Management Advice from a Venture Capitalist

The folks at Sequoia Capital created an interesting slideshow about the downturn in the economy, aka recession. I’ve posted it here, and though it is geared towards investing money, I’d say the key points are just as applicable for managers as they are for investors or other VCs.

Here are some of the great tips I pulled from this.

• Manage what you can control – Think about who you’re managing, and how you’re managing your people. What can you control? Mostly your reactions, and how much you invest in your own self-growth. It’s important to put on your own oxygen mask before trying to help anyone else. Focus on what you can control, and don’t stress so much about what you can’t.
• Focus on quality – You can’t do everything, so focus on doing everything you can the best way possible. Make your one-on-ones meaningful, even if they have to be short.
• Focusing on making the right choices – Take time to be deliberate in every choice you make, and make the decisions as great as possible.
• What decisions do you plan to make VS What decisions do you wish you had made? – Don’t dwell too much on the past, and instead, look forward to the next decision.
• Get Real or Go Home – You know where you are, you know where your team is, so get real with yourself and your team. Tell your team how it it really is. Be honest, because they know the truth anyway.

Management tips from an unlikely source. Take the time to learn as much as you can from every source you can. Pay attention to the signs around you, and let your team know what you see.

Now it’s your turn…

• What unconventional sources are you learning from?
• What tips can you share to help your team deal with this uncertain time?