Personal Ambition – Business’ Biggest Taboo.
There is often conflict and confusion around the notion of shared ambition versus personal ambition within a business.
It’s a hot topic most of us prefer to avoid because we have a false belief that one undermines the other. Diverse interests and needs are always compounded by a lack of communication because we don’t want to appear to be working against the team. But sometimes it just doesn’t sit right . Maybe you want to reduce your contribution to pursue other objectives. Perhaps you feel you could be doing more, perhaps others have higher expectatinos. But you won’t find out until you can be honest with yourself and one another. Without the clarity afforded by truth there is no way forward.
At WhiteCap we believe the starting point is to ask the obvious: what do you want? Honesty established, we then try to work out where that sits within the business needs. By gathering all the impartial data and setting up cross-party reviews and assessments, we create the necessary space for shareholders’ hopes and aspirations to be discussed freely and without fear. We identify the different paths the business can take and assess each against the shareholders’ needs. They don’t have to be mutually exclusive. They can be harnessed and aligned in a creative marriage of shared goals. We tend to think of ambition in the present tense, but in reality it is only ever realised over time and with the right plan. WhiteCap manage this process objectively and empathetically so that alignment might be found in a future-focused strategy.
WhiteCap worked with the management team of a leading UK digital business to identify the target dates for shifts in contribution and involvement. By adopting a walk-don’t-jump ethos, over time all shareholders were able to realise their ambitions without hurting – and at no cost to - the group business interests.
“It is easy to get distracted and stuck on a particular issue. Although in my case it was a significant issue, I did let it stall my business, allowing it to become my primary focus, believing that without resolution, my business could not move forward. Steven made me realise that yes, I had to think of the here and now, but thinking of the future, seeing the bigger picture, was even more critical for the growth and success of my business”