Category Archives: HR

Ask Before Accepting A Management Position

This is a critique of the Fast Company article Five Questions You Should Ask Before Accepting A Management Position by Stephanie Taylor Christense.  The article is useful assuming that you equate success with people management.  For entrepreneurial jobs a few modifiers are needed.

The five questions the article suggests you ask before accepting a management position:

1. “Will I Actually Be Managing People?

2. What Will My Typical Day Look Like?

3. How Will My Performance Be Measured?

4. How Much Say Will I Have In Personnel Decisions?

5. Why Did The Previous Manager Leave?”

If you are on the path of managing lots of people in an established enterprise this is good advice.  However for those in the following career cycles it is somewhat off focus and superficial:

  • Startup CEOs
  • Startup officers
  • Managers of valuable assets such as oil rigs

Asset Managers

If you are responsible for an asset worth several hundred millions then people management is important. But dealing with pirates that attack your replenishment vessels with hundreds of thousands of dollars of consumables (on each run) for your oil rig seems a little different from the typical vision of people management. And those that pay your handsome compensation, likely want a good bit of your attention to be on the scientific data and maintenance issues that are robustly intertwined with management decisions.

Startups

The initial facility cost for some startups such as those that manufacture synthetic fuel additives for automobiles can be $1 billion or so. No artistic license is involved in calling the CEO a manager. Again people management will be important. But asset management will also be key.

Where should we discuss the guy with a new algorithm who leaves Goldman Sachs, raises $100 million and launches a hedge fund? He probably starts out with only a handful of staff.

If we talk about a more typical Hitech startup, then people management is certainly important. But, the replacement CEO candidates’ five questions likely include topics such as:

  • How real is the traction?  Where are we on scaling?
  • My equity share and its vesting rights
  • Stakeholder relationships

Conclusion

So the article Five Questions You Should Ask Before Accepting A Management Position is useful for those in conventional roles in established enterprises.  But, for the entrepreneurial roles that interest us it needs a few modifications to keep us on the mark.

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Avoid wasting time

Startup officers need to avoid wasting time. Time is their most valuable asset and poor use of it can result in weakening their startup’s competitive advantages. Ways we waste time Thinking about increasing revenue and achieving a better quality of life Watching TV or video on the Internet Surfing the Internet Stay up late, get…Continue Reading

How Startups Use Virtual Assistants

Let’s talk about how startups use Virtual Assistants. Virtual Assistants are really just a packaged type of consultant.  Many hold advanced degrees or have years of specialized experience. As startups grow they need a variety of short term and long term part time staff. So, Virtual Assistants can be used to address selected parts of…Continue Reading

Successful Entrepreneurs Think More Effectively

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What is an Entrepreneur?

What is an Entrepreneur?  Here are several definitions and opinions. What is an Entrepreneur? Yahoo Answers says that an entrepreneur is “A person who brings together all thee factors of production (land, labor, and capital) to start up a business and bring goods or services to the public.” About Money states that “Essentially, an entrepreneur…Continue Reading

Filed Under: HR

Motivation for startup CEOs

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How successful entrepreneurs address failure

You need to learn how successful entrepreneurs address failure. You will be feeling pressure all of the time and failing more than you like.  So, on your path to being successful, you will fail a lot along the way. How successful entrepreneurs address failure Successful entrepreneurs cope with failure better than those who do not…Continue Reading

How to overcome Startup CEO Overwhelm

Startup CEOs need to avoid or overcome startup CEO overwhelm. Overwhelm can be caused by the need to think about and do so many simultaneous things to nurture and drive a startup to success. Too many startup CEOs experience overwhelm too often.  One cause is that there are too many pieces of information to keep…Continue Reading

Dealing with Difficult People

Is dealing with difficult people a problem for your startup?  Everybody has a bad day someday. Let’s talk about how to cope when they unload on you. Dealing with difficult people When someone gets upset for whatever reason; you must first address their feelings; then you can address their problem. Avoid feeling emotional yourself –…Continue Reading

Consider when hiring a virtual assistant

These are topics to consider when hiring a virtual assistant. “Virtual Assistants” are being used more and more by startup CEOs. You can hire a VA from any continent! Consider time zones and their impact. The hourly cost can be modest or high depending on your needs. Many VA’s have degrees. Some have excellent experience.…Continue Reading

Essential Startup Management Skills

Some people think that raising funding for a startup is the difficult part. but the most challenging facets to a startup are: Having the essential startup management skills for each stage Developing an outstanding product concept Creating an unfair advantage that can be sustained for 2-3 years Building the best team for this offering for…Continue Reading

Reasons A Startup CEO Should Take Vacation

Some startup CEOs think that they cannot take a vacation. Here are reasons a startup CEO should take vacation. Physical relaxation As a startup CEO you work very hard to launch and grow your business. Trying to ignore the natural need for a physical rest will only lead to a bad ending. You need to…Continue Reading

Learning management system

A learning management system is now an integral part of many companies. To run a business successfully you will need efficient and skilful employees. So, if you develop a proper learning system for the employees of your later stage startup it will give them the chance to expand their skills; this is always better for…Continue Reading

Should You Survey Your Employees?

How should you survey your employees to better understand their interests and concerns? The results of an employee surveys are frequently an eye opener. You learn about the real corporate business culture that you have created; problems with processes products and policies; customer problems and etc. What is an employee survey? The phrase employee survey…Continue Reading

How to Hire Senior Executives

How to Hire Senior Executives Understanding how to hire senior executives is an important skill for a startup CEO. The CEO can think through the following alternatives: In all startup ecosystems there are informal ways for interested executives to meet startup CEOs. Hire friends of your friends or those recommended by advisers or other startup…Continue Reading

Professional Business Uniform – Professional Employee

A Professional Business Uniform makes a strong first impression on a customer or prospect. Uniforms can play a vital role in developing your business. A professional looking employee is always great for your startup. A professional business uniform will help the employee to look more professional and efficient; customers will appreciate this. In some sectors…Continue Reading

How to hire the perfect employee?

Hiring the perfect employee is probably the hardest thing for a startup CEO to do. You seek employees who are hard working, intellectual, filled with integrity and as motivated as the owner/CEO himself. With so much legislation and regulation enforced in this field, a startup business owner may develop a feeling of entrapment. Here are…Continue Reading

What is the value of giving out trophies and plaques?

Everybody likes to receive trophies and plaques that showcase their achievements. So, many organizations give out trophies and plaques to their employees every year. There are many who work hard to receive such souvenirs because they like to experience the glory and credit that comes along with it. The occasion might be anything from “lowest…Continue Reading

Incentive Programs for your Business

What are Incentive Programs? Incentive Programs are programs used by an organization for motivation and betterment of their employees. These programs are typically developed by a company on its own initiative. Their features and benefits are dependent upon management decisions. Organizations with such programs seem to have happier and more efficient employees. Suggestions for Incentive…Continue Reading

People management – Vital to a Successful Business

People management is crucial for most companies; because the employees of a company are its most important assets. The success or the failure of the company is dependent on them. What is required? It is extremely important for managers and supervisors to encourage, inspire, train and motivate their employees. So, as a manager you need…Continue Reading

How to Deal With a Mean Boss

If you have ever dealt with a mean boss, then you probably know what a pain it can be. The question that you might be asking yourself on a regular basis is how to deal with him and get him to respect everyone else around him. The answer to that always depends on the Boss.…Continue Reading

How to Choose the Most Appropriate Timesheet Software

There are several advantages of implementing the most appropriate timesheet software package for your business. They have been known to propel moderate-sized businesses to significantly larger ones time and again. The hardest part is choosing the timesheet software package that is most appropriate for your business. How will you know which one best suits your…Continue Reading

How to choose the correct uniform for Employees

How to choose the correct uniform for Employees, when your business needs uniformed employees, can be a complex decision. You have to take into account a range of factors. Also, changing the selected uniform will be costly, inconvenient and may confuse your branding. So, you would prefer to select the correct uniform the first time.…Continue Reading

Startup CEO Reward Structure

A CEO of a new venture needs a Startup CEO Reward Structure to reward him/her.  No one else will provide it for you.  This is to reward yourself for completing a task or accomplishing something worthwhile. I suggest that you should be earning 5-7 rewards per week; of various sizes. Startup CEO Reward Structure So…Continue Reading

Annual Performance Reviews For Officers in New Ventures

Annual performance reviews for officers are problematic for some small, busy new ventures. One Process of Annual Performance Reviews For Officers in New Ventures From a US business culture perspective, one good approach for a small, busy new venture is for the vp/ceo to ask his/her subordinate to write one page that addresses: What I (the subordinate) did well…Continue Reading

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