The Toolbox
The Idea
A very simple tool box of practices and routines, tested, repeated and embedded in any team, will completely transform how well the team performs.
In our view, not much is needed, at first. But something is needed. The culture of the company is created and renewed by the leadership team. Attention to the quality of the experience of the people that work for you will be required eventually. Typically, by the time it is required, it is too late.
Build Culture Deliberately
The culture of the team is built deliberately by the founder, without hesitation, and revisited regularly for its energy and utility. Building your team's culture is a prerequisite for success. Even two people have a culture of interaction that is either examined and agreed upon, or is unconscious and has a mind of its own. The conscious, agreed-upon ones are better.
A culture deck might look like this or like this.
The simple set of tools and practices outline here are the minimum that any small startup will want to begin to practice and adapt.
POP = Purpose / Outcome / Process
A Simple Algorithm
Purpose/outcome/process is a simple algorithm, outlined here, that should precede any significant action that you take. Once it becomes second nature, your day will transform from a string of activities that are pursued unconsciously to a set of transactions that are optimized, every step of the way, to produce the best possible outcome. These incremental enhancements add up, quickly.
When embedded in a team, the POP algorithm becomes standard whereby any transaction is prepared for and evaluated. Wasted time drops, and productive interactions increase.
Capture & Hold
Eliminate Ambiguity in Conversation
Typically, conversations and meetings and with nods and smiles and thumbs up all around, and then each member of a group will interpret and modify the results of that transaction based on the quality of their memory, their interpretation of words and phrases, their inclination to listen carefully, and any other human trait that erodes the quality of communication.
The capture and hold practice eliminates ambiguity by asking that one member the team record the conversation and test for agreement. All verbal transactions, such as a conversation with a potential investor, a conversation with a team that works for you, a conversation with your co-founder, any meeting that has a checklist attached, should be captured and held diligently.
There are two bonuses to a rigorous "capture and hold" practice. One, the leader can push the envelope a little bit by emphasizing those parts of the conversation that they wish to see implemented or reflected on. And two, the act of checking for agreement after a conversation evokes the best thinking and reflection from team members, particularly those who might have a different cognitive style--those who need time to reflect, or are reluctant to speak up. Asking the group for its wisdom produces more wisdom. All you do is write a memo after the transaction which says:
Here's what I heard
Did I get it right?
Decision-making and Effective Delegation
Performance in teams can go sideways when there is not clarity on how decisions are made, and delegation of tasks is not effectively communicated and evaluated. These two tools and practices can solve that problem.
First, clarity on decision-making. You can use DARCI, or MOCHA, or anything that removes ambiguity.
Second, clarity on delegation. The delegation worksheet is a masterful way of communicating and clarifying an assignment, and also generating the best thinking from the team.
And Third, line-of-sight into the thinking of your team. One great tool is called gradients of agreement.