Yesterday, I dropped my oldest daughter off at boarding school, and drove away, leaving her behind. I guess you could say, I launched my child. When we manage others, and bring them into a company, we are in a way, launching their careers.
5 Things to Keep in Mind When Launching Others
- Give them the knowledge that they will need to be successful. At home, I have a lot of very frank discussions with my kids about how the world works. I do the same thing at work. I tell my employees who works well together, and who doesn’t. I tell them in very concrete terms exactly what they need to know about a situation, and the pieces involved in it, because I want them to understand, not learn it the hard way.
- Success is much more fun than failure. I set people up for success, not failure. If something isn’t working, I tell them that. I also make sure to tell them when things ARE working as advertised.
- Communicate, communicate, communicate. This one is key. Notice that the first two items above are about communication? When people come in from day 1, make sure that they understand, and know what the goals are, and communicate with them, early, often and regularly.
- Make time for them. You can’t get to know someone and understand their goals if you don’t make time for them. Time is a requirement, not optional.
- If you have the option of hiring someone, then hire someone better than you. I’m a firm believer that the company will be better off if I hire people who are always better than I am. And if I consider their success to be a measure of my own. Likewise, I encourage them to hire people who they think are better than themselves.
What do you think?
