Business Management

Our effort to enlist investors for SMART was for naught. No one would invest. With hindsight, that gave us the control we needed to grow the company.

My experience with a boss who flip-flopped on a decision and made me responsible for the situation taught me to work hard at not doing this to others.

Bad firings are just that – bad. It is bad for the individual who is wrongly fired and bad for the organization. Staff know and that destroys trust.

If you believe you are justified in pursuing a matter legally, make sure you do so honestly and have all the facts sorted out. It’s best to not get in a legal wrangle as in most instances it is only the lawyers who consistently win financially.

Giving just the right amount of guidance and assistance is key in developing self-sufficiency and responsibility. Help too much and take away a person’s self-reliance and willingness to struggle. Help too little and set people up for failure or wasted flailing about.

Growth and change are inevitable in companies, so it’s prudent to acknowledge that and assess how you can adapt to ensure you’re happy in your job.

If you check yourself before using inauthentic words such as "here’s a crazy idea," you will be considered a serious contributor with serious and valuable insight. It’s also a good mental exercise to carefully consider what you want to say.

It’s a good idea to understand what motivates you when you become an entrepreneur. You might be surprised to figure out that money isn’t the only driving force or even the prime motivator.