"Snitches get stitches", and other tales of team dysfunction...

I am a parent and somedays wonder if I'm any good at it? I've also managed to build, train and mentor a few professional teams and that also feels like parenting. Both require constant review and improvement. I'm not a fan of the cliche "adult in the room", but like many of us I too have witnessed some pretty dysfunctional behavior from adults as a leader, manager, or mentor in the room. What I've learned as both a Father and a Founder is that there are rules that are constant and there is no way around them, nor should there be.

Disclaimer - This is not a "bitching" post, or some rant on moral necessity!

"Snitches don't get stitches"

We shouldn't tolerate people being late to meetings, ignoring emails or late response time, having a on/off work ethic, or personal harassment of any kind. Toxic behavior like (game playing, politics, sabotage, or blatant misinformation) whether obvious or dormant, is a cancer inside any start-up and will take it's toll and kill an otherwise great company! I have been there and have witnessed great start-ups implode for no good reason. Tackle it from day one, set a moral compass, create a values statement/contract and make every employee sign it!

Job 1 - Create a Vision, Mission, Values statement. Enforce it or suffer the consequences!

Vision statement (elevator pitch) - How many times have you been at an event and each of you gives a different "elevator" pitch to some VC? If you all say something different then chances are you're thinking something different. What happens 6 months down the road when you discover that one or more people don't share what you think the company mission is? This is when the games and BS starts and it will not go away...

Example:

"To create a powerful industry resource for our customers; providing a diverse set of modern day tools that connect, inform and empower our customer to better succeed in life, in their community, and in their careers."

Mission statement - 3-5 things that you are trying accomplish

1. Create a lasting community platform

2. Deliver social and professional value

3. Accelerate a better life and successful career for our users

4. restore transparency, integrity, job satisfaction to the industry

Values statement: - This is your bible for behavior and is your set of rules that you can and must insist that the team lives by. As founders you must hold each other accountable and enforce these standards. If you do not then you are risking the inevitable implosion of both your team and your investors money.

1. Customers First!  Act like an owner, treat ourselves and our customers like owners.  

2. Create social and professional value in everything we do.

3. Act with honesty, integrity, transparency (be open and direct).

4. Work hard, respect/learn from mistakes, help each other succeed.

5. Do as you wish to be done by, its that simple.

Enforce a standard of excellent behavior, enforce a standard of accountability:

Have a rule that anyone that wants to question any behavior within the executive team or team silo must be able to talk to an elected founder team member or advisor to weigh in on any matters or violations inconsistent with your "values" . If it's a founder then work with an elected advisor to mediate these issues and report to the board. If founders are bad actors then it will spread to other founders and the team at large. Make the punishment real but penalizing in simple smart ways like docking shares over time. Remember, "do as you wish to be done by" is not a saying it's a rule of respect. Make this shared value the linch pin of the company, and be rigorous enforcing it until people hard wire the behavior into their attitude. People lock doors if you're late to a meeting, people loose merit points for late reply or late documents, people get fired for bad behavior. Know your values and live by them!

Here's my point: Respect is earned through transparency, trust, and shared values. You must have a level playing field, and if people need to be held accountable give them every reason to do so. If they don't then the team, the company, your investors need to know. Snitches don't get stitches", because they are brave enough and loyal enough to put the company first, demanding that everyone lives by the values of decency and integrity that the founders put forth.