Open Thread: How Effective Are You at Being Your Own Boss?
December 10th, 2007 (6:00am) Judi Sohn 6 Comments
Lea Woodward, profiled in a recent WWD Field Report, suggested this open thread topic to start off the week:
One of the benefits of being a web worker – whether you work for yourself or for a company – is usually the autonomy to work without having an over-bearing boss breathing over your shoulder.
But it also means you have to be your own boss – and an effective one at that. If you’ve never had the good fortune to work for a good boss, then here are some of the things they can be good at…
- Giving you objective and constructive feedback on your work and performance.
- Setting performance goals and targets that stretch your capabilities and help you improve.
- Providing mentorship, career guidance and helping you manage your long term career.
- Giving you cover, taking the flak and enabling you to concentrate on getting things done.
- Talking over difficult decisions to give you a different perspective and help you see the bigger picture.
As a web worker, who gives you objective feedback? Who helps you raise your game? Do you seek out mentors and take an active role in planning your future career? Who can you turn to when you need to make a difficult decision and get an alternative perspective?
Just how effective are you at being your own boss?
6 Comments Post your own comment
Amie Gillingham says: December 10th, 2007 8:08am
Personally, I think I’m crap at being my own boss. Also think I make a lousy boss in general. But one of the catch 22’s in entrepreneurship is that when you have your own business, you have to take on roles you never in a million years thought you’d be capable of. It’s definitely been a learning curve, and I work on self-discipline daily.
We’ve been slowly creating an advisory board (with our first official advisor being WWD’s own Anne Zelenka)which I find has been helpful for getting that outside perspective. I’ve also been talking with the CEO of another local startup who is much more experienced in business than I. Both ladies have been hugely inspirational.
Lea Woodward says: December 10th, 2007 8:59am
Amie – I don’t think you’re alone there :-) I’d say most of my clients are also pretty bad at being their own bosses and it’s sometimes only the fact that I’ve asked them to do something for our sessions that’s got them into gear to do them!!!
An advisory board is a great way to go – do you also have an official mentor or just unofficial advisors?
Amie Gillingham says: December 10th, 2007 12:27pm
@Lea: right now just one official advisor and one unofficial mentor. For us, finding the right people is important, so we’re not really rushing this process.
Anon says: December 11th, 2007 5:13am
In my experience working for companies, I have had very few, if any, bosses with the characteristics listed. I have had to provide those things for myself, even as an employee! The idealized image of a great boss seems to be a rare commodity in reality. With all of this experience being my own boss in the corporate world, I’m confident I can do it with my own venture.
links for December 1st through December 11th » jarango.com says: December 12th, 2007 9:12am
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