For some years now, start-ups have been the buzz word in the market. Unorthodox ideas, swanky offices, availability of Angel investors are some of the factors that make start-ups so lucrative. So much so that they are fast becoming ‘dream companies’ to work for. However, behind the curtains of this glittery stardom filled start-up market is a dark reality where hundreds of start-up shut down before they can even break even. As per a report by data analytics company Tracxn, the year 2016 saw 212 start-ups shutting down in India. When compared to 2015, this number is 50% higher. One of the major factors behind unplanned closure of start-ups is the difference in the ideologies or working styles of the founders and other employees. This is where these companies need an Executive Coach who can bring the team on the same page and convince them to work in harmony.
All parts of start-up must be unidirectional
When I talk to my clients and ask them about how their business is going, I ask them to keep all stats, deals and contracts aside. I want them to tell me how is their team doing? Are they all working towards the same goal? Is everyone aware of each other’s progress?
You would be surprised to know how often I get a negative response to these questions. The difference in thinking or vision of the founders and the employees can be due to a number of reasons. Maybe the employees don’t have a sense of belonging to the business or they don’t agree with the founder’s ideas of taking the business forward.
Some of the clients who were facing similar situations at work, urged me to interact with their subordinates and identify the stumbling block in their relationship. These interactions helped me get an insight about their thinking and disconnect with the company’s vision. While a part of the dissatisfaction was due to the founder’s choice of not taking an input from the subordinates while forming future policies, the subordinates also didn’t see a long term future within the company, thus leading to their disinterested behaviour. As an executive coach to the founder of the company, I passed on the feedback to my client and helped him in mending ways before it ended up being one of those start-ups which didn’t live to see the light of the next day.