Entrepreneur and team

Without my team and PA I am toast

I was thinking about my teams and the PA’s that I have had over the years and

Let’s be honest…..

Us entrepreneurial types are…..notoriously:

Opinionated, disorganised, focussed on big picture….not necessarily on the admin or logistics of something !

We say what we think……it may not make sense to someone else ….but !  The problem is, we have so many things running around on our heads, ideas, day to day tasks, looking for the next big thing, delegated items, we genuinely do forget what is sitting with whom and sometimes forget to take a breath to regroup and refocus, never done to deliberately aggravate our staff, associates or colleagues, so please do bear with us.

We write how we think…..deciphering skills required!  I know I am guilty of this, as sometimes with thinking, as I mention above, it is written as it pops into my brain, again , it makes perfect sense to me, but may be a little vague on direction and take some time to get the message straight and the receiver may have to read and re read.

We sometimes forget to appreciate our team, although I am hoping that I do regularly make the effort to catch up with those who work closely with me.

We are not perfect, so let’s be honest together.  How can we work better together?  How can you understand better, hoping the below helps a little and on the reverse side I am well aware that I also need to learn how individuals work with me, some appreciate a direct firm approach, others work better with a softer guiding style.

Learn the nuances, little habits, invaluable, if you know these about us, forewarned is forearmed, you will know that we speak and write as we think, ask us to slow down, ask…if you are not sure, do not waste time trying to assume something if it is not clear.  Don’t be afraid….any boss worth his salt will understand and accept genuine feedback and try to make working practices better, remember feedback works both ways.  Build a relationship, what works for you?  Be persistent, talk even shout to really get our attention!

You ladies and gentlemen are…

An extraordinary breed

You have backbone and are invaluable.  You are often the first port of call, gatekeeper and enquiry defender.  Sometimes confidant and shoulder to cry on……go on bosses admit it !

Jack of all trades, juggling sometimes not just the professional life, but the personal too.  You are a point of focus for wider team often fielding the everyday in order to get you the response you need

In my experience my PA and wider team are loyal, beyond the call of duty, available at the drop of a hat, some times at unsociable hours, you are resilient and strong.

But don’t be afraid to be…

Ballsy and confident and strong, stand up for yourself if the likes of me are pushing the boundaries of politeness and directness, but also be prepared to be wrong…sometimes.

Honest and open, if there is something not working for you, shout about it tell us, we are not mind readers and need to know.

Opinionated…….well…offer your opinion.  There are never any silly questions or ideas in my world, that one small comment may be the way to a brighter better world, product, service, profit, business wise or personally.

Open……to a different way, just because you have always done it one way, does not mean there is a better or more productive option

Vulnerable, there may be times on a journey together you are put in a place way out of your comfort zone, but its all good learning and what doesn’t break us makes us stronger

Frustrated  and angry.  There will be times when you feel like you might lose the plot, but take a breath, sit back and re evaluate, what the worst that can happen?  Nothing is perfect, especially in a work environment and there are times when you may have to bite you tongue all in the cause of the bigger picture, but in my teams there are always someone who we can rant to, to get things off our chest….better out than in, in my humble opinion.

ALL OF THESE THINGS ARE PAR FOR THE COURSE

Are you?

• Forward-thinking
• Able to build relationships
• Able to think on your feet….or fudge it?
• Second guesserNo shrinking violetAble to add value
• Thick-skinned
• Able to not take things personally

MY LEARNING LESSONS

• THINK, how is someone else’s day / life going?
• SHARE, is there something I should share, the missing link?
• APPRECIATE, workload, other distractions, life experiences.
• BE HUMBLE, my life is not the same as others.
• TALKING, tone and tenure, sometimes it’s not what is said, it is how it is said.
• EXPLAIN, making something clear will save time in the long run
• REWARD, a thank you is sometimes enough

Most of all,

Enjoy…..if you don’t …it’s not the job for you, for those who work with us I salute you and send a huge thank you, you are very much appreciated.