Today I want to do a different blog post. Judging from some of your questions from time to time, I have a feeling that some of you are really interested in our Hakme Beauty journey and also how I manage as a boss. I thought I could definitely share my journey with you and maybe it would give you some sort of insights as well.
10 Things I Learnt Being a Boss
1. No one knows what you want unless you tell your colleagues
Come on, no one lives inside your brain, even your parents don’t. So your colleagues won’t know what you want unless you can communicate clearly about your vision. There is no such thing like “oh they have been working with me for X years and they should have known.” True but only partly. They should have known but sometimes my thoughts change from time to time too. What I thought about yesterday might not fit for today. Appreciate that people’s thinking is different and you need to tell them what you exactly want in order to get it. Spending your time getting upset about something that should have happened when you have the ability to clearly instruct them to the destinations is simply a waste of time in my eyes. It’s not a guessing competition, it’s work, babe!
2. No time to feel defeated, your team needs you
When results don’t exactly match expectations; when executions don’t exactly go according to plans, we feel deflated and defeated, don’t we? Absolutely normal human nature! I totally get it. But really in reality, there is no time to mourn over “defeats”. Your team feel them too and your team are at a loss too. In order for the ship not to sink, dust off your negative emotions, formulate a new strategy and try again. An orchestra cannot play its music without a conductor.
3. Not everyone you hire will work out, get over it
It takes me a wee while to realise this one. Yes it takes so much effort to hire, train someone, you want them to perform, to work out, to (well) stay forever. Hold on, but not everyone fits into the company culture and not everyone will follow your vision. What if your logic tells you, someone does your business more harm than good. Are you still treasuring all those “lost” time that you spent on hiring and training and forsake your company’s future? Retaining someone that won’t benefit your business won’t move your business forward, it simply holds the business back and waste even more of everyone’s time and energy. Understand that not everyone will work out in your journey, move on.
4. Praise people when they have done great, it gives them reassurance
We all need reassurance, we all need that validation from time to time. Yes, even your best performer does! Don’t take good job for granted and don’t think for a moment a pat on the back won’t bring your colleagues joy. You need to tell them that you notice their greatness, you need to tell them when they have done great. That sense of achievement and satisfaction that your colleague gets from your recognition is priceless. You can set your bar really high but you can still praise people. Let them know that they are on the right track and it helps them to stay focus as well.
5. Tell people straight when they make mistakes, it doesn’t mean that you are mean
I am all for praising but at the same time, when someone makes a “low-end” mistake (which means these mistakes could be avoided if he/she were a bit more switched on), I will tell them as it is – why they should not have made these low-end mistakes and what the consequences are. It’s in human nature not wishing to deliver bad news and not want to be seen as mean. But if someone hasn’t made a low-end mistake, then I wouldn’t have to deliver bad news, would I? Telling someone their mistakes doesn’t make you mean, it gives you the opportunity to reinforce with the person what your standards/ perspectives are and help them to improve.
6. Ask questions, don’t just assume or judge too quickly
You won’t know everything – yes admit it, unless you are the only one in your business, you won’t know everything. Your colleagues won’t tell you every single thing – that’s a fact! Usually, when something shit happens, you will get to hear what’s really going on. And to be extremely honest here, most of the time, the reality is so different from your vision that you just want to throw a grenade at someone. However, throwing a grenade won’t help (I guarantee you), instead ask your colleagues the golden question – “why?” If he/ she has to do things in a particular way because of a road block, at least you get to hear his/her side of the difficulties and help removing that road block. I ask why a lot and that helps me to understand why my colleagues do things in a certain way (though I might not agree with the method that they are using). Only then, I could offer my suggestions and advice. I listen to what they have to say, and they will listen to what I have to say – mutual respect here.
7. Focus on facts, take your emotions out of the equation
Sometimes some people frustrate me so much that I got really angry and upset. But I never talk to them when I am not calm. Whenever I discuss a behaviour/ a bad performance, I always drill into the facts and figures first. And then I tell them my observations which contribute to those numbers and my conclusions/ action plans. Being emotional don’t get you anywhere, the only thing that it does is to “scare your colleagues off”. When you are emotional and acting crazy, people don’t think you have a point to make and they start to shut down, it’s a fact! They won’t listen to someone whom they deem to be a lunatic, will they? Even though you might have the most brilliant point to make, it would go unheard of.
8. Get to know your people, deal with them differently
If you are heading a team of thousands, of course it’s difficult to get to know all of the people, but always know the ones who work closest to you. What motivates them? How are they like? What is the most effective way to get things done from them? Respect everyone is different, yes your colleagues are supposed to follow your directions; but sometimes not everyone gets there on time. So, you need to spend some time to think about how you can get certain tasks finished by certain people. And most of the time, what kind of pep talk you need to give to certain colleagues. Only by knowing your colleagues, you will be able to get the results that you want effectively.
9. What are their strengths? How can these be utilised?
I am a total believer of putting people in the right places where they are best at their jobs. It takes time to observe and it takes more time to plan and fit in. But I’d say it’s time well spent. Putting people at the right places will save you time, resources and money in the long run. Sometimes, your colleagues won’t know what they are good at. Tell them and plan for them so they know you are looking after them. And also your team will be happier when they are good at their jobs and their strengths can be spotted and utilised.
10. No one will say well done to you, you gotta praise yourself
I have said earlier in another blog post that now with this journey, no one really says well done to me (in the sense of a boss saying it to his/her colleague). I don’t get that verbal validation anymore! When I was early in this journey, I constantly doubted myself – am I on the right direction? Am I making the right decisions? I wasn’t confident and I was overwhelmed that I had no one to fall back on. Then one day, I realise this is my journey now. I am in the driving seat taking over the wheel. No one tells me what to do, no one directs me anymore. This is the new freedom that I got and instead of waiting for someone to compliment me, I should pat myself more often on that back that I have come so far in this particular journey and I deserve to be proud.
