Read This If You Think You Should Be Yourself
"Be yourself and don't let anyone tell you otherwise."
"Stick to your guns."
"Not everyone will like you, just keep doing you."
Have you heard any of these before?
I'm not saying that there's anything wrong with being yourself--sort of.
I mean, let's get real here.
What if you're a jerk?
Here's an example:
Steve Jobs did some impactful work, but there are 2 things that Jobs fans often forget.
- Steve Jobs didn't do anything by himself, he had Steve Wozniak as his chief integrator to get stuff done.
- Steve Jobs was a jerk to a lot of people.
What's important about this is the outcome and then also "how" the outcome was achieved, specifically, I'm talking about working relationships.
It's great if you're making an impact, but it's not great if you're not treating others with respect. Impact and respect are NOT mutually exclusive!
So, do you think "keep doing you" is good advice for Steve Jobs? Maybe in part.
I think better advice might be "be true to your beliefs and empathize with others."
Or maybe something like "be genuine, honest, and respectful."
So, be yourself AND make sure you're auditing the feedback that's around you.
This gets harder if you've built a lifetime reputation of being difficult to work with because, at some point, the feedback people are willing to provide you might not be honest since honest feedback has gotten them nowhere with you in the past. But that's a deeper story.
2 Minute Action:
Every couple of years, I put together an anonymous feedback form and send it to the folks who know me best or who have worked with me closely.
Some people fill it out. Some of them just call me and say "let's talk through this in person."
There's no wrong way to eat a Reese's, here.
In 2 minutes, you can call a trusted friend or create an anonymous Google form that you can send out.
Do you (iterate). Get feedback (measure). Understand the feedback (learn). Revise your approach (reiterate).
Here are some questions you can steal from me, for your own feedback form:
- What are 3 of my superpowers?
- What might be 3 of my biggest weaknesses?
- What do you think is the best part of working with me?
- What might be the most challenging part of working with me?
- If you had telekinesis, what would you make me automatically understand?
3 Characteristics Of Rock Star Teammates
Stop hiring for specific skills.Hiring this way almost always overlooks the three most important traits of a strong candidate.There are 3 things that good managers hire for.Of course, sometimes, you really do need a highly trained skill set. There's just no amount of positivity that will substitute for an expertly-trained brain surgeon--but unless you need a super specific, high-stakes skill like this, you're much, much better off starting at these 3 traits:
Aptitude
Do they have the ability to learn and execute the skills they need to be successful?
Attitude
Do they make others around them feel confident, capable, and like excellence is possible? No one can sustain this all the time under all circumstances, that's just faking it. We're just looking at most of the time. What's their common thought habit?
Cultural fit
Culture is not the ping-pong table, the nerf guns, nor the Keurig. Culture is how you treat others when it's hard, when you're tired, and when you're frustrated. Cultural fit on a high-performance team is "do you believe what we believe?" "Do you have similar values as shown by your actions?"Finding these three traits will lead to capturing the right people. Training, mentoring, and supporting them are the things that will keep them with you.
2 Minute Action
Quickly list a few traits of your high-performers.What are the characteristics that make them successful? Pick 3-5.Now rank your other teammates on a 10 point scale for each of these 3-5 characteristics.If anyone is below a 6, you should schedule time to identify/discuss and solve this.Reviews do NOT need to be annual. Make it happen, today.
What Is Version 1 and Why Does It Matter?
There’s something weird that happens when you start.It doesn’t have to make sense or be what you planned.
You don’t even have to have a plan at all.
All that matters is that you build something, measure results, and learn something from them.The value of this cycle only kicks in when you have a hypothesis about what went wrong with what you built, and you begin the next building phase just a little bit smarter.
Build, measure, learn.
In that order.Most people can get behind this idea but somehow still find themselves too afraid or unable to start.It’s not about building what you have in your mind.It’s about building SOMEthing.If you’re not embarrassed by who you were 6 months ago, you’re not learning fast enough.
The world is out there, turning.
Your pace is up to you.Maybe you don’t have a million dollar software startup that recommends music playlists to people on the first day.But if you called a friend and asked them what music they liked, and then made a suggestion, you’d be beating someone who is still fussing around with what programming language to start with.The only thing you need to have a business is a paying customer.The only thing you need to do is start adding value.The only thing you need to do is start!
2 Minute Action:
What are you waiting for permission to do?Are you waiting for someone else to pick you?Could you just make a phone call?Could you just apply?Could you just direct message a few people?Could you pilot your idea with a prototype instead of going to a fancy printer?Could you do a wireframe or a mock-up, first?Can you draw it on a napkin or notebook?These are all small “version 1” iterations that can help you build momentum to move you forward with confidence.I can only help ask the questions you can ask yourself later.Your action is up to you.