A Founder’s Perspective

“On the plus side, founders know every brick in the foundation. We know what inspired the company and what was required to create it. That knowledge, that history brings with it a high level of passion to do whatever it takes to succeed, as well as an intuition about what is right and what is wrong.

But sometimes we are too close to a situation. Entrepreneurs can be blinded by emotion, by our love of what we have built, unable to see it fresh and with the eyes of a more objective outsider.”

Onwards, Page 38

This weekend marked our second “all employee” retreat at Actionable Books; a two day off site meeting full of strategy, fun and good food. As much fun as it is to get away with everyone, I think the biggest value to me is getting people out of their “to-do” mindsets for a weekend and introduce them to the big picture aims of the business, and the strategies we have in place to realize them. It’s easy for me, as an entrepreneur and the founder of Actionable Books to get caught up in my own vision for what the company can be and how to get there.

Having the right people on board is important (we do). Equally important is tapping those people for the unique perspectives they can share to the collective aim. Give your people an opportunity to be involved in the creation process and you’ll consistently be surprised and delighted at what they come up with.

I am constantly reminded of what a great group we have here at Actionable. I’m grateful for everything they contribute, now and to the future.