Infographic: The Ghostbusters’ Guide to Managing People

Start-Up Management Tips from Peter, Ray, and Egon 

We all know what Ghostbusters is about, right? These three guys come up with a way to manage ghosts and evil spirits and then set out to rid Manhattan of the scary specters. It’s a fun story that has since been logged firmly in the list of movie classics and garnered a great number of pop culture references. All of this is true, as well as the fact that Harold Ramis was a genius, Bill Murray is a living legend, and Dan Aykroyd has obviously always been hilarious. Know what might not be immediately obvious? 

The Ghostbusters knew how to start a business. Hey, if they weren’t afraid of no ghosts, a start-up was hardly going to make them tremble, right? Still, these guys managed to pull together a company while battling the supernatural, and rarely did they break a sweat. So, what did they do right? This infographic breaks it down:

Working Together

Simply put, these guys set their egos aside (most of the time, right, Dr. Venkman?) and worked together. Even when they were strong enough on their own, they joined forces and combined strengths to get the job done. There is no room for ego in a start-up.

No Drama

As the owner of a start-up, you’ll run into drama of all sorts every day. In fact, with your emotions running high, you might just be the source of that drama. Instead of showing your employees, colleagues, and clients how quickly you break down under pressure, you must keep your drama contained. 

Trust Your Instincts

You have a lot of big decisions to make in the beginning, from whom to hire to which clients you’ll serve. Overthinking could lead you to the wrong conclusion, so you’ll have wasted time in addition to choosing badly. When you know, you know. Don’t let anyone talk you out of it.

No Negativity

Your employees and clients rely on you to be the voice of positivity. Even when things go wrong, it’s up to you to create a learning experience rather than fly off the rails. Encouragement is the only way to keep everyone on board.

Challenge Each Other

Sometimes you’ll have to ask direct questions to get the answers you need. Even if that means pointing out someone’s shortcomings or massive mistakes. Just remember everyone is human, and you’re going to make plenty of mistakes, too. When that mirror is turned on you, accept the challenge to better yourself and your company.

The Ghostbusters taught a lot more than the infographic shares, too. Didn’t they see a need, a particular pain point, and work to solve it for their customers? Didn’t they use their individual talents to create a cohesive team? Didn’t they capitalize on a niche market rather than attempting to branch out too soon?

We’d recommend a viewing of Ghostbusters with fresh eyes. Look out for all those things that made the guys great entrepreneurs. What about their (thwarted) attempt to get the firehouse as a much better price? When Ray blew the deal, did Venkman and Spengler pile guilt upon him or did they band together as a team? When clients attempted to solve problems on their own, did the guys simply walk away, or did they prove their unique value proposition?

Bet you’ll never watch Ghostbusters the same way again.

image credit: freedigitalphotos.net/lamnee

Infographic: The Ghostbusters’ Guide to Managing People