GRIT Ed. 9 | Family Matters - Flipbook - Page 13
Ask Anne Marie: Top 3 Challenges
Ask Ann Marie:
Top 3
Entrepreneurs Face
– And Ideas On How to Handle Them.
Ann Marie Costelloe, MSc, C.Psychol, AFBPS
Ann Marie is a Chartered Organizational Psychologist and
Associate Fellow of the British Psychological Society with
over two decades of organizational, leadership and talent
development,
coaching,
culture
change,
and
selection
experience in North America, Europe, China and Australia. Ann
Marie consults, coaches and facilitates individuals, teams and
organizations in a wide range of industries at different business
stages, ranging from entrepreneurial startups to Fortune 500
industry leaders.
CONNECT
T
here is nothing better than
affect new organizations or those
start causing unforeseen chaos. This
partnering with those you
who have been around for years.
usually occurs during high-stress/
respect and enjoy being with.
Here are my personal top three from
high-stakes moments so it can be
far too many options!
hard to step back.
Because as entrepreneurs, you have
(haven’t you?) figured out that your
There are two ways of looking at
1. Lack of Alignment
business partners are people you like
Entrepreneur partnerships need to
emotions; ‘hot’ emotions, where
working with, knowing you are likely
be aligned; with strategy and vision,
you react and are in the grip of the
to spend more time with them than
values, leadership and stress coping
emotion, and ‘cool’ emotions, where
your family or best friends (unless
styles.
don’t
you can think about the issue and
they also work in the business).
have to be the same but must be
respond appropriately. Addressing
Of course, there are key areas
consistent.
behaviours that create frustration
Leadership
styles
you have made sure are covered
and angst when you feel provoked is
- you have a solid legal contract
For example, when leading others,
detailing your roles and stake in the
if one partner rewards one thing
company and what happens if there
and the other rewards another,
are disagreements that cannot be
employees will be confused at best
resolved; agreed business models,
and at worst, finding the situation
understand it is more important to
transparent financial reporting (you
easy to manipulate. If risk tolerance
be effective than right. In that spirit,
have, haven’t you?)
differs, there can be conflict.
when you can, treat every instance
Coping styles can also present
not (usually) helpful, apart from the
relief of “getting it all out there”.
In
our
saner
moments,
we
of misalignment as a way of learning
Yet even knowing the devil is always
issues; if one person likes to process
and
in the details, organizations can find
and the other sees a vacuum, the
for moving forward. A sense of
defining
the
boundaries
themselves stuck – ways that can
latter may jump into the arena and
humour and the gift of giving
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