I am sitting in front of my keyboard today, contemplating how to frame the ideas in this article, and my mind is wandering to thinking about the differences between successful entrepreneurs and the non-successful. I have met many of each kind over the years – those who will found or purchase successful businesses and improve them, and others that will crash even the best-run businesses or fail to launch.

There are instances where the difference between success and failure is really quite small, as measured by the activities, direction-setting, or operational capabilities of the lead entrepreneurs in each case. It occurs to me that it is not the “WHAT” that is done, but sometimes more the “HOW” or most often, the “WHOM” it occurs with that makes the difference.

I recently witnessed a driver blithely take a wrong turn and pass by my office window, driving against traffic flow on a one-way street. This happens on occasion, but I was surprised by the serene look on the drivers face as the realization of driving the wrong way registered. A moment later, a quick U-turn was executed mid-block, and the driver crossed my line of sight a second time, merrily driving alongside companion cars. It struck me what a great analogy this was to the difference between successful business owners and others who figure out that a change of direction is needed, and execute it nonplussed in order to succeed later, and the others that never figure out how to stop driving against traffic and fail.

In this example, it wasn’t the “WHAT” that happened, or even the “HOW” came about to bring on the U-Turn, but the “WHOM” that matters. It got me to thinking of what I want to be known for, and have a business center recognized to be a great employer of the “WHOM’S” I need in order to have a great operation. In this case, it is the “WHOM’S” I need to convince to work within our team to deliver consistent high-quality services over time. This can be quite the challenge these days.

I have heard said, and have repeated at times… “It would be easy if it wasn’t for the people”. 

Isn’t that the truth? People bring so much with them, such a diverse element to work with for leadership, operations and market building activities. So many positives and on occasion… negatives as well. What a mix of contradicting attributes we people are. In fact, people probably cause more issues in the work environment than any other factor. I can confidently state, without any supporting data at all, that people are probably ten times more problematic than any other factor in the workplace! There you have it, undisputed assumed facts that correspond to everything we hear in the popular press about… well… we won’t go into politics in this article. But I am sure you get the point!

But, if you are a careful manager, you recognize and cultivate the best in people to bring into your organizations, as it really isn’t the “HOW” or the “WHAT” that matters, it is the “WHOM” that makes all the difference in the long run.

So, the Simple Solution is to hire the best team and give them reasons to stick around.

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Marshall Doak is the Director of the Southern Oregon University Small Business Development Center and a supporter of innovation and the community that forms around innovation in the economy. In private practice as owner of Managed Successions, LLC, he develops and manages projects for public and private organizations for specific goal achievement success, including advising businesses wanting to transfer ownership and retain the value created over time. He can be reached through: mdoak06@gmail.com or 541-646-4126.