phos4

The negative is a powerful emotion and many have said you need 10ish positive experiences to overcome 1 negative experience.  I think it's more.  So by focusing on eliminating the suck, we get fantastic return on effort.  It creates goodwill with customers and also creates some headroom to goof up now and then.

This headroom, we hope, will come in the form of free spin cards from your customers that will sound something like: "Those guys are doing some cool shizzle and their product keeps getting better and better".  Instead of, "Those guys are doing some cool shizzle but their product has a ways to go".

Similarly, when you have to start a sentence with, "Yes but", you're hosed.  You're on your heals, on the defensive and it really doesn't matter what you say after but.  The person{people} you are talking to have already cemented their opinion.  Imagine being able to say, "Yes and..."  in lieu of, "Yes but..."

The difference between and and but in the makes all the difference.

Honesty Matters.

As CEO, there exists a paradox related honesty.  As CEO you are privy to information that is not meant for public consumption.  At the same time you have tons of information that employees, customers, partners should know.

The paradox exists when a CEO dodges a bullet(s) meant for the company without employees, customers or partners knowing, did we do them a service by handling it {it is our job to handle stuff} or have we done them a disservice {or worse violated a trust} by not sharing the realities {scary shit} with them...?

Good news is easy and seldom is there a problem with success.  How much bad news should be shared with employees and how soon? 

The spectrum is:

Everything, early and often; OR, Need to know basis.

Unless you live in the {Everything, Early, Often} camp you will have a gap between what is going on and what people think is going on.  When this gap occurs, employees tend to construct an non-positive/unflattering/sky-is-falling perspective when they know that everything is not being shared with them.  If you do live in the {Everything, Early, Often} camp, you are creating drama/trauma within those who do not deal with the unknown/instability/the ebb and flow of business as well as others.  In the case of sheltering employees and in the case of communication you risk producing unnecessary paranoia, fear, uncertainty, doubt and anxiety.

I have dodged many bullets in my day.  I've been hit many times as well.  Being a CEO puts you out front so it is expected.  As I evaluate my most recent scars, look for lessons and what I could have done differently I am looking hard at honesty.  What level of communication is appropriate?

In my last company, we had a lot of bad news, drama and trauma.  I worked hard to shelter and protect the employees who were working hard to help us succeed.  As I reflect back, this did none of them any favors.  If a CEO cannot be transparently honest and direct with the team, the culture and business being built is then based on a false reality of incomplete information.  Conversely, if an employee can’t handle the honesty of the sometimes scary shit then they shouldn’t work for a startup.

Lesson learned: I choose to be openly transparent and have everyone pulling on the same rope.

Some say this is the biggest coaching change in the history of lacrosse.  True that lacrosse coaching changes are, “who cares” except for those who do.  This is a big deal for DU and Colorado lax.  So I guess I do.