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Entrepreneur fails to make an impact, he communicates NO no vision and drive
I'm not sure how to embed this video:
<iframe src="https://www.linkedin.com/embed/feed/update/urn:li:ugcPost:6857292825357234176?compact=1" height="284" width="504" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="" title="Embedded post"></iframe>
Here is the link, minute 3:34.
Anyway, the guy says:
Founder: I would have never dreamed of having the privilege to build a team of over 200 amazing people
There are a few elements in my opinion that make it a far less than ideal and compelling message:
- I would have never dreamed: it's low power and low drive. People want to work for people who did have belief. Or, at least, who had a dream they were fully committed to turning into reality
- Having the privilege: sometimes it's good to use this formula, but I don't think in this case. What's your goal, to feel good, or to drive things forward? It's too low power
- Privilege to build a team of over 200 amazing people: this was his one line PR punch.
Your company has a goal, why not talking about that? Or at least, talk about the product.
Why did you start your business? It wasn't to build a team of 200 people, is it? If that was the goal, then you could have started a Meetup. Or a social circle.
That was his chance to tell everyone what his company was doing.
He wasted it.
And came across as a low-drive entrepreneur who lacks a vision.
I'm probably difficult when it comes to respecting authority and bosses and very demanding of those who are above me, but I would NOT gladly work for this guy.
My bad:
It seems like it was a "video for the employees", so the points above don't apply (or not nearly as much).
But since we're here, another point I noticed, one of the speakers said:
Our goal is to become the leading XYZ
Usually you don't want to state your goals in terms of YOU becoming the largest / biggest / most badass, etc., but in terms of the highest quality services you provide to your customers.
Alternatively, as it's the case for this website, to advance and perfect a discipline / product for the sake of it.
It seems like it was a "video for the employees", so the points above don't apply (or not nearly as much).
From your book Delivering Happiness, I think the Zappos Founder/CEO did a much better job of communicating to his employees about vision, culture and goals.
(Although, in his later life, he was not a good example of a leader. Abused drugs, went crazy and died as a result.)
Elon Musk has been bad at relationships.
But he has been exceptional in advocating his vision and goals for Tesla and SpaceX.
Such that he has a big base of supporters inside and outside his companies.
Selling your vision is important in a video for the employees in my opinion.
You want your employees to share the video and attract more people to join the company with a good vision & cultural fit.
Our goal is to become the leading XYZ
Usually you don't want to state your goals in terms of YOU becoming the largest / biggest / most badass, etc., but in terms of the highest quality services you provide to your customers.
Alternatively, as it's the case for this website, to advance and perfect a discipline / product for the sake of it.
The current description on the website is too corporate:
Founded in Berlin, Vimcar is the market leader of digital fleet management in Germany. Vimcar pushes to revolutionise an entire industry, digitising the company car of the future with innovative technology and attention to detail.
One could rephrase this to
Vimcar empowers you to manage an entire fleet of vehicles on your palm.
To add the employees to the mix, one could say
Vimcar brings together individuals passionate about empowering you to manage an entire fleet of vehicles on your palm.
This gives a social identity to the employees in the context of the bigger vision.
I watched the video.
An employee did say
Fleet management? Sounds boring on first impression
Yes, I agree, better than my first impression, but still not a good PR showing.
And yes, I wouldn't see Elon Musk communicating that "he'd never dreamed of having thousands of employees" or that "his goal is to be the bigger space company in the world" :).
