OOH …Here’s One Thing (to inspire young professionals in outdoor advertising and finance sectors to value their early career days)
by Jim Johnsen,
Managing Director, Johnsen, Fretty & Company
https://youtu.be/wOgYxD59lJ0?si=2_PIksHVdFOK_ls4
“Oh, well, now, two or three minutes, two or three hours
What does it matter now in this life of ours?
Let’s work together, come on, come on
Let’s work together, now, now people
Because together we will stand
Every boy, every woman, and man,” Canned Heat
Shit, here goes that Johnsen again on some political diatribe. Nope, I wouldn’t do that to you on a Monday morning…Plus, I am not nearly smart enough to wax eloquent on the Fox Network or CNN and make sense of it all. Okay, you got us. Where are we going with this?
I read something the other day that said if you want to find a good partner, you had better not be personal friends. That got me thinking… and I am still not sure which side of the fence I fall on that one. But I will say that I have been incredibly lucky in life with the partners I have had in my primary business, and I have been fortunate enough to have had many good partners, both informal and formal, in business. I guess they generally think of me the same way, although, like everyone, I am sure they see my blind spots better than I do. So that got me thinking some more. How do I define the characteristics of a good partner, and what are some of the traits that can derail partnerships? Without further ado…ido:
- Goal alignment
- Transparency
- Transparency
- Get Naked
- Selflessness
- Do the right thing.
So let me go ahead and expand.
a. Goal alignment. If your partner wants a lifestyle business and you are trying to turn it into a rocket ship that sells for millions and millions in two years… it never works. Need I say more?
b. Transparency. Man, nothing more frustrating than when you know an expense tsunami is about to hit, but your partner doesn’t. Or how about when your partner has had a great conversation with a potential client, and you call up the client and ask where they stand? Should I get the clown hat now or later? Long story short, in great partnerships, everyone is working with the same information set, good, bad, or indifferent.
c. Transparency. Rinse and repeat. Maybe even add a little pre-wash.
d. Get Naked. Yes, good partners get naked. As in…we were in that meeting, and you threw me under the bus…or…dude, I needed you today, and you didn’t show up… or…I am SORRY…I really f’ed up. Take criticism, give criticism. Leave the emotional child at the door. It’s just business. We still love each other. We are still partners no matter what.
e. Selflessness. I am willing to do more than you do. Am I doing enough? I am bleeding in the middle of that night, and she is in St. Barth’s. But that’s okay. Never, ever, ever…why am I doing more than they? If that bubbles up, you had better go back to Getting Naked, real quick.
f. Do The Right Thing. Sometimes telling the truth really hurts. As in, if we tell the truth, we lose money. If we spin doctor it, we may be able to, just maybe, slide around it: slippery slope, boys and girls. When you spin doctor it, and it blows up in your face, you think your partner is happy that you redlined his family’s well-being, his net worth, and most importantly, his reputation? Are you okay with him doing the same with your life?
The stuff above is so easy, right? Not so fast, Johnsen. We all live in the gray zone. Things are complicated, people get hurt, we have to fight for our team no matter what…etc, etc. Right? I encourage you to find a retired, successful 80-year-old man or woman this week and ask them that question. I guess that the answer is “Wrong”. Now let’s go get naked.
Securities transacted through StillPoint Capital Member firm FINRA/SiPC
Help us Help You by keeping the only Independent Voice for OOH.
Keep unconstrained speech for the OOH/Billboard Industry,
Click here to ⇒ Subscribe.
- Advertisement -
