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Share Three Things: We called our team back to the office full time a year ago - Culture: punching vs liking - Dave Roberts may not be bad, he was just cheated
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Three Things: We called our team back to the office full time a year ago - Culture: punching vs liking - Dave Roberts may not be bad, he was just cheated
The Three Things I Learned In Saas, Sports, Tech & Live Events:
1. Don't let fear make tough decisions for you. Do what you think is best for your company even if it is wildly unpopular - like going back to the office 4 to 5 days a week if you believe that's what your company needs (not all do). We get comments of amazement all the time when doing zooms and people see we're fully in the office four days per week - including Friday- for the majority of our team (not the vast majority, but the majority. We were considered overly WFH friendly prior to Covid). All of the company leaders say the same thing: "I'd love to get our people back but they refuse to come." There are two sides to the WFH argument - and I understand and respect them both. Many times in these conversations, it's very clear the leadership believes being back in the office is the best thing for their business, and not for nefarious reasons like a lack of trust. We tell them all the same thing: If that's the case for you and you want your team together, pull the trigger. If staff leaves, they leave. That's okay. It may be better for everyone. FWIW, nobody left us. Not one.
2. You don't have to like your teammates (maybe try not to punch them in the face though Draymond?) to have a winning culture. Culture is top of everyone's mind. I sat in six final interviews this week and it was either the first or second question from every candidate. As it should be. Culture is oxygen to your business. But…a great culture doesn't mean everyone is friends - or even friendly. And it definitely doesn't mean there aren't heated moments. Respect matters. And you can work with someone, dislike them, and respect the heck out of them. Here's NBA Champion Richard Jefferson saying the same https://twitter.com/ESPNNBA/status/1578464718817136640. It sounds easy, but far from it. It's hard to watch as teammates feel left out or aren't part of the in-crowd. We all want utopia. In business, however, utopia isn't everyone being friends- it's everyone being independent and themselves - in ways others like and in ways they don’t- and knowing they have that freedom.
3. Dave Roberts was cheated. You will be too. (and I was raised a Giants fan). The 111 win dodgers were bounced early in the playoffs (again) and it has been an ongoing stain on Roberts and Kershaw's reputation as postseason winners that they've failed to win a full season World Series. The same pair who lost a 7 game world series, and another world series, to teams caught, and punished, for cheating. If you choose to win the right way, you have to believe in yourself and your purpose enough to be cheated and know how the world will treat you. Because nobody else cares and all they'll point to is the fact that you lost - even if they won't call the cheaters winners either. Who would have won the 7 Tour De France's Lance Armstrong (and Jan Ulrich) cheated in? Nobody remembers. Does anyone recognize Aaron Rodger's Cal Bears as a legitimate claim to a spot in the national title game the year USC was disqualified (They lost once in the regular season- at USC)? How about the 2002 Sacramento Kings? Is Doug Christie a champion? Or is he a "choker" for throwing up two airballs in a game 7 which likely wouldn't have happened?
The things of this world are promised to the people of this world. If we live for more, we'll have to accept that, from time to time, we'll lose and it won't be fair. As Papa Knopp said so often: "Fare is what you pay to ride the bus."
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By Tony Knopp
5
11 ratings
The Three Things I Learned In Saas, Sports, Tech & Live Events:
1. Don't let fear make tough decisions for you. Do what you think is best for your company even if it is wildly unpopular - like going back to the office 4 to 5 days a week if you believe that's what your company needs (not all do). We get comments of amazement all the time when doing zooms and people see we're fully in the office four days per week - including Friday- for the majority of our team (not the vast majority, but the majority. We were considered overly WFH friendly prior to Covid). All of the company leaders say the same thing: "I'd love to get our people back but they refuse to come." There are two sides to the WFH argument - and I understand and respect them both. Many times in these conversations, it's very clear the leadership believes being back in the office is the best thing for their business, and not for nefarious reasons like a lack of trust. We tell them all the same thing: If that's the case for you and you want your team together, pull the trigger. If staff leaves, they leave. That's okay. It may be better for everyone. FWIW, nobody left us. Not one.
2. You don't have to like your teammates (maybe try not to punch them in the face though Draymond?) to have a winning culture. Culture is top of everyone's mind. I sat in six final interviews this week and it was either the first or second question from every candidate. As it should be. Culture is oxygen to your business. But…a great culture doesn't mean everyone is friends - or even friendly. And it definitely doesn't mean there aren't heated moments. Respect matters. And you can work with someone, dislike them, and respect the heck out of them. Here's NBA Champion Richard Jefferson saying the same https://twitter.com/ESPNNBA/status/1578464718817136640. It sounds easy, but far from it. It's hard to watch as teammates feel left out or aren't part of the in-crowd. We all want utopia. In business, however, utopia isn't everyone being friends- it's everyone being independent and themselves - in ways others like and in ways they don’t- and knowing they have that freedom.
3. Dave Roberts was cheated. You will be too. (and I was raised a Giants fan). The 111 win dodgers were bounced early in the playoffs (again) and it has been an ongoing stain on Roberts and Kershaw's reputation as postseason winners that they've failed to win a full season World Series. The same pair who lost a 7 game world series, and another world series, to teams caught, and punished, for cheating. If you choose to win the right way, you have to believe in yourself and your purpose enough to be cheated and know how the world will treat you. Because nobody else cares and all they'll point to is the fact that you lost - even if they won't call the cheaters winners either. Who would have won the 7 Tour De France's Lance Armstrong (and Jan Ulrich) cheated in? Nobody remembers. Does anyone recognize Aaron Rodger's Cal Bears as a legitimate claim to a spot in the national title game the year USC was disqualified (They lost once in the regular season- at USC)? How about the 2002 Sacramento Kings? Is Doug Christie a champion? Or is he a "choker" for throwing up two airballs in a game 7 which likely wouldn't have happened?
The things of this world are promised to the people of this world. If we live for more, we'll have to accept that, from time to time, we'll lose and it won't be fair. As Papa Knopp said so often: "Fare is what you pay to ride the bus."