Summary
- Team management
- Organize work and people
- Focus on customer satisfaction
Focus on Team Management
Yes it’s difficult. But it’s the only way.
It is very difficult to be a good manager. Good managers are constantly under attack: employees expect too much of them, they don't get work done, they talk too much, they don't do what they are supposed to do, they complain, they cost too much, they steal, they slack off, they are difficult to work with, they irritate other managers, etc. It is no wonder that page after page of management books is devoted to ways to avoid, but not to achieve, good management.
It is difficult to be a good employee, too. Employees expect too much. They expect management to give them everything they want, including vacations and stock options. They expect to work as little as possible. They expect management to solve all of their problems. They don't want to be responsible for anything. They don't like being criticized. They expect management to make them happy.
It is difficult to be a good leader. Leaders constantly have to make hard choices. They are expected to know all the answers. They are expected to make the right decisions, and to be right all the time. They have to avoid making enemies. They have to be able to make difficult decisions. They have to inspire people. They have to be good at getting others to do what they expect them to do. They have to make people feel useful. They have to be good at managing their own time. They have to be good at managing other people's time. They have to be people managers. They have to be able to do everything, and to do it well.
The best leader is a bad boss. The best boss is a bad leader. The best boss is a bad employee. All you need as an entrepreneur is to set priorities, policies and be good at evaluation. This is where online employee management software for businesses will be your close friend. You need a software that automates performance analysis and ensures that everyone turns to a unit determined to business success.
Get Organized
Entrepreneurs work hard, but they also work hard at something they feel is important. They take care of themselves. They look after their employees. They treat their customers well. They build strong relationships.
And they do these things not because they are "nice" but because they are smart. They make smart choices, and they know their choices affect their chances of succeeding. Their choices are not just their own. They follow practices, which have evolved over thousands of years that make people successful.
Millionaires, for example, from Bill Gates to Michael Dell, spend enormous amounts of time making sure their companies are run well. They monitor their companies' performance. They encourage their employees to work hard. They encourage their employees to excel in their work. And they give them the resources to do so.
A respected entrepreneur I know put it this way: "The company has to get organized, and the organization has to get organized. And it has to be organized in a way that gives people the autonomy and the responsibility they need." You need to use online project management software to organize work.
Focus on customer Satisfaction is key
The happiest people I know are entrepreneurs. They always seem to be inventing things, pursuing some dream of their own. They take big risks, sometimes with their lives. And they are always hopeful, even when the odds are against them.
If entrepreneurs are happy, why aren't we all?
One reason is that anyone can start a company. It takes only an idea. But it takes character to make it succeed.
And there are not many character builders.
Some people were surprised by this; they assumed that retail was a fairly simple business, and that companies like Amazon would always be overwhelmed by bigger, more established competitors. But retail is not that simple. In fact, Amazon's success has been remarkable.
One reason was its approach to customer satisfaction. The company's slogan is "customer obsession." It puts customer satisfaction ahead of its own profits. This is done, in part, by paying its employees so well that they can afford to be treated as customers. Amazon employees, for example, are empowered to suggest improvements to merchandise. When they come up with ideas, the company lets the employees try them out. If customers like them, the company will make them available for free. This seems like a good idea, but it's really revolutionary. For decades, retailers were reluctant to allow customers to test products. They felt that the products' quality might be compromised. On the other hand, retailers worried that if customers were allowed to test products, they might be tempted to buy everything in the store.