sweat and tears, and occasional screaming, you never doubted for a moment that they believed in you and believed that you were up to the task and could do whatever it took to get it done AND you knew that they would be there working and standing right beside you when you did.
It’s great to shoot for the sky and have high expectations and to ask your people to work insane hours and move mountains as long as you never ask them to do anything that you wouldn’t do yourself and as long as you’re working side-by-side just as hard as they are. This whole area is a slippery slope. Keep in mind that getting the most work out of people isn’t necessarily getting their best work. Ultimately, it’s a quality, not simply a quantity game. Lots of people learn how to keep busy – the trick is to get things done and done right. Not all movement is progress.
Third, forget all this bullshit that every idea is a good one. Plenty of ideas just suck. Pretending that every idea is possible or worthy of consideration and discussion and trying to be politically correct and always constructive in your criticism is a formula for failure. It’s nice to be liked; it’s more important to be respected. And sympathy is a lot like junk food – it doesn’t help anybody to lie to people or give them false encouragement or hope. Hurt feelings, bruised egos, skinned knees are all part of the growth process and critical to it.
Finally, your people are very important, but don’t lose sight of the main chance. The name of the game is to create great products and services and to build a company that will last – it’s really not about making people feel good about themselves and loved. Leave that to the clergy. Seeking consensus is about finding the middle ground, settling, and making people feel good about themselves and each other – it’s a completely different objective than building your business and it has no place in the rough and tumble world of getting a new company off the ground. You can have higher aspirations, broader goals, and apple pie mission statements once you can pay the bills and afford those luxuries.
In much the same way, teamwork is certainly a wonderful thing, but in a start-up, it’s mainly a means to getting the help you need to see your vision through to completion. Political correctness, consensus building and hyper-collaborative teamwork will only take you so far. You can’t serve too many masters or chase too many rabbits at the same time or you’ll end up with none. You’re not a social welfare agency; you’re not a church or a charity; and you’re not your employees’ shrink or family – you’re a small, young business trying to grow into something important and that alone is a full-time job and then some.
The truth is that most of the world’s great products and businesses – as well as most of the great inventions throughout history – were ultimately the result and expression of a single, uncompromising vision - albeit managed, massaged, and manipulated through a sea of change, confusion and compromise. That’s your main job – define, defend and drive the vision. The reason that it’s so important to always keep the vision front and center and so inextricably tied to your people is that great ideas can bring people, but ultimately it’s something bigger – ideals – that keeps them together. We all want to be working for something that’s bigger than ourselves.
In building your business, you have a small window and often a single chance, a passing moment and a fleeting opportunity to make something special and spectacular and to make a difference – if you have the courage of your convictions, the confidence in your abilities, and if you’re willing to make and stick to the hard choices that will inevitably arise. The people choices are always the hardest.
PP: “You Get What You Work for, Not What You Wish for”
