Describe a time in your career when you were frustrated or disappointed. What advice would you give a colleague who was dealing with a similar situation?
One of my biggest concerns about working in the family business was the negative perception inherent with being the “boss’s son”. This perception is particularly harsh in the manufacturing industry, where acronyms like “OS (Owner’s Son)” and “SOO (Son of Owner)” are commonplace. Growing up, I was taught that reputations are built over time and yet I was inheriting a reputation I had done nothing to deserve or warrant, which translated to a great deal of frustration for me. It was at this time that I decided I could not afford to take the negative perception personally. I knew that to overcome this hurdle, I would have to create an action plan that called for me to attack the issue head on.
My initial step was to build common ground among my peers. I decided to rotate through each job within our organization to develop personal relationships and learn the business from the ground up. The learning curve was steep and I was by no means a natural, but I remained steadfast and more importantly continued to ask questions, demonstrate interest, and learn about the business. Through this process I not only gained operational knowledge, but also took advantage of the opportunity to get to know my peers. Aside from learning about their roles, I learned about their families, their interests, and their aspirations. In addition, they learned about my background, which helped dispel the negative perception they had of me, allowing us to start fresh from a neutral foundation. I also understood that my actions were being closely watched; I knew that to overcome this negative perception, I could not afford any setbacks. I kept this in mind every time I felt frustrated or fatigued – as a motivational tactic, there is no substitute for pressure!
If a colleague were dealing with a similar situation, I would advise that although this is an extremely frustrating time in your career, it might be the most beneficial. Through hard work, you will eventually overcome the negative perception faced when entering the business and the process will instill in you several lifelong lessons. You will learn the level of effort it takes to consistently perform at a high level and the importance of being on your “A Game” at all times. Second, you will learn the importance of engaging on a deeper level with your entire team, as the most effective motivational tactics stem from personal relationships and loyalty. Finally, you will learn that regardless of the obstacle, it is essential to create an action plan and attack the problem directly. Whether it is dealing with a customer issue, targeting a negative trend, or handling personnel problems, I have used this lesson countless times and found it to be highly effective. Although this was a difficult time in my career, I would not have exchanged the experience for anything. I have learned several quality lifelong lessons that I have applied daily and I welcome any additional obstacles which may come my way!