how to eliminate boredom from your job and business
TRANSCRIPT
Episode # - Title
www.stretchgoals.fm/ep12
Challenge yourself to create ambitious goals as you start and grow your business.
Episode 12 - Keeping Your Employees from Getting Bored
Episode # - Title
Robert Dickerson
Robert is the Founder and CEO of Mapout a mobile learning platform that uses video courses to educate customers and train employees. He helps companies develop and launch
products.
Scott Davis
Scott Davis is the Founder and CEO of MobX, a mobile development software agency. He has 20 years of experience developing software for Government, Finance, Sports and the
Telecommunications industry.
@RobDickersonJr @The_Scott_Davis
Episode 12 - Keeping Your Employees from Getting Bored
www.stretchgoals.fm/ep12
Episode # - Title
Employee’s POV
Boredom from Two Perspectives
Founder’s POV
Episode 12 - Keeping Your Employees from Getting Bored
www.stretchgoals.fm/ep12
1. Understand why you’re bored2. Create opportunities for yourself
1. Engage your employees2. Eliminate boredom
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“If I felt my skillset was different than what I was being utilized for, then I got bored
because it wasn't satisfying. That gratification is what keeps you interested
and makes you want to go to work every day.”
- Scott Davis
Episode 12 - Keeping Your Employees from Getting Bored
www.stretchgoals.fm/ep12
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You really need to put in your time.
“I’ve incrementally learned things that have helped me grow my own business.”
- Robert Dickerson
Episode 12 - Keeping Your Employees from Getting Bored
www.stretchgoals.fm/ep12
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Stop waiting for tasks● Increase your engagement● Figure out what work the company values● Make yourself more valuable● Find new challenges● Take the initiative
Episode 12 - Keeping Your Employees from Getting Bored
www.stretchgoals.fm/ep12
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Build your resumeTEXT
Benefits of a Corporate Job
Acquire technical expertise
Gain business knowledge Challenge yourself
Episode 12 - Keeping Your Employees from Getting Bored
www.stretchgoals.fm/ep12
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Figure out what the company values and align yourself accordingly.
Episode 12 - Keeping Your Employees from Getting Bored
www.stretchgoals.fm/ep12
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It’s your job.
You’ve got to get engaged somehow.
Episode 12 - Keeping Your Employees from Getting Bored
www.stretchgoals.fm/ep12
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Scott’s experience taking initiative● Working for Department of Defense● Rarely challenged● Learned database programming and wrote app● Shared with supervisor● Led to next task
“I took something that was interesting to me, which was statistics and sports, and I applied it to a technical skill set that I needed. I wasn't
wasting my time.”
Episode 12 - Keeping Your Employees from Getting Bored
www.stretchgoals.fm/ep12
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Seek out mentors1. Find mentors2. Align self with innovative people3. Brainstorm4. Prototype different things5. Demonstrate initiative
Episode 12 - Keeping Your Employees from Getting Bored
www.stretchgoals.fm/ep12
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If you have these people on your team, how do you keep them from being bored?
Episode 12 - Keeping Your Employees from Getting Bored
www.stretchgoals.fm/ep12
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As the founder, you need to figure out how to provide the context, goals, and milestones without being the blocker.
Episode 12 - Keeping Your Employees from Getting Bored
www.stretchgoals.fm/ep12
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“You really have to know your team. Every person's different, get to know them, get to know what makes them interested in what they're doing. You can sense
passion. . . . Then listen to what they’re saying.”
- Scott Davis
Episode 12 - Keeping Your Employees from Getting Bored
www.stretchgoals.fm/ep12
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Listen to their feedback.
“At some point they're going to not have something to do on a Friday afternoon. . . . You ought to say, ‘Hey, you know that
thing you mentioned two weeks ago? Why don't you go ahead and play around with that.’”
- Scott Davis
Episode 12 - Keeping Your Employees from Getting Bored
www.stretchgoals.fm/ep12
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How do you let people explore their creativity and still meet deadlines?
Episode 12 - Keeping Your Employees from Getting Bored
www.stretchgoals.fm/ep12
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"Hey, I am acknowledging what you're saying. It's
important to me that you eventually get to explore that. Let's finish up these deadlines. Then I promise
I'll find a way to sneak it in."
Episode 12 - Keeping Your Employees from Getting Bored
www.stretchgoals.fm/ep12
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Communication is really where things breakdown.
Episode 12 - Keeping Your Employees from Getting Bored
www.stretchgoals.fm/ep12
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“In the normal course of doing their work, you can allow this creativity to sink in. Instead of telling them exactly how to do
something, you give them that flexibility.”
- Robert Dickerson
“You hired them because you trust them in some way, so let them do their job. Let them have some creativity. You can't micromanage people. You're going to remove their sense of
personal satisfaction.”
- Scott Davis
Episode 12 - Keeping Your Employees from Getting Bored
www.stretchgoals.fm/ep12
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Lip service is bad.
“Don't just tell them that every time. You actually need to try to give them the opportunity. Sometimes you can't focus strictly on
what business objectives are.”
- Scott Davis
Episode 12 - Keeping Your Employees from Getting Bored
www.stretchgoals.fm/ep12
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How do you get feedback from employees that they’re bored?
Episode 12 - Keeping Your Employees from Getting Bored
www.stretchgoals.fm/ep12
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Develop relationships with your team● Know your people● Relate to your team● Solicit feedback from everyone● Treat them as part of the company family
“You can’t afford to have people who are bored in a startup.”
Episode 12 - Keeping Your Employees from Getting Bored
www.stretchgoals.fm/ep12
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“The thing is, it shows that you care when you ask questions. That's really all that matters. People want to
know that they're needed.”
- Scott Davis
Episode 12 - Keeping Your Employees from Getting Bored
www.stretchgoals.fm/ep12
Episode # - Title
When you start a company,
you’re not going to be bored.
In a startup, it’s constant.
There’s always something to
do.
Episode 12 - Keeping Your Employees from Getting Bored
www.stretchgoals.fm/ep12
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You don’t just show up to work and get a promotion every day.
It doesn’t happen.
Episode 12 - Keeping Your Employees from Getting Bored
www.stretchgoals.fm/ep12
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“A lot of times these people that you see have successful companies, it may seem like it was an overnight success, but they were working
15 years, grinding.”
- Robert Dickerson
Episode 12 - Keeping Your Employees from Getting Bored
www.stretchgoals.fm/ep12
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Gotta get out there and hustle.
Episode 12 - Keeping Your Employees from Getting Bored
www.stretchgoals.fm/ep12
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Engage your employees
Strategies for Reducing Boredom as a Founder
Improve your communication Create ownership
Episode 12 - Keeping Your Employees from Getting Bored
www.stretchgoals.fm/ep12
“You want a team that performs the best that they can.”
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Find opportunities to challenge yourself TEXT
Strategies for Reducing Boredom as an Employee
Learn new skills Take initiative
Episode 12 - Keeping Your Employees from Getting Bored
www.stretchgoals.fm/ep12
“Hustle, and I guarantee you won’t be bored.”
Episode # - Title
We’ll send you a trophy.
Thanks for listening.
stretchgoals.fm
Episode 12 - Keeping Your Employees from Getting Bored
www.stretchgoals.fm/ep12