Session 5 - 09 Working Attitude, Core Values and General Advice

Summary

The transcript discusses the importance of collective effort, accountability, and care in building a great company. It emphasizes the significance of genuine feedback for personal and professional growth, highlighting the need for employees to embrace constructive criticism to improve and align with core values. The speaker also stresses the role of core values in guiding decision-making and fostering a harmonious work environment.

Takeaways

• 😀 A great company is defined by the collective contribution and effort of every individual, emphasizing accountability, care, and diligence in their work.
• 🌟 The importance of feedback is highlighted, with the speaker stressing that genuine, honest feedback is crucial for personal and professional growth, and avoiding it can hinder success.
• 💬 The speaker discusses the value of candid communication, suggesting that withholding feedback due to fear of hurting feelings can lead to mixed messages and missed opportunities for improvement.
• 🔄 Feedback should be seen as a guidance system, helping individuals to learn and improve, rather than as a personal attack or a cause for distress.
• 📈 The analogy of a shoelace being untied is used to illustrate how feedback should be taken – as a simple, actionable item that can be fixed without emotional distress.
• 📚 The speaker encourages creating checklists based on feedback to ensure repeated mistakes are avoided, promoting a systematic approach to improvement.
• 🤝 Building a strong relationship with clients and understanding their values is emphasized, as it helps in managing expectations and responding effectively to feedback.
• 💡 Core values are deemed important as they guide behavior, decision-making, and align the organization's culture, making them a critical factor in hiring and maintaining a harmonious work environment.
• 🔧 The speaker suggests that core values help in reducing friction within an organization by providing a common understanding and approach to work and challenges.
• 🚫 The negative impact of operating in fear is discussed, with the speaker advising against letting mistakes or feedback lead to panic or loss of confidence, which can exacerbate issues.
• 🌱 The speaker concludes by reinforcing the idea that making mistakes is a part of growth, and the key is to learn from them and ensure they are not repeated, fostering a positive and learning-oriented culture.

Q & A

What does the speaker believe makes a great company?

The speaker believes that a great company is made by the combined contribution and effort of every single person in the organization who completes their work with accountability, care, and diligence.

Why is the speaker against having only a few superstars in a company?

The speaker argues that while superstars can be brilliant, it's the collective effort of all parts of the company that makes it strong, and having only a few people who care and go the extra mile is not enough.

What is the speaker's view on the importance of feedback in a company?

The speaker views feedback as crucial because it provides employees with the opportunity to be successful in their jobs by offering genuine, honest feedback that can help them improve and progress in their careers.

How does the speaker suggest employees should take feedback?

The speaker suggests that employees should take feedback as a guidance system, not as a personal attack, and should use it to improve and avoid repeating the same mistakes.

What is the speaker's advice on dealing with feedback that one has received in the past?

The speaker advises to remember the feedback, recognize when to use it next, and implement strategies to improve. For example, creating a checklist from the feedback to ensure not repeating the same mistakes.

Why does the speaker emphasize not letting feedback be devastating to employees?

The speaker emphasizes this because operating in fear can lead to more mistakes. They want employees to view feedback as a way to improve without the pressure of feeling devastated by it.

What analogy does the speaker use to illustrate how feedback should be taken?

The speaker uses the analogy of a shoelace being untied – something benign that needs to be fixed, but doesn't define the person or their job.

What is the speaker's opinion on the role of core values in a company?

The speaker believes core values are important as they guide decision-making, connect people within the company, and help in hiring employees who align with the company's values.

How do core values help in the hiring process according to the speaker?

Core values help in hiring by ensuring that the company hires people who share and align with those values, creating a harmonious and productive work environment.

What is the speaker's view on the impact of core value misalignment in a company?

The speaker believes that core value misalignment can cause friction, drama, and problems within the company, making it challenging to work harmoniously and efficiently.

How do core values guide decision-making within a company?

Core values guide decision-making by providing an underlying framework for how things are done within the company, helping employees make decisions that align with the company's principles even when no one is there to ask.