One thing many startups lack is a business operating system. A high-growth startup that isn’t using an operating system to run the business either isn’t familiar with the concept, or they are familiar but are afraid it will be too cumbersome to implement and restrictive to operate. An operating system might sound complicated to set […]
SaaS Culture Best Practices
Read, listen and watch SaaS culture best practices for founders and leaders of growing technology companies. Join SaaS co-founders and operators for guidance on sales, marketing, customer success, culture, and institutional readiness.
4 Essential C’s of Leadership: Communication, Clarity, Context, Consistency
There are many things that are essential to great leadership, but when there’s a people leadership problem it usually comes down to one (or more) of 4 areas—communication, clarity, context, and consistency. Let’s call these the 4 Cs of leadership. What is a people leadership problem? The symptoms look like this: Low employee engagement High […]
Does Work Suck? No, but…
I read “Why Work Sucks and How to Fix It” by Cali Ressler and Jody Thompson right before the Coronavirus hit. And because many business leaders are thinking about if, how, and when their staff will return to the office this is an interesting book to consider right now. Not sure how this one got on […]
An OKR Primer
Just when I think the world doesn’t need yet another introduction to OKRs, I talk to a company struggling to implement them. As an OKR convert (someone who didn’t like them, and now enthusiastically loves them), I think this stems from over complicating it and getting in your own way. While it can take a while […]
7 Reasons Why Companies Should Offer Workplace Flexibility
Full disclosure, I wrote this article just before companies started sending employees home to work due to the Coronavirus. It was scheduled to go live mid-March and I hit the pause button. But with companies starting to re-consider opening their offices in a limited capacity, it seemed like the time to resurrect this. Running a […]
How to Successfully Onboard Remote Employees
At my last company, at least 50% of the staff we hired were onboarded remotely. You CAN onboard a new hire successfully and have them fully engaged in your organization, whether you are a “butts in seat” company or totally remote-friendly. Onboarding a remote employee is similar to onboarding an in-office employee, so a lot of […]
Create a Culture of Say-Do
Do you have a culture of Say-Do? I heard this new term in a meeting the other day, and I loved its simplicity—“say-do”. As in, say you are going to do something and then do it. Say-do is an aspect of culture many companies struggle with, especially in hyper-growth mode or times of upheaval and […]
Stress management for startup leaders living through crazy times
I know that stress management may seem like the least important thing on your list right now. But stress management is exactly what you, your family, your staff and your company need. It’s how we rally the troops, keep our relationships intact, maintain perspective, and make sound business decisions. No point for me to say […]
Please, No More Annual Performance Reviews!
Who hates annual employee performance reviews? Everyone, that’s who. Employees hate them, managers hate them. HR probably hates them. There are plenty of studies and articles and trends to back this up. Like this one. And this one. Publications like The New York Times and The New Yorker are spreading the word. And there’s even a […]
Is It Time to Let That Person Go?
I have had many conversations (far too many to count) with managers and leaders who are trying to decide if it’s time to let someone go. The decision to keep investing in someone to try and nurture them, and coach them up to expectations, is often a gut-wrenching roller coaster of emotions and energy. But […]
