This may sound like an obvious statement, but engagement means more than just interaction through phone calls, videos, or meetings. Many times, an advisor doesn’t initially ‘walk a mile’ in the shoes of the company, investors, and employees.
We have never been given full access and/or granted insider rights until we have proven that we are trustworthy, caring, smart and capable of listening to all sides of the story (see my post on Listening).
Engagement also means digging in and doing discovery on what the company is all about. From an organizational development perspective, it may not seem necessary to understand the product, cultural or business model. But we have found that being able to talk with some amount of authority about the product, market conditions, competition, sales channel issues -- the whole company -- really goes a long way in helping integrate you, the outsider, into the company culture.
Contact us with any questions or for more information.
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