Present yet not Intrusive

imagesJenna at 33 Voices sent me a recent interview she did where the person talked about the balance of being an investor.  The answer was about being present yet not intrusive.

I completely agree with that.  Each level of investing is different.  An angel can be more present than anything else and will get nowhere being intrusive.  A VC is different.  More money and more ownership in the company.  You really hope that they are super present but there is a level of being intrusive that comes from time to time.  Those times can be tough for both sides of the fence but in the end I always believe that everyone ends up in a better place.  Kind of like when you kiss and make-up.

Present yet not intrusive can always be used for parenting.  The importance of being present in our kids lives was my number one priority.  Intrusive can backfire big time as a parent.  I have seen many parents be so intrusive in their kids lives and it isn’t pretty for anyone.  The kids eventually get pissed off.  There is a level of making sure that they are smart and safe but there is a line that needs to be drawn.  I have never been fans of the parents who their kids are the end all be all and they have nothing else to focus on.

Like anything, it is all about balance.

Comments (Archived):

  1. Mario Cantin

    This is solid advice. Suggestion: you could publish a book by simply going back in time on your blog and extracting the gems such as this one, and then adding more to your taste. There’s a book in you — don’t discount it.

  2. pointsnfigures

    Yes, Everything to help, nothing to hinder

  3. Susan Rubinsky

    I love how you relate this back to parenting. So very true.

    1. Gotham Gal

      kids teach you a lot about smart management.

      1. Susan Rubinsky

        Absolutely.

  4. Emily Steed

    This resonates for me. I often see parallels between parenting and change management. “Connect before correct” is another parenting mantra I find useful in business, especially when standardizing processes.

    1. Gotham Gal

      I like that

  5. Donna Brewington White

    It is amazing to me how often the things I read/hear about investing in companies relates to parenting and vice versa.Now that a couple of my kids have reached early adulthood — each with very different needs — the lessons continue. I think that someday I will be a really great investor, thanks to my kids. Although I wish the lessons learned could have been the other way around.

  6. Ella Dyer

    Yes, excellent advice for all aspects of life. Great idea too @M@mario_cantin:disqus!