When I started reading this book, I was working for a very large company, and had not run my own business for several years. Truth be told, I read through the first parts of the book thinking "this doesn't apply to me." In a wonderful turn of events, I am now at a firm of 5 people, and just in a "night and day" difference paradigm shift, EVERYTHING in the book makes sense and rings true!

That brings me to my first question for Barry:

What are the expectations of the entrepreneur on their employees, and what can employees do to "manage up" to ensure that they are on the right track with their entrepreneuer bosses? I recall your mentioning in the book that each new employee is a significant percentage of the firm. Which, for me, is startling to think that I'm now 20% of what makes up my current company!

The reason I ask this is because I feel that every business book I've ever read about management (I have 2 to manage under me, and 2 above) is teetering on irrelevant. Processes, politics, controls, and the like seem completely turned upside down when you go from a company of 5000 to a firm of 5!

Barry will be checking in from time to time today & tomorrow. I like the format used by Jeff Cornwall at The Entrepreneurial Mind -- a series of questions from Jeff and responses from Barry -- so we will continue in that fashion here here. If you have questions, feel free to post under any of the entries.

You ask a great question in many different respects. I think that the expectations of the entrepreneur typically run very high. Since it is "their baby", they expect you to be as dedicated as them. I counsel entrepreneurs that this is unrealistic. Only a "parent" can love a child like a parent does. Everyone else is just a "friend". They will expect alot and you need to manage these expectations.

The best you can do as an employee for a small firm is to realize that each person makes a huge impact on the company. Have good communication with the entrepreneur so expectations are met on both sides.

Remember that they are riding a rollercoaster everyday and things are magnified for them.