EllaNews

This is the second in a series about Ellaroo’s efforts at Business Sustainability.

My motivation in starting and running a business has never been to strike it rich (it’s a good thing, too). So if it’s not about money, what’s left? Beyond the intellectual stimulation, that leaves people. We obviously have a responsibility to the people who purchase our products, and the people who sell our products. But I firmly believe that my first responsibility is to the people who work for Ellaroo.

Right out of the gate, that means paying a living wage. Then what? Once the decision has been made to hire someone, it is my responsibility to a) make sure they’re in a position for which they are well-suited, b) allow them to perform to their full potential, and c) expand their skill set. I assure you that this isn’t a low-involvement management style. It takes thoughtful observation, open conversations, and trial and error. Sometimes, the two of you may think that a position is just exactly what everyone wants and needs. But once there, the new job may be a terrible fit. Everyone must have the courage to say so, and be prepared to fix the problem, even if that means rearranging job descriptions until a fit is made.

I have to note here that the transition from designer-entrepreneur to manager is a difficult one for many of us. We never signed up for this! But the success of this transition will have huge effects on what the company culture feels like five years down the road. Is it a cult of personality, with everyone doing the bidding of the boss? Or is it a strong company with a collective vision, that could be passed from one President to another without losing the soul of the company? Communicating the core mission of a company is harder than one might imagine. It takes months, sometimes years. In some cases, they won’t buy it. And that’s when everyone needs to admit that a poor match has been made and move on.

A nice bonus for the designer-entrepreneur in successfully making this transition is the moral support. It can be exceedingly lonely running a company alone. But if you are open with your staff about the realities of the business, and the goals for proceeding, they can be a tremendous support. Beyond that, they can take that knowledge and use it to inform all of those tiny daily decisions that add up to a company’s success or failure.

-Vesta