Behaviors of the founder that hinders the development of the company

The founder is a state of mind, but whether you're a scientist or a salesperson, keep your business organized and in balance. You will need them to rationally assess the situation on a daily basis and to know if everything is working smoothly. It is known that in order to do this effectively, you need to understand the various tasks associated with running a startup, but also know how to delegate them effectively.

By being proactive in managing the operational work of your startup, you can ensure its smooth operation and continuous development. Provided, of course, that you avoid a few pitfalls, such as…

Resistance to delegating tasks

'I'm the best at understanding what it's all about, so I have to keep all the strings in my hand' - this is the shortest recipe for a business disaster. Today, as a co-founder of a company that joined FT1000 after 6 years, I already know that the most important thing is to delegate operational work, focus on managing the company and build mature business relationships. Without it, achieving the goals you set will be more and more difficult, and at some point, it may end not only in professional but also in personal and health problems. You need to realize that delegating tasks and managing objectives requires the credit of trust that is given to the team. It is at least as important as any other resource necessary to run a business.

Imprecise definition of goals

When delegating tasks and setting goals, you need to make sure that everyone in your team sees the same thing. Clarifying your goals and resources will help you make sure everyone knows what to do. By no means be tempted to end meetings with the fabled 'do you know what this is about?' It doesn't work like that, because most people will nod instinctively in response, so as not to appear ignorant. What instead? There is a great tool called paraphrasing. After presenting your vision to the team, listen to how each of its members understands and presents it. It is even worth allocating a separate series of individual meetings for this purpose. This will ensure that everyone involved understands their roles and responsibilities, as well as how their actions contribute to achieving the organization's goals.

The trap of ad hoc communication

The factual formulation and communication of rules and principles of cooperation is essential. As well as repeating it at regular intervals if necessary (but a finite number of times). Regular communication is another prerequisite to ensure clarity about expectations and goals. No, 'we'll work out the details later, okay?' The time spent detailing your goals, setting clear expectations, and creating an environment where employees feel comfortable asking questions or raising concerns will pay you back many times over. This is how organizations create an atmosphere of cooperation and trust, which ultimately leads to better results and is certainly not a waste of time. I'm allergic to redundant and ineffective meetings, but at the kick-off stage it's really worth focusing on effectively communicating your vision, not on counting minutes.

Unclear allocation of responsibility

In order to effectively manage responsibility and information flow, a clear division of roles is necessary, in which each person involved knows their responsibilities and tasks well. In addition to their written form (!), regular conversations and personal contact between you and employees are important. Determining the scope of tasks in detail is one of the most important tasks of a leader, but also the source of the most beautiful synergies I have seen in teams. The famous 'you know what to do?' it is worth replacing with individual interviews from the series "where do you start?" They will help you make sure that everyone understands their role, duties, and responsibilities. Additionally, having clear task descriptions and reliable communication channels helps teams work more efficiently. By implementing such solutions, organizations ensure effective project management and optimal information flow at the start.

Saving on training

If you work in IT, it is probably obvious to you that continuous improvement of yourself and your team is essential for effective work. Knowledge and skills are more important in our industry than funding sources. If you don't believe it yet, invest some time in identifying areas where competency deficits are slowing down or stopping you from getting things done. And then imagine how much these arrears will grow in a year, how much you will NOT earn and ... plan changes. Regardless of niche, industry or segment, regular training and mentoring are essential to developing and maintaining a high level of competence in any organization and delivering value to its customers. Thanks to appropriate development strategies, it is possible not only to increase the level of competence in the organization, but also to create a company culture of learning and development. It is very important because self-education is also an important element that allows employees to stay up to date with the latest trends in their field.

No proper tools

I have always preferred simple solutions, which does not mean that they give the highest efficiency of work. Applover has been using several systems for a long time that help manage tasks, organize the flow of information and accelerate the flow of documents. We recently implemented an external tool that streamlines sales and marketing automation processes. We are working on another, proprietary one and when it sees the light of day, I will definitely show it off. They have one thing in common; when we became convinced that they would translate directly into profits, we decided to buy without hesitation. We didn't waste time considering whether it could be "somehow" encoded inside. We focused on projects for clients, recognizing that it is worth paying for proven tools that will accelerate the development of the company.

Yes, I agree that even ordinary spreadsheets in the hands of a professional can work wonders, but they certainly won't replace CRMs, let alone marketing automation solutions. It is worth remembering that in a rapidly growing organization, tools for managing tasks and streamlining workflows can be used for many purposes, including progress assessment, individual work and providing feedback.

Micromanagement

Being effective is not only about delegating tasks and managing them effectively. It's also about being able to keep the big picture and avoid the pitfalls of micromanagement. At the beginning of Applover's activity, I wanted to decide on the color of the carpets in the office. Now I prefer to identify the right tasks to delegate, assign them to the right people, and then trust them to get the job done without me interfering every step of the way. This requires a deep understanding of each team member's strengths and weaknesses, as well as the ability to effectively communicate expectations and provide feedback. This way you can keep your team productive without losing sight of the big picture.

As you can see, it is necessary to "reprogram yourself". Where to start such a metamorphosis? From the decision 'I am the helmsman in this boat, not the engine'. The founder's task is to manage the work and evaluate its effects while ensuring the necessary resources to achieve strategic goals. This includes evaluating the progress of tasks and ensuring that profit is maximized. As you can see, there are still plenty of areas to cover. And on each of them, you need to be able to take a step back, without descending to lower levels of detail, so as not to lose sight of the big picture. 

Do you have similar observations? Or maybe you have questions about business development? Text me!