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This is a hard lesson that I could only learn after transitioning from employee to business owner. By being the latter, you face the hard truth that nothing, ze

This is a hard lesson that I could only learn after transitioning from employee to business owner. By being the latter, you face the hard truth that nothing, zero, is going to happen until to take the steps and do it. This year I'm back as an employee and I think I'm carrying the experience and lessons learned that if I don't do it, it won't happen (let alone expect somebody else to do it for me).

hnarn 7y ago
The obvious difference being that when you're a business owner, you have the mandate to make those changes, and rightfully you can reap the rewards afterwards. The same problem when you're an employee is much more complex. You may lack the mandate to perform the change, you may have inefficient or hostile management involved, there may be adverse incentives at play, and so much more. I think it's a disservice to everyone to compare the experience of being an entrepreneur to that of being an employee. Sure, most employees could probably use some more initiative, but a lot of the time the amount of initiative you get out of employees is directly correlated to the possibility that someone will listen and take action on that initiative. In many, many companies, that possibility is almost zero.
- rodolphoarruda 7y ago
  I don't see it as a disservice. Many good employees seek to develop an "entrepreneurial" attitude at their jobs. That translates into more attention to detail, focus on the customer, accountability and care for the overall profitability of the company; all that regardless of having the mandate to things or not. Experienced managers can quickly identify individuals with those characteristics, some of them got a fancy title of "high potentials" in some companies. Some other companies understand that employees without entrepreneurial attitude are more inclined to just do their jobs, which is fine, but really just fine.

hnarn 7y ago

The obvious difference being that when you're a business owner, you have the mandate to make those changes, and rightfully you can reap the rewards afterwards. The same problem when you're an employee is much more complex. You may lack the mandate to perform the change, you may have inefficient or hostile management involved, there may be adverse incentives at play, and so much more. I think it's a disservice to everyone to compare the experience of being an entrepreneur to that of being an employee. Sure, most employees could probably use some more initiative, but a lot of the time the amount of initiative you get out of employees is directly correlated to the possibility that someone will listen and take action on that initiative. In many, many companies, that possibility is almost zero.

rodolphoarruda 7y ago
I don't see it as a disservice. Many good employees seek to develop an "entrepreneurial" attitude at their jobs. That translates into more attention to detail, focus on the customer, accountability and care for the overall profitability of the company; all that regardless of having the mandate to things or not. Experienced managers can quickly identify individuals with those characteristics, some of them got a fancy title of "high potentials" in some companies. Some other companies understand that employees without entrepreneurial attitude are more inclined to just do their jobs, which is fine, but really just fine.