The 5 Types of Employees You'll Find on Your Startup Journey (and How to Manage Them)

"Several years ago, when I was just starting out as an entrepreneur, a friend introduced me to a concept he called 'Serengeti Management.' His premise was that, as a new employer, I was going to have to deal with any number of different personalities, each represented by a creature you might find roaming the plains of East Africa."
To read the full article, visit: http://bit.ly/1m7aa9Q

Transcript

1. The 5 Types ! of Employees You’ll Find ! on Your Startup Journey ! (and How to Manage Them)! By Michael Kerr! ! Original article: ! http://articles.bplans.com/the-5-types-of-employees-youll-find-on-your-startup-journey-and-how-to-manage-them/
2. Ser·en·get·i Man·age·ment: noun! 1. The act of managing any number of different employee personalities, each represented by a creature you might find roaming the plains of East Africa.!
3. WARNING: Your employees aren’t a bunch of animals struggling for survival at a watering hole in Tanzania—but they sure can act like it sometimes...!
4. The 5 Types of Serengeti Employees:
5. 1. GAZELLES a. Follow herd mentality! b. Don’t take initiative! c. Act predictably ! d. Are thin-skinned! e. Sprint from crisis to ! crisis!
6. TAMING TIP: HERD YOUR GAZELLES a. Keep feeding them the work - they’ll do it! b. Manage them less - they’ll still perform! c. Establish clear expectations and deadlines! d. Strengthen your weak links - train as needed!
7. 2. MONKEYS a. Smart but prone to goof off! b. Maddening to supervise, but ! not useless! c. Levity can be beneficial!
8. TAMING TIP: WRANGLE YOUR MONKEYS a. Prod them - they’ll help your bottom line! b. Channel their charm toward productive tasks! c. Utilize them to boost team morale!
9. 3. HYENAS a. Scavengers! b. Opportunistic! c. Compulsive liars! d. Back-stabbers! e. Gorge on office gossip! f. Kill productivity!
10. TAMING TIP: AVOID HYENAS a. Avoid Hyenas! b. Run away from Hyenas! c. Seriously, STAY AWAY from ! Hyenas!!!
11. 4. LIONS a. Can be arrogant! b. Know-it-alls! c. Workplace bullies! d. Pick on the gazelles!
12. TAMING TIP: BE A RINGMASTER a. Keep 1-2 in key positions! b. Can be great as salespeople or managers! c. Stroke their ego from time to time! d. Motivate them with $$, prestige, or titles!
13. 5. RHINOS a. Take pride in their work! b. Keep their head down! c. Solid and dependable! d. Extremely rare!
14. TAMING TIP: PROTECT YOUR RHINOS a. Not management material, but enjoy tasks! b. Give them constructive criticism! c. Motivate them by sharing results! d. Don’t overload them!
15. Your complete guide to planning! and running a business.