“How can you be so cold?” Was my first thought as he said this.
“If you suspect, in any way, that you’re going to be spending more of your time managing this individual than doing what gets you results, don’t hire them.” This successful entrepreneur adds.
I realise that it’s not that he is cold-hearted and cruel, rather he has simply learned and seen that business is hard. Each day as a business owner is a fight and slog. This is not to say it is unpleasant and worth avoiding. It is simply the realisation that time is precious, focus is essential, and anything that might result in a loss of focus needs to be put aside for the bigger vision and its associated opportunities to be realised – like the opportunity to:
- Source professional advice for your wife’s best-friend’s husband who can’t hold down a job.
- Place your cousin Billy in a skills programme because he has no marketable expertise.
- Help your sister with debilitating depression by co-funding her therapy.
- Sending your directionless / lazy son to do volunteer work in a refugee camp for six months.
- Or any number of generous acts.
Now, many years and with a great deal more experience later, I am beginning to appreciate this advice: “Help them but don’t hire them!”