Employee one day, Entrepreneur the next. Although always a big adjustment, now it’s a major challenge. For many people the difficulty of the job quickly outweighs any excitement or pride they might feel in striking out on their own.
New Entrepreneurs must learn to balance:
- Former relationships and friendships WITH New working relations and arrangements
- Doing work yourself WITH Getting work done through others
- Activities and tasks WITH Goals and accomplishments
- Management’s expectations WITH Employee needs; client/customer demands
- Representing yourself & peers WITH Representing the company
I constantly keep the pulse on my “newbie” clients: those first-time entrepreneurs. I recently asked a sampling of them what they wished they’d known when they first stepped out on their own. Here’s a sampling:
- The big picture and how to work it
- How to delegate effectively
- How to win people over
- How to manage down
- How to trust staff and make smart hiring decisions
- The difference between earning respect and earning friendship
About Wendi McGowan