Behavioural inheritance influencing start-up

I read the story of a young project manager whose boss called to mange a building construction project. Rather than provide an excellent and prudent service he compromised on the job, purchased substandard materials, and demanded kickbacks from suppliers of building materials. He wanted to maximize the opportunity to have cash for his new venture because his boss have decided to diversify and plan to lay off workers.

Although he successfully completed the project, which looks good on the outside, the structure, in reality, cannot stand the test of time because of substandard materials. On the day he would hand over the house to his boss, he had his biggest surprise. His boss said, “Well it will not be necessary to hand this house over to me because it is your compensation package for years of service with our organisation.” His boss gave him the documents to the property to inherit his bad job.

“If you have not been faithful in what is another man’s, who will give you what is your own?”-Jesus of Nazareth

I have observed that when a prospective entrepreneur is unfaithful in her current place of work she inherits mediocrity as part of her take home and unconsciously transfers that culture into her new venture. This is one of the biggest challenges in our world today.

One of the excellent example from employee-to-entrepreneur (From E2E) that serves as great case study is Jack Welch. He is a celebrated management advisor for many top organisations in the world today. Having faithfully served General Electric Corporation for decades he stepped out to start his consulting business and management school.

Under Welch, as employee and CEO, the General Electric (GE) market value grew from $14 billion to $410 billion and revenue multiplied fivefold to $130 billion within space of 20 years.

I have a strong belief that it will be very difficult for an entrepreneur to be successful if she had been unfaithful with organisation where she resigned. The law of little much says, “Whoever is faithful in little is faithful in much”. Faithfulness in responsibility is ultimately for the benefit of the actor.

Faithfulness simply means to be trust worthy. In one of my books, “The Work Book”, I argued that work is what one becomes. To practice unfaithfulness over time makes an unfaithful executive personality. Unfaithful personality does not change because an employee translates to an entrepreneur. A habit takes time to form and change with deliberate decision and effort.

Faithfulness to responsibility is core qualification of successful entrepreneurs. It is a universal leverage for all people irrespective of country of operation. Customers are quick to note when an entrepreneur is faithful in his business because it shows in product development, packaging, and especially customer services and support. Only a faithful entrepreneur wins the financial trust of customers and lenders. Let me play this scene to create a picture of what I am saying:

If a woman of good character and loved by her husband offer to help him repair his damaged engine, although she is a trained nurse, would not win her husband’s heart to be trusted with the car. She lacks the competence, sentiments apart. Trustworthiness is a balance of character and competence.

Both character and competence are component of trust as explained in the book, “Speed of Trust” by Covey. Customers purchase instinct will recognise trust worthy entrepreneurs quickly in a competitive market because it reflects in services and products.

My encouragement is for individuals to be faithful on that little assignment or venture. Faithfulness is intangible but it is a qualification that differentiates every entrepreneur in the market. There are two important resources that an entrepreneur should be faithful with to make success of his venture.

The first resource you have to be faithful with is “time”: One of the biggest challenges in the present business environment is distraction. One must make every effort to separate what is important from an urgent but not important activity.

The second resource you have to be faithful with is “duty”: Oh! Yeah! If you ever plan to be a successful entrepreneur then you must see duty as a resource.

I often share the story of my work experience in the year 1999 with at artistry and construction services firm and volunteer to work because there is need to raise fund for my higher education. Four month into my volunteer job, I was offered full employment and given strategic role which among other reasons resulted into over 150% revenue increase for the firm. When I resigned my appointment, I left with competence that can support business growth through system development.

Faithfulness to responsibility is indeed the qualification for anyone who will build successful enterprise. I believe you will succeed, be courageous.

Victor Mamora