When I told my mum, who died of cancer a shortly after Adaptavist was founded, that I was going to set-up a company she told me never to talk about things like this. It's not the sort of thing you should do if you're a CEO. Customers won't like it. She might be right, but just because I'm a CEO doesn't mean I won't stand by my principles. To not stand up and say something about this would invalidate me as a human being.
My wife Karen and her friend Paula had a "wine and chocolate" party tonight – they both share the same birthday this week. The house has been filled with noise and mayhem of a veritable herd of women (I love women!!) all night while I've been sat upstairs working.
A lot of their work friends turned up - they all work for a local telecommunications company, just a few miles from my house.
Aside from the festivities, a common theme ran throughout the night. All of them hate their bosses and the company they work for. It's obvious all of them are passionate about their work – they want to do a good job, give a great service to their customers and further their career to benefit their families. However the company they work for is crap and seems to actively prevent them from doing so.
It's one of those big companies where the bosses have so much money and power they just don't care about their employees any more yet they pretend (even to themselves) that they do. All they want to do is make more money and of course keep the stakeholders sweet – not because they need to, just because they can.
They no longer need to make money – they've already got more than they can spend, literally. Their company goals have turned in to a game to see how much money they can make before it implodes under their terrible management and abusive nature to skilled staff.
The company in question has reached that stage that most large companies in the UK and worldwide attain – the point where they have the dominant market share to such an extent that nobody can really compete with them. A monopoly. It no longer matters if their customer service is crap and they treat long-term skilled employees as worthless minions. They're so big it no longer matters. They've achieved their end-game and need a new type of challenge to occupy their minds.
I've worked for companies like that in the past where the staff who absolutely don't give a shit about their jobs or the customers are worshipped and the staff who want to do things right are penalised and abused, then fired.
When I was a normal employee (regardless of position - even as a manager and director) I could never understand some of the seemingly crazy decisions made by the directors or founders of companies.
As a CEO I now understand the insane logic behind such acts, however I'm determined to walk a different path. After all, everyone told me Adaptavist would fail within the first year and we've conclusively proved them wrong. We've got universities and business gurus alike studying us, trying to work out why our business model works so well. To me it seems obvious, we actually care!
I'm a firm believer that a company that focuses on customer needs first and foremost will be successful and that's turned out to be true so far, to the extent that we have problems handling the constant influx of new customers.
A company like Adaptavist is hard to build but it's worth it and I'm determined to reward staff for their dedication. I've come to realise that while a CEO might set the overall direction of a company (and therefore it's ultimate success or failure) it's the staff who make it happen. Without them, I'm nothing. I wish I wasn't a multilingual illiterate and could find the words to explain just how much I appreciate them. Alas, I can't. Hopefully as our profits increase the money I pay them and the working environment I facilitate will convey my appreciation.
I've been asked several times tonight if there are any jobs up for grabs at Adaptavist (which there are for specific roles).
It's coming up to Christmas, an expensive commercialised festive season (under the guise of a religious holiday) here in the UK which is traditionally the time where big companies lay-off staff to ensure maximum pain and suffering of the affected families just so their stakeholders can have even more impressive parties at their expense.
It felt awful each time I had to explain that their skills weren't currently suited to what Adaptavist is looking for. The first time was traumatic, the second time even worse. As the night went on I felt the will to live slowly drain from me. I know all of them would have put in well over 100% effort just like all the existing staff at Adaptavist do.
It's one of the things that keeps me awake at night thinking about the future of Adaptavist. We're a highly successful company with a rapidly growing worldwide client-base – what if we eventually turn in to the sort of company that doesn't care about staff or customers? What if I turn in to the sort of dick-head that doesn't care about employees? What if I stop treating them as equals and treat them like crap?
I don't believe that the owners of large companies start out with an intention to lay off people just before Christmas. How could anyone be like that? Even deeply evil people would wait until the "New Year", surely? And why would they lay off people who actually care about the company and it's customers instead of people that don't give a shit (yeah, I know they cost a lot more, but they do a better job too)?
Something must happen to the founders as the company grows in to a monopoly. They must reach a point where they are so successful that other people cease to matter – all they are concerned with is becoming more successful than other successful companies. What if I turn in to that sort of person or if Adaptavist turns in to that sort of company?
If I do, or the company does, shoot me. I'm serious! If I end up like that I don't deserve the right to live.
I don't have a huge amount of faith in humanity but at least I still deeply respect the people I employ and feel privileged that they are willing to work with me and consider them great friends.
I still care about each and every customer and know that every member of staff does too - if a customer is ever being under-serviced, I get really harsh emails or IM messages from staff telling me to do something about it pronto.
It's really hard work but we love it. I might be considered by some to be a dreamer, but no matter what happens I still believe there is good in this world.
So, to all those people out there who are being shat on this Christmas (or at any other time), I'd like to say this: Don't give up. You matter. You do make a difference. Chin up, stand tall! Prove them wrong!
2007/11/11
1st Rule: You do talk about Bar Camp.
