Every business situation an entrepreneur finds themselves participating in is a microcosm of the wider world and it can be the small deals and collaborations that prove your worthiness or otherwise, to play in the bigger business sandpits.
In previous posts I’ve written cautioning about not getting too excited about starting a new project with someone you haven’t done work with before, but instead to take some time to work out whether they’re going to be a good sandpit player and whether you can work effectively together.
It can of course be a unique opportunity to work with a hand-picked team on a very special project, however, no matter how well-resourced and how groovy that project is, if some of the collaborators in the team have hidden agendas and aren’t able to fully bring themselves to the team, then the project is likely to be challenging, difficult and maybe even impossible to bring to completion.
Given that there are new players constantly coming and going in the world of startup business and that many more who’ve been around for some time and are still trying to work out how to find their groove, I thought I might share my Ten Rules for Great Sandpit Play.
1. Be honest – by this I mean be ruthlessly honest with yourself. Why are you here? What is it about this opportunity to play in the sandpit with these people that really excites you? What are you hoping to learn from being part of this? What are you happy to bring to the equation and what is a no go area? This rule is all about you and it’s all about getting clear on your purpose and motivation and why you’ve agreed to play in this deal. Know your own mind, then you will have a much better idea of where the boundaries lie for you.
2. Don’t hide your agenda – if you have other reasons for playing in the sandpit, state them upfront. Don’t confuse those around you by making them have to second guess why you’re really there. This wastes team energy and motivation. If there’s something else you’d like to get out of this play, then say so. Nothing is more confusing than a group of individuals all with hidden agendas purportedly getting together for a joint purpose, that has no chance of ever getting up because just about everyone’s hidden agenda is taking them in an opposite direction.
3. Be fair – don’t expect more of others than you do of yourself. And always give your best. A most irritating sandpit player is he who gives little but judges the output of others a lot. The critic often has too much time on their hands and if they were giving their fullest contribution, there wouldn’t be time to judge others harshly. If others in your sandpit have done particularly well with part of the project, then again, be fair. Let them know you notice and appreciate their work – share their success warmly without trying to take it over.
4. Respect Yourself – sometimes business play can be rough and other participants don’t always interact or communicate respectfully or fairly. Many self-help books and psychology professionals will say that it’s not the situation at hand that’s bad but the way you react to it that is. To this, I say piffle! When playing in the sandpit always conduct yourself with integrity. Respect the rights of others – but if you’re being pushed around or manipulated then respect yourself and firmly state your misgivings. At times, stern words backed up with intent can be a very quick way to get the team back playing on the same field. At worst, you’ve stood up for your dignity as a person – if that is not respected then it may be time to find a new sandpit to play in.
5. Respect the other players – if you’ve pulled a great team together because of known skills and capacities then don’t forget this important fact. As time goes on and the project progresses another player’s worth does not diminish because you now understand better how they achieve what they do. Respect others and their methods and processes – don’t try make them be as you are and follow your pathways and methods.
To have great collaborations you need some sandpit play rules.
6. Disagree respectfully– your project will not fail if you disagree on certain aspects of the project and vote to move on as a team. If all can disagree respectfully and then choose a course of action, knowing that it isn’t totally agreed on but is supported by the group – then you will still have the option up your sleeve of revisiting the discounted courses of action later should you decide you’ve taken the wrong path. It’s not necessary that anyone’s nose is whacked out of joint or that participants feel they must fight to the death to have their path adopted.
7. Be equal to all – too many projects I’ve been involved with have wantonly squandered my enthusiasm and positive energy (factors which make me work faster, quicker and better) because others on the team were trying to position each player into some kind of ‘pecking order’ that made sense to them. We are not hens – we do not need to be pecked by others. Showing mutual regard to other players and seeing them as equals will ensure that everyone can produce at top speed without being in fear of the politicking ‘weirdo’ who’s trying to position themselves above everybody else.
8. Learn, learn, learn – no-one is born knowing everything. The answers aren’t always out there already, there’s often an opportunity for you to create a new way of achieving an outcome or getting to a result. Open your mind up to watching and learning from the others you’re playing in the sandpit with. We can learn so much vicariously, by just being open-minded, supportive and noticing the multitude of ways that others go about things to get a result. If your fellow players trust you and are not threatened by you, then they won’t mind you learning from their mistakes, in fact there’ll be stories you can share for years going forward.
9. Be kind – one of the most undersold qualities in business is that of kindness. I know of several very successful business people who have none of the negative qualities that we often associate with ‘good businesspeople’. What they do have and share with each other is an attitude of ‘kindness’ to the world around them and all the people they deal with. A few gracious words when another is struggling, buying a coffee, drink or meal for that member of the team who’s working through the night to pull off something remarkable for the group. These acts of kindness help keep the flow of life moving through the sandpit players.
10. Be grateful – if you know you’re blessed to be working with the people you do on the projects or business you are working on, then be grateful. There’s nothing more negating than the person who misses the fact that they’re part of something really notable and remarkable – that all of life is just a grey blur to be treated with the same level of low regard. If you’re achieving great things together and really like working together then acknowledge that – be grateful, it really isn’t going to go to someone’s head if you tell them how fabulous it is to work with them. Seriously, they are more likely to count their blessings that they get to work with such a great sandpit player as you.
These are my rules for great sandpit play. If there are special rules that you have and you just know are vital to being a great player in that vast sandpit that is business and life, please leave your comments below. I welcome your insights.
Photo: flickr fotographix.ca
Fiona Boyd and David Eedle write about many sandpit encounters in their book Niche Content Millionaire – the story of the startup, growth and sale of their online venture, Arts Hub.
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