In an attempt to be transparent about my leadership philosophy and my expectations (both for myself and my team), I have put together this document. I think explicit is better than implicit and I want this to serve as a way to hold myself accountable as well as to clearly articulate my expectations for my team.
- I strive to be a servant leader: I believe managers work for their teams, not the other way around
- I am an advocate for you and the team with the rest of the organization
- I will set the context for your work, not tell you how to do it
- I want to support your growth and provide you with opportunities to learn and apply your skills
- I am also an individual contributor on this team and hold myself accountable to the same expectations I set for the team
- While I usually have a lot on my plate, very little is more important to me than talking to you if you need to talk. If you want to talk, let's talk.
- If you have questions, have a roadblock in your work, or just need a thought partner I'd love to hear about it as soon as possible. You don't have to wait until our scheduled one-on-one meetings. Invite me to a Slack huddle, call me, or just put some time on my calendar anywhere that's open.
- If my schedule is blocked when you need me, let me know so I can make sure we find time to connect
- My regular schedule is 9:30am-6:00pm CT. Give or take. If you need to schedule something in person, early morning, let me know and I will take extras steps to be there on time.
- You are agile and adaptable. We wear many hats and our roles and work evolve as the organization's needs change. I will expect you to change gears as needed and work on things you may have no prior experience in. Innovation means trying new things and not always knowing how to do it right away.
- You are a directly responsible individual. I expect you to take ownership for your work and your mistakes. I will create a safe space for productive failure as well as give you credit for your successes.
- You are good at your job. I wouldn't have hired you if I thought otherwise. If it feels like I'm questioning you it's because I am trying to gather context or trying to be a sounding board and rubber duck for your ideas. However, you know best how to do your work. I'll ask questions and vet your ideas, but won't override your decisions. I will expect you to own those decisions though.
- You feel safe debating with me. I believe in productive disagreement. I find that ideas improve by being examined from all angles. If it sounds like I'm disagreeing I'm most likely just playing devil's advocate and want you to articulate and refine your position. This does rely on us being able to have a safe debate. Sometimes the right answer is one neither of us started with.
- I value your transparency. I want you to keep me in the loop and let me know about issues as they arise. Be transparent with me. I will do the same for you.
- I value your learning. I know that it takes time to learn new things and that novel projects will require additional time to experiment and iterate.
- I value your time. I don't want you to waste your time on busy work. I want you to provide value and feel valued. I want you to have pride in your work and feel inspired and purposeful in the work you do here. That doesn't mean we won't ever have a slog or work we have to power through. However, if you feel like you are wasting your time on menial work, let's find a way to automate it!
- I value your input. I put processes in place to make us more effective. I don't believe in just going through the motions or process for the sake of process. If you think something is getting in the way of your work, let me know. I want to improve our processes so they work effectively for all of us.
- The quality of our work increases with the amount of concentration we give it.
- Attention is a valuable resource. Be prepared to defend it. Deep work is vital to quality.
- You are not paid to maintain your inbox or attend meetings. Block off time on your calendar if you need to. It's okay to say no to an immediate request for your attention or to ask to circle back later.
- Troubleshooting a problem with a teammate, though, is a valuable exercise. There are always things to learn from unplanned collaboration. Be open to help others when they need it and they will return the favor. Just be judicious with how much of your time you dole out for interruptions.
- Radical Candor makes a lot of sense to me. I want to give you feedback because I care about you and want to help you grow.
- I prefer to offer and receive direct feedback in a timely manner. The tighter the feedback loop, the better. I will preserve time in our one-on-one meetings for bi-directional feedback.
- I expect people to call BS when they see it and not be afraid to speak up.
- Feedback is best when it is actionable and explicit about what improvement looks like.
- I want you to work smarter, not harder. Don't burn yourself out. There is always more work to do. You don't have to solve everything today.
- I believe in working to live, not living to work. We are mission driven and everyone wants to give 110%, but we have to be mindful of the stress this imbalance can cause.
- Unless there's an emergency, I don't expect to communicate with you outside of business hours. If you get an email from me late at night or first thing in the morning, I don't expect you to respond immediately. That's me working when I need to. Pick it up when you get a chance during your preferred schedule. If I call your cell or text you directly, it's urgent. Please respond accordingly.
- Our team is spread across all timezones in the contiguous united states. Our individual schedules reflect that. Figure out what works for you and let me know. I'm flexible about your schedule and know that things come up that may require starting late or ending early.
- While we are a remote organization, we make efforts to meet in person throughout the year to strengthen bonds and engage with the portfolio directly. You can expect to travel once or more each quarter.
- I think O3s are important and want us to check in regularly. I will strive to prioritize our O3s ahead of other commitments and be there on-time and committed to listening. I will give you my full attention.
- These meetings are for you and I expect you to set the agenda. It's not just a time for status updates (although I am happy to chat about your project status). If I have things I want to ask you, I will, but this is your time.
- I have a difficult time focusing and connecting unless I can see your face over video. If you're doing the whole work in your pajamas thing, fine by me. You don't have to dress up. I also recognize there are times when it is not ideal to be on camera and will respect your needs.
- I will preserve time to meet weekly, but the length, frequency, and medium are up to you. I will carve out at least 60 minutes for these but if you need less time or want to run over, let me know.
- I think strong teams come from great working relationships. I encourage you to connect with your peers as well as other teammates across the org and the portfolio beyond just transactional interactions.
- I'm happy to make introductions for you or provide networking suggestions to help you do that.