Today, I had to say goodbye.
One of my associates (our first local boots on the ground in the UK) concluded that the fit was not there.
So now we’re parting ways.
And that’s okay. Sometimes, there is no fit.
It happens.
We will be parting ways with much mutual respect so that all loose ends will be tightened up nicely.
It’s sad, but one does best by moving on rapidly and not drowning in sorrow, negative emotions or bad attitudes.
But still, I wanted to share some thoughts on this.
Precisely some significant mistakes I made beforehand while managing this individual, and I’m writing these out as notes as if I would write them to our founder, reflecting on what I have learned from getting this associate in and managing the person.
- I drowned myself in hiring meetings.
I planned four to five 15-minute daily meetings for six weeks straight with potential candidates.
The result was that I spoke with way too many people.
I should have been more selective at the gate and had fewer meetings.
I still should have kept the initial meetings short, but I should have done less. This overload of meetings blurred my vision.
I now realise that getting the right person in from the start was plagued by this. Anyway, It’s now said and done, and I can only do better next time.
Interestingly enough, I know precisely where this hunger for all these meetings came from. It’s a trauma that comes from my Parkeagle days.
Back then, when Peter and I posted a job online or even marketed it, no one wanted to come on interviews for roles that were pretty awesome on paper.
We were a superb little company doing cool stuff, but we did not have the international acclaim as the shop I’m at.
So, this time, it was the opposite.
We posted the UK-based Account executive role (as the first commercial boots on the ground in the UK, building out the market) and literally 150 people applied within two weeks.
So the role went banana, and I went bananas with it.
So now I’ve slipped over that banana, and I’m engraving these learnings on the inner walls of my mind temple by writing this out.
2. A Rhythm and pacing mismatch
Pacing is essential to think about, and it’s something I overlooked.
Pacing in my mind is the rhythm of the company, unit or department you’ve built.
Some companies, like ours, rely heavily on smart tools, automation, quick thinking, carrying a big load and throwing people in the deep end.
The pacing of throwing people off a cliff with aeroplane parts and then hoping they’ll build it is not for everyone.
You could say this cliff-throwing style is a lazy way of management, and I agree. But at the same time, I say it’s an empowering style where you let someone figure it out.
When someone gets it, they get it hard, and it’s a big multiplier for the business. I’ve seen it happen many times.
I guess it’s because I’ve hired entrepreneurial types, mainly for the past ten years. Now I’m getting to hire actual “employees”.
Next time, the pacing must be explained upfront.
I need to be aware of it and ask questions that uncover a potential pacing mismatch, as there must be a fit.
3. I disregarded the early signs
The signs of an early miss match were there.
I needed to repeat things 3-4 times.
Constantly, we walked through the same steps to show how things are done.
These are not complex rocket science steps.
When I ask you to do something that I’ve clearly shown you 1 hour before, and you forgot how to do it, that tells me you are not on top of your game.
And that’s okay, but not for me.
And I wasn’t being honest about this issue with myself.
I disregarded my frustration and pushed on because of pride. I hired this guy, I advised the CEO to hire this guy,
So, I kept being patient and understanding.
But inside, I felt like this should not continue.
When someone is too slow, that’s a problem.
Because speed is a big part of what you need to be successful in sales.
Comprehension and your ability to think on your feet are elementary.
If you show signs of not grasping a CRM quickly enough, then to me, you will not grasp the issues of our customers fast enough.
The mistake is that I should have been honest, articulated my feelings about the individual’s abilities to my superior, and come clean about the fact that we misfired on the hire.
But again, that conversation is one to be had in the future, may something like this arise again.
Being honest with yourself and the ones around you is what matters most. Pride and ego should never stand in the way of the best and most logical decision.
Move fast and move even faster when the need arises.
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In the end, I know there is still more to learn, but I’ll leave it at this for now.
Hastamavista babie, on to the next one.