Leader/Follower Ratio of 1:1
Miramar Traffic & Parking, LLC has a seemingly simple leader/follower relationship being that there are only two people currently working for the company, my boss and I. When I first began, I believed that all of the objectives and planning would come from my boss and be dictated down to me to either complete or to watch, listen, and learn. As the first two weeks have quickly rushed by, I realized during that time I had a much larger say in how we went about our objectives and daily goals. My opinion was respected and always listened to and the discussions had by both of us have yielded much results that we are both happy with and want to continue moving forward.
Work within a two-person company is either handled together or separately, and we have handled objectives in both manners almost equally. We have physical limitations that force the work to be done separately with the most obvious instance being the company only having one work phone for business calls, so when I am making cold calls to potential customers or contacts, my boss will be working on some other goal for the day. The tasks and goals for the day and week are communicated to me by my boss, but typically the way we go down the checklist is decided through a discussion of what are the most pressing tasks and the most valuable items. The allowance for decisions to be made through discussion and not simply by my boss’ opinion alone has led to more motivation and a stronger feeling of connection to the path of the organization.
The relationship between my boss and I is a unique one with him being my father, but this relationship also has many benefits within the company, though it could also potentially have its fair share of negatives. I have a profound respect for my boss due to our long history and an admiration for his work ethic and determination. Our history has also provided us with a level of trust that allows him to be confident enough to allow me to proceed on processes on my own as he knows I will ask questions if necessary and allows him to focus on his task until I need him to check over my completed work. Our strong historical relationship has provided us a unique opportunity to further grow our relationship in a work-oriented business setting where I can demonstrate my leadership skills compared to the followership traits I have showed growing up.
Good to recognize the familial relationship and how that impacts the amount of trust and respect that exists, despite it being a new, young company. Really important element to acknowledge. Also good to note that some basic logistics (e.g. only one phone) impact the way in which you do work, divide up responsibilities, etc. Good to hear that you have the opportunity to help develop strategy, think about the ways in which to approach things, etc. – that is a wonderful (and unique) opportunity as a young professional.