Manizesto

Entrepreneurs, Beware of Jack-Master Syndrome

With the economy showing signs of weakness (and investors acting like panic-stricken lemmings), now is a good time to address a prevalent problem among entrepreneurs and small business owners: Jack-Master Syndrome. This deadly sickness is one that, if left untreated, can lead to the demise of any small or medium sized business.

You may be suffering from JMS if you have the any/all of the following:

Symptoms

• Difficulty swallowing; specifically- bad news, good ideas or outside direction.


• Persistent Fever; specifically- for top-line profits, ownership and credit for ideas.


• Hallucinations; specifically- warped perceptions of self-possessed knowledge and expertise, considers self “Master of all”.


• Semi-psychotic behavior; specifically- distorted sense of business environment, distrust of co-workers and subordinates.


• Refuses treatment; specifically- expertise & opinions from others. Often refuses recommendations from within organization.

JMS’s crowning symptom is a sense that one is a “Master” at everything when in reality the subject has moderate skills in many areas but no authoritative expertise or outstanding skills in any one area.

If you’ve found that you are suffering from JMS, there is hope, and you can begin treatment today. As with all sicknesses, early treatment often results in a higher recovery rate, but even entrepreneurs who have suffered from JMS for several years can fully recover with proper treatment.

Here are a few things you can do to begin combating JMS right away.

Treatment

• Bring in experts from all areas of your business (marketeing, finance, product, sales, customer service etc) to prove to subjects that they can still learn a lot and they need the help of industry experts to take their business from good to great. Hire experts if possible.


• Ask for ideas and feedback from your employees and partners. Trust the input of your department managers and make business decisions based on their expertise.


• Accept your role as Jack of All Trades within your business and leave the Master responsibilities to others.


• Learn the kinds of questions you need to ask each Master in your company to ensure sound business decisions are made.


• Do what other masters are doing. Step outside your world and take a deep look at what leaders in your industry are doing better than you.

Small business owners would do well to become Jacks of all trades and Masters of none.

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