Tag: feedback

Harmony

FabrizioLeave a comment

Respect.

For some that means being kind to others. For some that means always telling it like it is. For some it is a matter of not wasting anybody’s time. For some it’s about making everyone feel involved.

Professional.

For some that means wearing a suit during workdays. For some that means being calm and in control. For some it is a matter of delivering on the promises. For some it’s about using a given lingo when talking and presenting.

Productive.

For some that means delivering a lot. For some that means delivering well. For some it is a matter of the time it takes to do things. For some it’s about money.

The point being, there is no absolute agreement on what things mean. And just because others have a different definition, it does not mean they are less committed to achieve exactly what you say you also want to achieve.

Your role in all that is to accept this very little fact – that different people have different definitions for the same thing. Not better, not worst. Just different.

Plus, you ought it to yourself and others to set some boundaries for your own definitions, boundaries that people should not overstep if they want to do business with you.

The rest is harmony.

One more chat

FabrizioLeave a comment

One of the biggest problems of companies that are growing is people turnover. The faster the growth, the bigger the problem.

Hiring and onboarding new people is a huge obstacle to further growth. And since growth is chaotic and managers don’t know how to manage (people), many will increasingly be demotivated, will burn out, or will simply leave. It is a spiral from which it is very difficult to get out.

The only antidote to this problem is start caring about people early on. Shifting the managerial approach from one more deal, one more feature, one more campaign to one more hour spent chatting with colleagues, both within your team and cross-functionally. Over-communicate and leave space to listen. Ensure that the team you already have will be a strong foundation for the growth that is coming.

Blow thoughts away

FabrizioLeave a comment

A thought is just a thought.

It comes and goes. It might come back, and certainly it will go away once more.

The challenge is that often we take that thought and build our reality around it. That person is mean to mean. Nobody wants me. I am not good enough. And by doing that, we twist our reality to match the thought. The thought will stay and we become conditioned by it.

Blow thoughts away, particularly the negative, devious, perverse, mean ones. They are just thoughts, until you build them into something bigger.

Not up to the task

FabrizioLeave a comment

So many of us do not feel up to the task. It’s a feeling that makes us shy away from achieving more, that makes us hide and retreat, that eventually feeds into a demotivating spiral from which it is difficult to escape.

But what is the task?

When we say we do not feel up to the task, we often refer to something ideal, some perfect outcome that we never really define. We imagine ourselves being in a position where we have everything under control, where we know everything, and where we can answer every question without fault and self-doubt.

The task is not that. Nobody in their sane mind would ask you to be up to that task.

The task is showing up and figuring it out as you go. Living and dealing with that kind of uncertainty and with that level of ignorance, while still being kind to others and willing to bring them along the way with you. Perhaps learning something from them and teaching them something.

It’s not an easy task, but it can be concrete and it is achievable.

So, if you feel like you are not up to the task, start by asking yourself what the task is. You might be relieved from a big stress.

Flat

FabrizioLeave a comment

A flat organization is an opportunity for employees to speak freely, to share their opinion, to make an impact.

A flat organization is not an excuse for managers to make jokes about employees, say whatever comes to their mind, pretend they are not in charge.

It’s a thin distinction, one that is good to remember often.