oct 2006 articles

Mentoring the Schizophrenic Director

You don’t have to be mad to work here, but it helps!

We all know this phrase from office notice boards and the like but there is an element of truth in it for Director/Owners of SME’s. For the disturbing reality is that they are driven mad by the schizophrenic nature of their role. Namely

A Shareholder,
A Director
An Employee

Business mentors recognise this and when we ask the question about the proportion of time spent focused on each of these three roles the reality is that a good 80% is spent on employee type activities, 15% on directing the business and a paltry 5% of the time focused on the needs of the shareholder(s).

This imbalance leads to a build up of frustration that at some point needs to be resolved. Robert Townshend wrote on the front of his seminal book “Up the Organisation”

“If you’re not in business for fun or profit, what the hell are you doing it for?”

So this is a key question – what the hell are they doing it for? This needs to be clarified and examined in detail. Mentors ask BDQ’s (Bloody Difficult Questions) helping this usually strong minded individual to see the wood from the trees. Together they

Clarify the Shareholder Objectives – be they business or lifestyle
Having done that get the Director to write plan for the business to achieve these
This plan then sets the agenda for the employee modified only by the shareholder objectives

Business Mentors work in very close concert with the MD/Owner to

Achieve what they really want be that sales, team related, working hours etc
Understand that they need to focus on what is important for them
Not let the business drive them.

If you wish to appoint a Mentor then it is best to meet for an hour or so (with no obligation) to see if you can work with the Mentor involved. The Mentor can transform the MD and his business with improved self awareness, growth in self confidence, clarity of roles and a more strategic view of the business. A mentor is not a psychiatrist but he will surely help the schizophrenic director to focus on the key issues.