90 Seconds to Be Inspired

On my first day on the job as a global Chief People Officer, I asked my new boss what success would look like one year from now. He replied, “double headcount and don’t f&*! up the culture.”

Simple enough, right?

Wrong.

Over the next few weeks, I realized the lack of clarity led to unnecessary miscommunications. Simple decisions I’d historically made autonomously he wanted to weigh in on. 

Complex brainstorms I’d assume we’d partner on he wanted nothing to do with. 

It was confusing AF.

Even as an experienced leader, I needed way more clarity and context to be aligned with my boss. I needed to get into his head asap.

So, I did what I had to do. I created a framework and managed up.

90 Seconds to Learn a Little

Ya’ll know me by now. Simple is best. I asked my CEO to consider my remit and bucket all of it in three categories:

1. What can Joy autonomously decide today? I asked him to consider this two ways - he already trusts my judgement or simply doesn’t care enough to be involved. Harsh but true for a CEO!

2. What decisions should we be thought partners on? This may be selected because the CEO enjoys the topic or because they want to see my thought process a bit to build trust.

3. And finally, what do you need me to simply execute your way? No debates, just get it done.

A few notes on this framework. It’s simple in theory and complex in execution. At the beginning, most decisions fell in the middle, but time was limited so we simply couldn't be “thought partners” on everything. But, I prioritized these items on our 1:1s and anytime I got tasked with something new or had an idea, I could slack it to him with the three buckets and it was a shortcut to building trust.

90 Seconds to Connect

As we gear up for the holiday season, let me take a moment to say THANK YOU to all of you who regularly read Time for Joy. Your comments, feedback, and engagement over the last year and a half mean the world to me and it keeps me writing!

If this newsletter resonates with you, please share it with another leader in your life! 

Leadership is hard, so hopefully this makes you feel a little more empowered and a little less lonely.

Help expand my inner circle!

My company, ScaleJOY, has delivered quality experiences to hundreds of clients and has grown solely by word of mouth referrals. Spread the JOY by sharing this newsletter, or connect them directly to me for leadership development, coaching, or offsite facilitation. Thank you for your continued support!