So you weathered the startup storm and proved that you have a worthwhile product or service. . . great job!
Now how do you get the work done?
Passion Vs Knowledge
First rule to remember. . . when you set up your business . . . no one will have the same passion as you to have it succeed. There will be people who have the same knowledge as you but will not share the 24/7 attitude and the sacrifice to make things a success.
Why? I think it is mental attitude. Entrepreneurs are a different breed. They see things through a different lens. They are usually risk takers that see opportunities in the craziest places.
The skilled people who work along side the founders of the business are focused on the details and are needed to make things work.
Neither personality is better than the other and both are needed to complete the picture. Think of it this way, the founder is painting with the 12″ roller and the team is painting with the 1″ brush.
As a founder or business owner, remember these differences when you hire your first team member.
Finding your team.
Your first attempt to bring in a team will more than likely result in a failure. So will the second and then you will go into rapid fire panic hiring until you step back and rethink your approach.
Here is what you face.
Unless you are able to offer a full time wage with a benefit package you will attract part time people who will promise availability but quickly disappear when another opportunity appears.
Your promise of incentives to prospective team members will not have a meaningful effect for two reasons; 1. They usually in a lower range to be meaningful, and 2. People come to you with an employee mindset rather than an entrepreneur mindset. (See above) So this will lead to a revolving door of team members which is costly and non productive.
If there were a simple solution, it would be worth a fortune because every business struggles with this problem. The solution is there somewhere and is a blend of a few things other than incentives and money.
The first is finding compatible personalities which speaks for itself. Look in the mirror and ask … would I work for you?
Hire good people and not necessarily good skills. One trick is to find someone who wants to learn a new skill and if you are patient enough to guide them through this process they will feel a sense of achievement and become more dedicated to the cause.
The last guideline is recognition which again speaks for itself. Praise good work whenever possible.
Notice what is missing here, is the mention of dollars, which is not always the primary motivator. Paying talent top dollar and ignoring the intangibles will only lead to issues in the future.
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