Past few days have been really discouraging for me…..I emailed this to my staff today
subject: guess I am a bad manager
Thanks guys…………………..I am really too nice, and now I am being totally taken advantage of….
At first I was upset when (another company president) offered to have me work with him…I thought I was doing good….but I am going to listen to <>, merge with him and close this office…………
Everyone told me I am too nice……that I let my staff do whatever they want, that I cannot manage people in china the same way as I can in USA….its right.
sophia – took a vacation like she had asked for in advance
melissa – didnt take beginning of last week, but never was clear what day she would come back
mark – sick today, probably sick tomorrow before the holiday
ling – poor ling, the only one here
baijiu the dog – he’s hanging around
So its really hard for me to tell a (potential partner) that I have this operation under control…..there is no control, I am a bad manager, I hired too many people, and its a lesson learned.
Attached this photo:
Comments
It’s your karma, dude. It’s bad.
Happy New Year Mike. Git er done in ’09
Poor Michael,actually i do not think this is right way to solve this kind of problem when i read this email the first time. You are the boss.This company is very important for you,it is your pursuit and dream,for your staff it is just job,if here closed they will work for others,of course maybe is someone’s dream too,i think mostly it is just job for living or living better.
Frankly, you sent this email that mean you do not want to give up.you just hope they can understand you,you put your full heart and passion on it and worked so hard. You just expect you have warm,firm team to give you courages and confidence to go ahead. sometimes,we need the people support us,we need people stand by our side to insist on. after all,alone dream is too lonely.
you said you are too nice,your offer,your upset…..this all things just make them feel guilty.then what,lost the confidence with company and worry about the job and whether need to find another new job or not……maybe they will not absent again but it can not work for a long time.everything will be same when the guilty go away. it is hard to make them hold together under your lead. i do not know how is corporation with americans,but i know the chinese. we need rules and request.when we was child,mom told us do not talk to stranger,do not clime the tree,do not mess the clothes up,do not…. the teacher told us do not talk,do not sleep,do not eat,do not do other things on the class.so if no one watching,we do everything what we want. If i know my boss is nice,and easy to off work,if i want to relax or go out,i tell him there are somthing wrong with my eye,need to see doctor whatever for leave away from work …. i do this before just under depressed,no mood to work.
Actually this situation is your problem,you can make the rule to restrict,it will not affect that you are a nice person. Business is business,private is private.of course it is hard to clear up, me either. but you should to try. by the way,you did not hire too many people,you can not do everything by yourself,everyone need help,you just need to find the way to control this situation. Maybe you will creat a different company culture to hold your guys together and have passion to work. The company culture will make it happen,i am sure.But this is another long story.if you want to hear,i will let you know next time.
everyone have tough time,just do not discourage…
This is just my point,maybe i am not right.
thanks for posting this Echo, I know you sent it in email and were hesitating to post, but its good you put the comment here.
I also think it is a cultural difference. Seems in China you have to be more direct and have people be told what the rules are and how to follow them. In USA, in small businesses and startups, maybe not big corporations, the rules are easier and as long as people communicate it works ok.
I am learning a lot ,and I am not giving up. This post is about 5 months ago and so much has changes and i’ve grown a lot since then.
turning negative into positive, daily.
That’s great!
Hi Mike,when I read the email like this.I am very curious that why you hired these guys working with you in last period?
It seems that they are not positive to their job,right?
Everybody has his right to control his company.If you think that you would like to control the company like before,just do it.The most important thing is that looking for positive,open people working with you.
Good luck to you.
Brian
Hi Brian,
I am reading this comment and now a lot has changed….actually my whole staff has changed…and I have been through a lot.
I always try to learn from everything….and yes…I was not happy with the business I was doing, and have adapted for it.
Live and learn, and grow
Hey Mike,
You are always positive.I am thinking that if you can not climb to the top of the mountain.Who can?
Live and learn,and grow.
Untill our hair turns white, and white turns black.:)
keep on fighting until the day we die