The Boss is an Idiot

"I agree we need more people, but the boss won't go for it."

"Why?"

"He already told me. And we're firing people. He won't go for it."

"So what's your plan?"

"Just keep going."

"And fail later?"

"I guess."

"So you're just not going to tell him?"

"Oh, I'll tell him, but he won't listen."

BF knows that to fix the business he's going to need more staff. He's told me what he needs them to do: customer support, writing proposals, installing products. He's also told me the current staff isn't up to the job and he wants them gone. But he doesn't think the boss will listen.

I agree.

Because he's acting like an employee.

"What's wrong with the staff you want fired?"

"I told you. They can only do half the job. They need me for every customer, and I just don't have time to figure it out for them."

"What do you want them to do? Do you wish they were like you and figured out a way to get it done without asking for help? To think for themselves?"

"Of course."

"Then do that for your boss."

BF has been recently promoted and he's still thinking it's someone elses job to tell him what to do. That's how employees think and it drives good bosses crazy. It's not enough for BF to know that more staff equals more business. He needs to give the boss a explanation of how much more cost equals how much more revenue.

And the best way to do that is to make it look like a real financial budget. Managers give their bosses solutions that they have throught through and put in the language of business: an Excel spreadsheet of income and expenses.

Of course the boss will say "no" to new employees. Of course the boss will say "yes" to new sales. Make the connection for him or her with supportable numbers and they won't be answering no because they think you are thinking about yourself as the employee, but will say yes because you are "thinking like an owner." And how often have you heard that.

If you don't know an income statement from a hedgehog, read this. Really.