Through my year within a startup, I have been able to recognize some of the most important characteristics one can have while working in this space. The business I work for is a marketing startup in Texas and has quite a small team of 5 full-time employees. I work part-time and am in charge of most things that happen in our warehouse. I pull orders, manufacture clothing on a heat press, and count inventory among other things.
Often, a full time employee or the CEO will walk into the warehouse and give me instructions as to what my next job is, give me a number of shirts to pull, or hand me a list of what shirts need to be manufactured. Early on in my time there, I relied solely on remembering specifics and trusting that I remembered things correctly. This method was successful some times, but there were plenty of instances of me getting an order completely wrong. I would was worried about what my boss would think if I walked into the office to ask for him to repeat the conversation, so I would just hope for the best. This lack of communication on my part decreased efficiency. I soon learned that it is perfectly fine to ask a bunch of questions, especially when it will increase the effectiveness of my job. I am so glad that I learned this lesson because it will be applied to many other aspects of my future career. Another example of poor communication is when I would be asked to make a delivery or pick something up. The CEO would tell me what to bring to an embroidery store and I would not write it down, effectively resulting in me forgetting something; meaning I would have to drive twice the distance. My boss would just laugh and tell me not to worry about it, but I knew that I needed to fix the issue. Communication is key, especially within the context of a start up when efficiency is extremely vital.
BoweryJE22
It is so true how important communication can be in regards to efficiency. Processes can be refined as well as possible but without proer communication, error is bound to be present in any business. This is something we can practice even when we aren’t in a literal business situation that will then translate into our business relations. Great post!
I can definitely relate to this. It is difficult, because you often feel like asking questions makes you look and feel stupid, and you don’t want that, so you just nod your head and stay silent. However, I think that asking questions is the only way to learn, whether that is learning more about what is expected of you, or more about what a prospect wants. Ultimately, I think asking questions does the opposite of make you look stupid- it shows you are interested, attentive, and care to learn more.