要想創業成功，就要像一支球隊一樣思考
Scott Scherr
2017-06-29
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企業家內幕網絡是美國的一個在線社區，美國創業界最睿智和最有影響力的一些大咖會在這里及時回答與創業和職業有關的問題。今天為大家分享的是Ultimate Software公司創始人、CEO斯科特?謝爾在“萌芽期的創業者應該知道關于創業的哪些事？”這一問題下的回答。 我所知道的關于創業的一切，都是從我父親那里學來的。作為一個在紐約長大的孩子，我親眼看著他白手起家，創辦了一家成功的企業。我父親的經商之道非常簡單直白，卻也很有道理：既然員工來照顧我們的公司了，公司就要反過來照顧好他們。 許多年輕的創業人把心思主要花在了商業計劃、利潤空間和融資話術上。這些當然都很重要，但永遠不要忘了最基本的問題：你想經營一家什么樣的公司？你想讓誰來幫你建立一家這樣的公司？ 我從創辦Ultimate軟件公司的第一天起，就時刻牢記著父親的建議：每一天都要照顧好每一個人，他們會多次報答你的這份人情的。對我來說，成功的“秘訣”并非一份寫得盡善盡美的市場計劃，而是有正確的團隊來執行它。 要想促進業務增長，做一個成功的創業者，就必須要對你的員工給予足夠幫助。對于這一點，我有如下建議： 舍得為員工投資 在我們創業早期，我就制定了一個“死規定”：公司必須為員工和他們的家屬全額繳納醫保和養老金。這一點即便在今天的創業公司里也不多見（在美國的100人以下的企業里，只有14%的公司這樣做了）。在27年前，這種做法簡直聞所未聞。 你不妨想想，對員工能夠做出哪些承諾，并且能夠做到言出必踐，使員工知道你真的舍得為他們投資。工作餐和團隊聚餐都有助于培養企業文化，但你要認識到究竟是什么培養了公司的核心價值——有可能是靈活的工作時間，也有可能是慷慨的帶薪休假政策，至少這些都使員工達到了工作與生活的平衡。經營一家企業難免會遇到高潮和低谷，但只要你始終堅持把員工放在第一位，他們就會不離不棄地陪伴著你，一起經歷美好和慘淡的時光。 像球隊一樣思考 我本身是運動員出身，對體育也保持著終身的喜愛，我認為體育和商業是有很多聯系的。一些最優秀的球隊之所以能保持常勝，并不僅僅是因為他們有最好的球員。冠軍團隊不僅擁有最好的球員，更重要的是擁有最好的教練。他們不僅全身心地投入到球隊之中，而且知道如何讓這些同樣專注的球員發揮自身的最大潛力。當然，并非你招聘來的每一名員工都得有明星運動員或明星教練的覺悟，但保持這種團隊的心態總歸是件好事。 在企業里，每一個人都很重要，所有人都要朝著同一個目標努力。不管你從事的是哪個行業，只要你能找到并留住最出色和最專注的人才，并對他們加以訓導，你就能年年打進季后賽，并且捧到“獎杯”。 內部晉升 企業為了發展，往往會到市場上去找頂尖的人才。然而很多時候，最好的人才其實已經在你的團隊里了。所以你要著重中團隊內部提拔領導職務，而不是把從外面“空降”當成第一選項。“空降”來的人才雖然有適合的技能，卻不一定能契合你的公司文化。而你的現有員工對公司的了解更深，與公司的核心價值也有更緊密的聯系，他們為了公司的長遠發展也投入了很多（尤其是在你顯示了你舍得向他們投資之后）。如果你能將現有員工提升到更高職位上，你的員工知道自己在公司內部也能實現職業發展，就會與企業建立起更緊密的聯系，進而促進業務增長。Ultimate公司的一些高管以及最成功的一些干部，都是我們的第一批員工。 俗話說，大道至簡。最有效的商業戰略往往看起來很簡單，但它們恰恰是最強大的。就像我從父親那里學到的一樣：給你信心的人是你的員工，能讓你的企業繼續發展的也是你的員工。作為一名創業者，要想持續成功，就要始終關注對于企業來說最重要的東西。永遠要將投資你的員工放在首位。（財富中文網） 譯者：樸成奎 |
The Entrepreneur Insiders network is an online community where the most thoughtful and influential people in America’s startup scene contribute answers to timely questions about entrepreneurship and careers. Today’s answer to the question, “What should budding entrepreneurs know about building a business?” is written by Scott Scherr, founder and CEO of Ultimate Software. Everything I know about building a business, I learned from my father. As a kid in the Bronx, I watched him build a successful company from the ground up. His straightforward approach to business just made sense: The people were there to take care of the business, and the business was there to take care of the people. Many young entrepreneurs focus mainly on the business plan, profit margins, and mastering the investor pitch. While all of that matters, it’s important to remember the fundamental questions: What kind of company do you want to run? And who do you want to help you build that business? Remembering my father’s advice helped guide Ultimate from day one: Take care of everyone, every day, and they’ll return the favor many times over. To me, the “secret sauce” isn’t in the best-laid marketing plans—it’s in having the right team to execute on them. Here are a few ways you can foster business growth and success by focusing on your people: Make a big investment in your people In our early days, one of my “non-negotiables” was 100% paid-for health care benefits for employees and their families, and 401(k) matching for every employee. That’s uncommon for startups today (only 14% of companies with 100 or fewer employees offer a 401(k) plan) and it was virtually unheard of 27 years ago. Think of the ways you can walk the talk so your employees know you’re truly invested in them. Catered lunches and group celebrations help preserve your culture, but remember what cultivates your core values. Maybe it’s flexible hours or generous PTO to support employees’ work-life balance. Running a successful business has many highs and lows. But when you’re relentless in putting your people first, they’ll continue on the journey with you, weathering the good times and bad. Think like a (sports) team As a former athlete and lifelong fan, I see many connections between sports and business. The best teams that consistently win are not simply teams with good players. Championship teams have the best players and are coached by leaders who are fully committed and know how to get the most out of their players who are equally focused. Not every person you hire has to be a star athlete or accomplished coach, but it helps to have that team mentality. Every person counts and must be working toward the same goal. No matter what business you’re in, if you find and keep the best, most committed talent, and coach them, you’ll make it to the playoffs every year—and bring home championships. Promote from within When businesses are looking to grow, they’ll usually look to the competitive market to find top talent. However, many times, the best people are already on your team. Focus on building leadership from within, rather than hiring the first outsider with the right skill set, but who may not be a cultural fit. Your existing employees have a greater knowledge of the company, a deeper connection to its values, and a more personal investment in its long-term success (especially when you’ve shown you’re invested in theirs). Developing your current people also helps foster stronger relationships and business growth as your employees build their careers with your company. Some of Ultimate’s highest-ranking—and most successful—people were our very first employees.、 The business strategies that work best often seem simple, but they’re also the most powerful. Like I learned from my father: Your people keep you inspired, and keep your business moving forward. To achieve continued success as an entrepreneur, keep your eye on what matters most. Always remember to invest in your people first. |
