Lesson 1_Know the Entrepreneur.mp4 2.43 MB

Anytime you begin to work with someone new, there will, of necessity, be a learning curve. We don’t expect anyone to be able to skip this initial process, or miraculously cultivate a third eye that provides the benefit of knowing everything you need to know all at once. The biggest things to keep in mind are how to build awareness of:

1. The executive’s personality

2. Their business

3. What’s important to them

4. Their no-nevers

5. The things that you get to know that are like your little secret

The biggest key in our professional development is, if you haven’t already in your life, learning how to grow your awareness. The person you will come to work for may be an enigma, unpredictable, likeable (or not) and, like the rest of us, full of personality traits that you will have to figure out if you can mesh with. Professional development comes from having a clear focus on your own behavior and less expectation of their behavior. No one is saying to accept the unacceptable, but the key to any successful business relationship is to know oneself, THEN get to know the other person. 

Clearly, if you’ve gotten the job, something worked or was a match in the interview. You sold yourself as skillful and trustworthy enough for the entrepreneur to give you a try. Now you are in study mode. It will be your job, those first few days or weeks, as you watch the entrepreneur, to find ways to match their personality. In other words, take in how/who they are and intuitively find the right energy to be able to produce the most efficient and collaborative work. 

You’ll be finding out what pleases them, what they do to sabotage themselves, what happens when they become frustrated. You’ll be asking yourself not just how to handle these reactions and character traits, but also to go above and beyond and find ways to circumvent the things they do that cause some of their problems. 

Most of being successful in coming to know and understand anyone is about listening and engaging. No need to be a know-it-all or talk too much...just about everybody talks more than listens these days. Learning is about being attentive and asking questions. It’s about being more interestED rather than trying to be interestING. Your sincere interest will be the thing that drives your professional development and creates the trustworthy relationship you’re aiming for with the executive. 

You cannot fail when your aim is to be available and attentive to the entrepreneur’s needs. You will likely be rewarded without looking to be, time and time again. If not, it may not be the right fit. You WANT to be acknowledged and rewarded as being good at your work and if you don’t have what you’d like as validation, feel free to seek out someone who will be more capable of knowing that you fill a seriously deep need for them. 

Never underestimate your value, and never stop learning about the person you work for and how to find ways to make their lives easier. 

An example from Regina:

“In my work experience, I was employed by an individual who competed in marathons, and ran daily to build strength for the next race. I took it upon myself to compose a spreadsheet where I would add the daily miles he ran so he’d be able to visualize his accomplishments.  This established a thread of respect between us and aided our working relationship.” 

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