Lessons From A Failed Founder #9: Start Caring About Your Employees
We like to talk about our startup as one team, a family, a collective. But what really matters is the individual. Here’s why.
I will just come out and say it: I didn’t pay attention to my employees. Listening to their personal stories felt like a chore, something you must simply go through if you want to be a good boss. The truth is, I was anything but a good employer. I didn’t look at my team members as talented individuals: They were there to get stuff done.
The most important lesson I ever learnt is that each and every person counts. Your team isn’t a group of faceless worker bees. They are human beings doing their very best getting through life. Each and every one of them comes with their own set of skills, fears, and dreams. Your colleagues want to excel, but moreover, they want to be seen and heard.
The most important lesson I ever learnt is that each and every single person counts.
Being a bit of an introvert, I found the task of genuinely interacting with the people I’d spend 40+ hours per week with daunting. That’s right: I would sometimes slow my pace as to not end up in the same elevator. And for what reason? What was the worst that could happen on that 20-second ride? Or did I simply feel above making small talk?
Whenever I tried to engage with members of the team, I felt like a total con man. I didn’t mean a word of what I said, and I wasn’t interested in hearing the answers to my very superficial question. I could almost see myself in the third person, feigning interest in a fellow human’s nocturnal adventures. Why oh why did I not care? It kept me awake at night.
A good deal of armchair psychology has lead me to believe that I never felt quite comfortable being the ‘boss of all’. Blame it on my lack of management experience, or on the fact that we felt burdened by living from funding to funding — Whatever it was that made me feel so insecure; it had a really bad impact on the team.
Whenever I tried to engage with members of the team, I felt like a total con man. I didn’t mean a word.
Things changed way too late. Facing the demise of our little startup, I suddenly felt the superficial urge to make up for all the months of neglect. Uncomfortable and rightfully suspicious of my sudden interest, my colleagues tried their hardest to avoid leisurely conversations with me. Honestly, I would’ve done the same. What’s up with this guy?!
I now find myself in a role where talking to people is literally part of my job description. The first couple of conversations felt very stilted to me, but I could see the appreciation in my colleague’s eyes: Finally, someone who takes time to listen to their ideas! We sometimes lose track of time, because the conversations are that good.
Hindsight is always 20/20, but that’s the whole idea of my little blog: What is it that I learnt from going from “zero” to “daily” engaging?
Well, for one: People really value it when you take a couple of minutes out of your day to listen to their stories. While not every little talk will lead to a measurable boost in productivity or revenue, I believe the long-term gains are out of this world. No perks can compete with frequent, genuine interaction. Nothing beats those smiles.
Lesson learnt: No perks can compete with frequent, genuine interaction.
Caring about your employees should be your top priority, no matter what. Yes, your investors are important, and you really need those customers. But without a team, there’s no company. And without valuable individuals, there’s no team. Time spent with your colleague worth every single second. They will pay you back with gratitude, loyalty and performance.
To sum it up:
- Repeat after me: Every employee is an individual.
- Your team wants what’s best for the company.
- It is your job to listen. Don’t talk. Listen.
I once read that the great Walt Disney made it a point to interact with every member of his ever-expanding team. Whether you were working the parking lot or approving high-end budgets for a new theme park: Walt knew your name, what was bothering you and what you would like to do less or more of. If Walt could do it, we can do it.
You hired your employees based on their talents. Now cherish them.
Lessons From A Failed Founder is a series of blog posts by a thirty-something entrepreneur who made all the mistakes in the big startup playbook, and then some. My posts are no pearls of wisdom: Consider them the cautionary tales of a young founder who wants you to avoid making the same mistakes.
Feel free to reach out to me at failedfounder{AT}gmail.com
