Why We Do This

And is this Site for You?
As I debated whether or not to start this blog, I had countless people question the need for a resource specific to managing within a small company environment.  Friends, relatives, colleagues and co-workers have asked questions like Is working in a small company environment REALLY that different? and Aren’t good management techniques universally applicable to companies regardless of size?The reality is, people who manage in small company environments are treated like middle children, positioned squarely between individuals who run home-based ventures (a.k.a. small businesses) and those working for companies whose names we see in Super Bowl commercials.  We are ignored by authors, talked down to by speakers at educational conferences, and forced to learn as we go.  Those of us who manage within small company environments understand that big idea, CNBC-style methods of handling people, money, politics and strategy do not apply in our situations.  As it grows, this blog site will hopefully fill the knowledge void left by those who continue to push the same, ‘one management-style fits all’ agenda.

 

Is This Site for You?

If the information outlined above was not enough to make a decision, I have assembled a list of questions you may ask yourself about your current work situation.  There isn’t much science behind this list, but for the sake of argument please assume that answering “Yes” to more than five (5) of these questions means you are probably in the right place:
  • Do you have a diverse mix of personality types, demeanors and attitudes?
  • Would you use the term ‘lack of standardization’ to describe three or more things at your company?
  • Is it commonplace for priorities to disappear or get reshuffled?
  • Are new employees surprised at the informality and lack of scheduled meetings?
  • Is there a lack of confidentiality, even within the HR function?
  • Are employee job descriptions typically outdated within two months of a position being filled?
  • Is your company cursed by an entrepreneur owner who is a poor day-to-day manager?
  • Do key employees effectively have more than one boss?
  • Does your company have long-term employees in positions they are not qualified for?
  • Do owners and managers often make emotional decisions?
  • Are the words ‘thank you’ only used in an emergency?
  • Does your company typically wait to fill a position until long after it is needed?
  • Do you know a large amount of personal information about employees or co-workers?
  • Will your company often reach outside of a job description to acquire an employee?
  • Does ‘count the pennies, ignore the dollars’ describe your company’s expense-control strategy?
  • Is the statement ‘no one here has a defined career path’ a true statement?
  • If you took the people at your company who are related to one another (and those who have been friends for more than 10 years) and put them in a bucket, would the bucket contain more than 10% of the company’s employees?

And for those of you who were nodding your heads through the entire list, PLEASE following this link and enter “I want to be a guest blogger!” in the comments field.

Enjoy the site.