Reflecting on Cultural Fit

This post originally appeared in my weekly newsletter, BL&T (Borrowed, Learned, & Thought). Subscribe

Borrowed

"Ownership. Leaders are owners. They think long term and don’t sacrifice long-term value for short-term results. They act on behalf of the entire company, beyond just their own team. They never say, “that’s not my job.”

From "Working Backwards: Insights, Stories, and Secrets from Inside Amazon" by Colin Bryar & Bill Carr [Book]

Learned

We recently let a team member go after less than six months with us. These conversations never get easier. They are uncomfortable for everyone involved. In the moment, it feels heavy, but I have learned that when things are not working out, moving on is better for both sides in the long term. When performance is an issue and you’ve tried to make it work, holding on only makes things more difficult for everyone.

And yet, it has been a few weeks now, and the experience has been lingering in the back of my mind. I keep asking myself what we can take from it to do better. The more I think about it, the more I realize it comes down to clarity. Clarity around what it means to succeed here, and the importance of being honest about that with ourselves and with anyone who joins the team.

The people who succeed here take ownership. They don’t wait for anyone to lay out the path. They ask questions, seek out context, and create momentum. They are comfortable with change and evolving structures and build what they need to do well.

They also understand the value of small steps. It’s tempting to see a gap and want to solve it with a bold idea or a months-long project. It sounds transformative, but in practice, it delays progress. What moves us forward are the incremental fixes.

Changing one slide instead of going back to the drawing board on the entire deck or process.

Drafting a quick v1 instead of trying to build the perfect process that we’re not even sure will work.

Taking action, making mistakes, and learning along the way = progress. We can learn from our mistakes, but inaction leaves us stuck.

Just as important is team mindset. Everyone has a role, but with a tight-knit team, roles cannot be rigid. What makes us stronger is when someone notices a teammate who needs support and jumps in, or offers up their expertise to help. Pointing at blockers, “flagging” issues, or placing blame does not help. Finding a way to contribute does.

Of course, there are ways we can improve. Our onboarding could be stronger. Our documentation could be better. We are continually working on both. The people who succeed here are energized by the chance to help us build what’s missing rather than waiting to be handed everything they think they need.

Looking back, I don’t think the takeaway is complicated. It’s really about the type of energy someone brings into the room, and going forward, I feel even more conviction about its importance in how we uphold the standard as a team and make hiring decisions.

Do they create momentum, or wait for it?

Do they make things easier for the people around them, or harder?

These are the signals top of mind for me as we continue to grow and evolve our team.