Three Hats: Entrepreneur, Manager, Technician

THREE HATS: ENTREPRENEUR, MANAGER, TECHNICIAN

by Ernestine Da Silva, October 31, 2023

Starting a business requires wearing a lot of different hats. In Michael E. Gerber’s book, The E-Myth, he talks about people owning a business and becoming the entrepreneur, the manager, and the technician. Each persona has its own role to play in the process of owning, running, and growing a business. However, most are stuck in the technician role without even knowing it.

At Pergola, we can help you get to the point where you are able to embrace the other roles in your business. When you let us do the administrative things and let us worry about the tasks that are not your area of expertise, you will find the time to start becoming a manager or an entrepreneur. We will be the technician so that you can take care of everything else that will really help your business grow. If needed, we can also be the manager that helps you implement processes and systems in your business.

So, what are the differences in being an entrepreneur, a manager, and a technician? Gerber explains it in his book very well. I have prepared a summary below on how these three roles might act in different scenarios based on how I understood Gerber’s explanation.

Scenario	ENTREPRENEUR	MANAGER	TECHNICIAN
In a strategic planning session, you can expect that:	They are the ones who dream big and see the opportunities in any given scenario.	They are the realistic ones asking if a goal is specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound (SMART).	They are the ones who go straight to listing tasks for the tactical plan.
In terms of timeline:	They always look toward the future.	They look at how something was done.	They look at things to do right now.
Their favourite question to ask during project planning	“What if there’s a better way?”	“How can we systemize?”	“When can I start?”
Their weaknesses may manifest in the form of:	Overcontrolling and overpromising.	Resistance to change.	Mistrusting the process or the vision.

Now, perhaps you are one of those rare business owners who can balance these three personalities exceptionally well. However, if you are like me, we usually have a favourite role to play. For a very long time, especially at the beginning of my business, I was 100% a technician. I was running my business 12 hours a day and spending all 12 hours just checking off my to do list. When I decided to get a subcontractor, that’s when I realized that I need to implement processes in my own business. When I got another subcontractor and spent time away in Terceira in the Azores Islands, that was when I finally unleashed my entrepreneurial side and started thinking about the future. And here I am, with an incorporated business, and just seven days ago, I finished a strategic planning session with my pro bono business partner, my husband.

If I could come to the realization that I need someone in my team, so can you! I encourage you to assess your workload, think about the last time you stopped to plan the future, and start taking systems seriously. And when you conclude your assessment and maybe find that you need some help – reach out to us. We would love to help you succeed!