Work Smart AND Hard
Have you ever heard someone say “I don’t work hard, I work smart.” What a load of crap. Everybody tries to work smart - that’s a given. What you need to understand is that to get a business off the ground you’re gonna have to do both. You need to work smart and hard by putting in big time hours and doing the tasks that nobody else wants (or can) do to make your company happen.
It starts with you. Founders need to be the ones that take on new tasks and figure them out, and create processes around them. If you don’t create systems and processes, your people will flounder. In contrast to you, employees both thrive in and require systems; employees aren’t jack of all trades like you. They can then follow those processes that give them guiderails to efficiency.
The reality is that founders need to be the best employees. If an employee is 50% as efficient and committed as you are, then they are an absolutely all-star. Only you care about your business that much. It’s tempting to think you can hire your way create your next killer product but it’s just not going to happen. Pioneering of any kind - a product, a process, a market - is going to come from founders.
But it gets more complicated. Working smart and hard is straightforward enough for you, but building processes that get employees to work smart and hard requires a deep evaluation of your culture. For us, we built goal posts that simultaneously enforced a certain level of productivity and showed we cared about the non-work lives of staff. For example, we kicked our staff out at 5pm everyday, basically no matter one. They didn't sign up for working around the clock, they aren't owners like you; let them live their lives, otherwise they'll resent you.
This means they’ll get their stuff done during work hours, knowing that there are almost no situations when they can work late. When it really matters, you stay late.
Still, if all hell is breaking loose and you need their help, then ask. But treat it like a "get out of jail free" card that is never to be used lightly. I think we only used it a handful of times in 10 years. Ultimately building systems that treat people like people, not resources, helps employees work smart and hard.
Treat People like People to help them work smart and hard
The last piece - the really important work, whether that be new code or sales engagements, need to be managed by the founders. In a small company, employees come and go, but the founders should be there to stay. They are the “transition plan" for your key technology and they need to understand it like the back of their hand. This helps you not repeat work, and in short, work both smart and hard.
This topic warrants more discussion! Check out Chris and Dave's chat about this in their latest episode.
Until next time!
-The Startup Different Team