Letting Go. It’s harder than you think.
During a recent conversation with my entrepreneur friends, I had an epiphany. As we reminisced about the early days of our ventures, I realized that many of my life-altering decisions could be traced back to random conversations. These seemingly insignificant chats have often set me on entirely new trajectories.
For instance, let’s talk about the ultimate startup dilemma. Startups are exhilarating, but the possibility of letting people go stands as one of the most daunting challenges. We often attract passionate and talented individuals to our cause. That’s what makes it especially painful when, for one reason or another, they have to leave.
Imagine this scenario: you’re leading a small team aiming to disrupt an industry dominated by established, successful organizations. You’re trying to convince others that you can outperform these industry leaders, even though no one else can see or imagine it as clearly as you. With limited resources and time, you face a critical question when progress falters: do you keep up a confident front for your peers and subordinates? Or do you transparently share your worries and uncertainties with your team?
Both approaches have their merits. Startups are inherently unpredictable. Despite putting in the effort and making seemingly correct decisions, results aren’t guaranteed. I used to always opt for the confident front, ensuring the team had a stable figure to rally behind. But there’s a downside. When things took a turn for the worse and we had to make tough decisions, the team was often left shocked and, occasionally, resentful
This reminds me of the concept of “necrosis” shared by a Doctor. When a cell dies suddenly, it can cause inflammation and harm to nearby cells. Likewise, unexpected bad news in a startup can demoralize a team. Over time, I’ve tried to strike a balance. I’ve learned the value of vulnerability, trusting my team with both the highs and lows of our journey.
Now, we aim for a process more akin to “apoptosis”, a controlled cellular self-destruction. If someone has to leave our team, our goal is to ensure it doesn’t come as a surprise. It’s challenging, but if it does shock anyone, then we know we haven’t communicated well enough.
My recent ventures led me to the field of education. A topic close to my heart and I am proud of the impact this young team has made to their community. It’s both an exciting and enlightening journey for me personally.
It’s reminded me of the importance of clarity and having the right frameworks to tackle problems. I often find myself echoing the lessons learned from past ventures, and this repetition to a large part has led to the inception of Chat to Changes. Through this chronicle of random conversations, I hope to share lessons that might resonate with someone out there facing similar challenges.
// Chat to Changes — a chronicle of random conversations for those randomly kindred souls out there.
