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How to Recognize Dysfunctional Startup Leadership

14 points by borisfowler 15y ago

phlux 15y ago
* The CEO's red porsche is paid for by the company * The CEO, in addition to his regular pay, takes a commission cut on every sale the company makes * The CIO's new BMW is also paid as an expense of the company * The CEO shoots down your recommendation for a bonus to one of the best employees in your department and instead offers them a $200 gift card * The CIO & CEO make uptime a priority objective for the service - but when a plan is presented that shows that in order to meet that goal, funding will be required to bolster infrastructure, they refuse to fund the plan * The CIO regularly makes changes to the production systems outside of any change control process and brings down the service while muttering things like "Well that wasn't supposed to happen" * The CEO and C-level execs tell the company the option price is $X - then proceed to sell the company and inform everyone that the option price is actually 20% of $X and that those who have been with the company less than a year get nothing * There is a foosball table and this is described in any company descriptions as a part of the "Culture"
- bigwally 15y ago
  You forgot: The CEO has a hot secretary and his marriage is having problems.
- strlen 15y ago
  * Your company claims to be a technology startup but has a "CIO" and an "IT department" that does the development. That's generally a recipe for at best a horrible place to work, but most usually a failure.
wccrawford 15y ago
The thing is, dysfunctional doesn't mean 'non-functional'. A company I used to work for had a really great owner/etc, but their HR practices were the pits. Any attempt to tell them so was met with 'That's how everyone does it', even if it obviously wasn't. The one time I brought something to their attention about someone above my head, I was told I should have taken it to HR instead of the owners. The person in question told me, "That's a serious charge. I could have lost my job." ... Yeah, it was. And I was serious. I still think it was illegal to this day, but I also don't think he's stupid enough to try it again, either, now. Upper management waffled a bit, but in the end, they seemed to settle on wishing I had not told them because they didn't want to do anything about it. Despite all that, they are wildly successful.
- trevelyan 15y ago
  What was the problem?
jeffreymcmanus 15y ago
Two of the six points here translate into "hire an expensive outside strategy consulting firm". Sorry, nope.
wnoise 15y ago
s/startup//
astrofinch 15y ago
"Advisors and staff hand-picked from friends and connections." Wait, so where are advisors supposed to come from if not from friends/connections? Investors?

14 points by borisfowler 15y ago

phlux 15y ago

* The CEO's red porsche is paid for by the company * The CEO, in addition to his regular pay, takes a commission cut on every sale the company makes * The CIO's new BMW is also paid as an expense of the company * The CEO shoots down your recommendation for a bonus to one of the best employees in your department and instead offers them a $200 gift card * The CIO & CEO make uptime a priority objective for the service - but when a plan is presented that shows that in order to meet that goal, funding will be required to bolster infrastructure, they refuse to fund the plan * The CIO regularly makes changes to the production systems outside of any change control process and brings down the service while muttering things like "Well that wasn't supposed to happen" * The CEO and C-level execs tell the company the option price is $X - then proceed to sell the company and inform everyone that the option price is actually 20% of $X and that those who have been with the company less than a year get nothing * There is a foosball table and this is described in any company descriptions as a part of the "Culture"

bigwally 15y ago
You forgot: The CEO has a hot secretary and his marriage is having problems.
strlen 15y ago
* Your company claims to be a technology startup but has a "CIO" and an "IT department" that does the development. That's generally a recipe for at best a horrible place to work, but most usually a failure.

wccrawford 15y ago

The thing is, dysfunctional doesn't mean 'non-functional'. A company I used to work for had a really great owner/etc, but their HR practices were the pits. Any attempt to tell them so was met with 'That's how everyone does it', even if it obviously wasn't. The one time I brought something to their attention about someone above my head, I was told I should have taken it to HR instead of the owners. The person in question told me, "That's a serious charge. I could have lost my job." ... Yeah, it was. And I was serious. I still think it was illegal to this day, but I also don't think he's stupid enough to try it again, either, now. Upper management waffled a bit, but in the end, they seemed to settle on wishing I had not told them because they didn't want to do anything about it. Despite all that, they are wildly successful.

trevelyan 15y ago
What was the problem?

jeffreymcmanus 15y ago

Two of the six points here translate into "hire an expensive outside strategy consulting firm". Sorry, nope.

wnoise 15y ago

s/startup//

astrofinch 15y ago

"Advisors and staff hand-picked from friends and connections." Wait, so where are advisors supposed to come from if not from friends/connections? Investors?