SOP: 3 Promotion Strategies to Land Executive Roles in 2024

 

The common promotion strategy - work hard and wait for your turn - often falls flat. The reason only 9% of people get promoted, is that very few realize they need a Push strategy, not a Pull Strategy.   Reactive strategy - Wait (and hope) to be given a promotion Proactive strategy - Create the opportunity and make the promotion happen   A reactive strategy can keep you stuck for years. You are relying on someone else to direct your future. A proactive strategy gets you promoted fast, ahead of people with more seniority, and even in the worst economy. Not to mention, it shifts the power dynamics in your favor, because you call the shots.   So what does a proactive strategy look like? That's what I'm breaking down for you this week.   (There's also a video version that goes deeper)

Promotion Strategy #1: From Director to VP in 6 Months (promotion while changing employers)   Situation: You are an accomplished Director with stellar performance reviews. You are starting to think about a promotion, but then the strangest thing happens. Your manager says your work is not up to par, and you are laid off.   You are confused, hurt, and overwhelmed. Your confidence takes a hit.   This is what most people do in this situation: They immediately start applying for ANY Director job they can find, creating a false negative. They get rejected because they apply for roles that don’t match their unique skills.   Following the rejections, they assume they’ll need to take a step back, so they apply for senior manager roles. They get rejected from those because they are clearly overqualified, but the rejections reinforce the false negative cycle.   Their confidence is completely shattered, so even when they get interviews, they come across as insecure and lose the opportunity.    The Promotion Strategy you need:   1. Rebuild self-confidence first. Don’t act out of fear. If you don’t believe in yourself, no one else will. Do not let one person’s opinion count more than a decade of experience Create a brag list to remind yourself who you are and what you are capable of Talk to past leaders and colleagues to get an unbiased perspective   2. Create a vision and plan: It may feel tempting to run in all directions to grab any opportunity, but that’s a recipe for disappointment. Having a vision gives you clarity and direction. Ask yourself: What would my next move look like if I wasn't laid off? Where will l have the most leverage to achieve this goal? (type of company/industry/role) How did people like me get this opportunity? (talk to people who have the job you want to have)   3. Don’t limit yourself to what’s available; create opportunities. If you only rely on job postings, your opportunity pool will be limited. Instead, figure out how to create the opportunity you want.   This is exactly what my client did after being let go from a Director role.   Her vision was to become a partner at a VC firm. She never even considered it while applying because she thought she’d need an MBA or financial background to be considered. However, after speaking with a few partners, she realized she didn’t need any certifications. She needed practical experience working as a VP.    She also learned these roles are mostly filled through the inner circles, so she must become an insider.   Instead of randomly applying online, she started networking with people who work at VC firms. She joined a few dedicated communities and started engaging and sharing advice, which got her noticed.    A few partners approached her and offered her consulting opportunities. Those paid consulting opportunities turned into two job offers, one of which she accepted as a VP.   From laid off as a Director to a VP in her dream industry with a killer network in less than 6 months.   Promotion Strategy #2: From Manager to Sr. Manager in 6 weeks (internal promotion during reorg)   Situation: You are a respected manager that everyone knows and loves. You work hard and give 120% because you believe your hard work will eventually be rewarded. You’re getting close to the two-year mark, but instead of being put up for promotion, you learn your manager is leaving, and the company is going through a reorg.   To make things worse, you have no idea what this reorg means for you or where you will land.   This is what most people do in this situation: Accept the news, hope for the best, and wait for the storm to pass.   Assume you have no control over what happens next, and cross your fingers it won’t be worse than where you are right now.    Don’t even think about a promotion. You should be grateful you have a job.    The Promotion Strategy you need:   1. Take ownership. Instead of waiting to find out where you might land, pursue the opportunity you want.  Identify an opening or an opportunity that aligns with your goals and skills, and make it your target. If qualified, aim for a promotion, not just a lateral move.     2. Identify gaps or objections.  Is there any reason why you shouldn’t get the job? Identify objections in advance. Is there a valid need to fill the role you are after? What makes you the best candidate? Is there anything you need to do or stop doing to become the best and obvious choice?   3. Roadshow + business case. This is an opportunity to position yourself for the role proactively. Identify the most important decision-makers and meet them one-on-one Share your goals and your plans for growth. Paint a compelling picture, and ask for their support. Clearly declare your interest in the role and make your case.   This is exactly what my client did to turn a dreaded reorg into a promotion accelerator.   He identified the role he wanted - Sr. Product Marketing Manager.   He reached out to a few people with this title and quickly realized he had no gaps. He was qualified for the role and could easily do it!   He then identified the stakeholders who will need to support his promotion - the hiring manager, their peers, and HR.    He reached out one by one and spoke to these stakeholders about three things: his past work and how it helped them, his vision for the role he wants and how he will do a good job, and their feedback about his plan.   All stakeholders were thrilled to support him, and by the time he spoke to the hiring manager, it was already a done deal. His stakeholders spoke so highly of him that the hiring manager was convinced he deserved the role. He was promoted to his dream job and quickly became a people manager.   From dreading a reorg to landing a promotion in 6 weeks.   Promotion Strategy #3: From Sr. Manager to Director in months (after being told “no promotion”)   Situation: You’ve been a valued manager at the company for more than 2 years, and your manager can’t stop praising you. In fact, they tell you that they can see you are already operating at the next level.   You are so excited because you take it as a sign it’s time for promotion! To make it official, you put your hat in the ring and ask your manager the next steps.   The response you get is not what you expected. Your manager says no because they don’t have the budget to promote you. You are frustrated and a little mad. Everyone agreed you deserve the promotion, but it feels like you just wasted two years for nothing.   This is what most people do in this situation: The first reaction is usually anger. It’s unfair that you have done everything right, and you’re not getting the reward. Some people may even lash out (not a good idea).   Rage quitting might follow, with rage applying to Sr. Manager roles. After all, no one will promote you without having the title first. You plan on finding a lateral move, proving yourself for a year or two, and then getting the promotion you deserve.   The Promotion Strategy you need:   1. Shift in perspective.  The common belief is that you shouldn’t take a promotion without a raise. This belief is misguided because it lacks context. The strategic approach is to ask: How can I use this situation to my advantage to get the promotion faster?   The answer is to take the promotion without a raise, “earn the title” by having it 2-3 months, and then use it to get a more senior role with a different employer.   2. Renegotiate the terms. Just because they said “no” doesn’t mean there is no flexibility. It’s your job to suggest the terms you want.   This is exactly what my student did to turn a “no” into a Director promotion in just a few months.   She asked her manager if he would consider promoting her if she accepted a promotion without a raise. Her manager said yes, and she became a Director.   Armed with a new title and more confidence, she started applying for Director roles and, after a few months, found the perfect fit.   From hearing “no” and planning a lateral move to Director promotion (and eventually raise) in a few months.

Your next steps There is more than one way to get promoted.  Are you considering all options to give yourself the best chance?

7 Questions That Changed My Life

One of my most strongly held beliefs:

The greatest discoveries in life come not from finding the right answers, but from asking the right questions.

The right question at the right time has the potential to change your life:

• See the world through a different lens.
• Evaluate your dilemma from a new angle.
• Uncover your blind spots and incorrect assumptions.
• Expose your self-limiting beliefs.

For the last several years, I've been adding to a list of questions that have changed the way I work, move, live, and love.

Here are 7 questions that have had a dramatic impact on my life...

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If I repeated this day for 100 days, would my life be better or worse?

You live your life zoomed way, way in.

It makes it difficult to assess the quality of your daily actions and whether you're on the right course.

On a regular basis, zoom out by asking yourself this question:

• How would your actions from a typical day compound in your life?
• Would they be driving you forward in the direction of your goals and vision?
• Would they be steering you off course?

Remember the 1-in-60 Rule: A 1 degree error in heading means a plane will miss its destination by 1 mile for every 60 miles flown. Small errors in heading are amplified by distance and time.

Course correct early and often.

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If someone observed my actions for a week, what would they say my priorities are?

There are often two sets of priorities in life:

1. The priorities your words say you have.
2. The priorities your actions show you have.

Living life as the main character means we have a difficult time holding ourselves to the fire. If an unbiased third party were to observe you for a week, what would they say your priorities are?

Would your actions reveal alignment with your words, or a dislocation?

What are the areas and priorities where you seem to be cutting corners?

The ultimate goal is alignment of intention and action. You can achieve it—this question can help.

So, be the unbiased observer in the week ahead:

What do your actions say about your priorities? What changes do you need to make?

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If I were the main character in a movie of my life, what would the audience be screaming at me to do right now?

You're watching a movie or reading a book and the main character is clearly off course. You start to feel that internal urge to scream at them:

• "No, don't open that door!"
• "Drive to the airport, don't let her go!"
• "Forget about him, you have bigger things ahead!"

The bird's-eye view perspective on the main character's situation provides a unique vantage point—an ability to see the landscape around them and the bigger picture.

You are that main character—and your audience would be screaming something at you right now.

What is it? What are they screaming at you?

What insight does the bird's-eye view perspective provide that you're missing on the ground?

Perspective is everything. You need to detach yourself from your situation and see it through someone else's eyes.

Remember: When in doubt, zoom out.

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What are the Boat Anchors in my life?

As you push for growth in your life, there will be people, actions, behaviors, and things that stand ready to inhibit your progress.

I call these inhibitors Boat Anchors:

You're running the engines full steam ahead, but these Boat Anchors are stuck firmly in the ocean floor, creating an immense drag that holds you back from your optimal performance and course.

Examples include:

• People who laugh at your ambition or tell you to be more realistic.
• Small actions or behaviors you adopt that are sabotaging your growth.
• Suboptimal environments that you allow to persist too long.
• Self-limiting beliefs that prevent you from doing the things you are capable of.

It's easy to ignore the Boat Anchors if you're still making forward progress, but the drag they create is meaningful and prohibits you from operating at your full potential.

So, what are the Boat Anchors silently holding you back? How can you slowly, methodically cut these lines and unleash your full power?

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Am I allowing more information to get in the way of more action?

Harsh Truth: There is someone out there, way less qualified than you, living the life you want, achieving the things you want, simply because they took action, and you didn't.

You live in the golden age of information. Everything is freely accessible at the touch of a button.

But all of that information has a downside: It can become a silent excuse for inaction.

Trust me, I've lived it: I spent years gathering information and avoiding action. In hindsight, I can admit I was using the information gathering to hide from my fear of action.

Information gathering threatens to turn us into a rocking horse: Always moving, never going anywhere.

We need to find a balance between information and action. When in doubt, it's safe to assume the balance is found with more action.

Dopamine from information gathering is a dangerous drug.

Get your dopamine from action.

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What lie have I repeated to myself so many times that it feels like the truth?

"Watch your thoughts, they become your words; watch your words, they become your actions; watch your actions, they become your habits; watch your habits, they become your character; watch your character, it becomes your destiny." ― Lao Tzu

There is a concept in cognitive science called the Illusory Truth Effect:

It's the tendency to believe false information after consistent, repeated exposures. In other words, if you are told a lie over and over again, it takes in your mind as a truth.

It's particularly damning when that lie is a lie you tell yourself.

You have an internal dialogue that runs 24/7. The quality of that internal dialogue has a real, tangible impact on your interaction with the external world:

• If you tell yourself over and over again that you aren't capable of something, you will believe it to be true. You won't try.
• If you tell yourself over and over again that you aren't worthy of something, you will believe it to be true. You won't reach for it.
• If you tell yourself over and over again that you are a static entity, you will believe it to be true. You won't attempt to grow.

Observe your internal dialogue: What lie have you been repeating to yourself?

Recognize it. Fight back.

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If I knew I would die in 10 years, what would I do today?

You've undoubtedly seen the shorter-term versions of this question:

• What would you do if today were your last day?
• What would you do if you knew you'd die in a year?

Frankly, I find those questions minimally impactful, as the answer usually involves dramatic change.

If I knew I'd die tomorrow, I certainly wouldn't be writing this newsletter right now.

If I knew I'd die in a year, I'd probably be spending every single moment with my wife, son, family, and friends.

That's not a particularly useful insight in terms of impacting my day-to-day actions.

The time horizon that works: 10 years.

10 years is long enough that you still have a lot of time left, but short enough that it's very quantifiable.

What changes would you make if you knew you wouldn't be around in 2034?

• What big thing would you finally pursue?
• What fears would melt away?
• What new fears would appear?
• Who would you remove from your life?
• Who would you spend more time with?

Consider these questions deeply. My guess is they will bring a few life changes to the surface that are worth making.

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Focus on Questions, Not Answers

A beautiful passage from Letters to a Young Poet (emphasis mine):

“Be patient toward all that is unsolved in your heart and try to love the questions themselves, like locked rooms and like books that are now written in a very foreign tongue. Do not now seek the answers, which cannot be given you because you would not be able to live them. And the point is, to live everything. Live the questions now. Perhaps you will then gradually, without noticing it, live along some distant day into the answer.”

Focus on the questions—live the questions—and the answers you seek will follow in time.

Nine Quotes by David Goggins That'll Hack Your Brain into Doing Hard Things

 

1. “I never set a goal I can reach”

2. “You are in danger of living a life so comfortable and soft, that you will die without ever realizing your true potential.”

3. “Nobody cares what you did yesterday. What have you done today to better yourself?”

4. “Fear is my ultimate guide”

5. “When you think that you are done, you’re only 40% into what your body’s capable of doing.

That’s just the limits that we put on ourselves.”

6. "Be more than motivated, be more than driven, become literally obsessed to the point where people think you're f*cking nuts."

7. "When you’re driven, whatever is in front of you, whether it’s racism, sexism, injuries, divorce, depression, obesity, tragedy, or poverty, becomes fuel for your metamorphosis."

8. “When you stop blaming other people for your problems....when you stop procrastinating, b*tching and complaining about how unfair life is...it is truly amazing what the f*ck you can accomplish with your life!”

9. "Pain unlocks a secret doorway in the mind, one that leads to both peak performance and beautiful silence."

The 6 False Beliefs That Are Probably Holding You Back

 

1)  I need to wait for my turn 

2) I need to be good at everything 

3) I should make everyone happy 

4) Only charismatic extroverts become executives

5) The best person always gets the job

6) Hard work (hours) will get me there 

7) I'll wait for someone to tell me I’m ready 

Your next steps

 

Once you realized these false beliefs held you back, you push back and do the opposite.

The 5 Hidden Elements of Executive Promotions

 

I’ll be honest. At the beginning of my career, I focused only on hard work and exceeding expectations. I could outwork anyone! This got me to mid-management… but then the rules of the game changed.   I learned that at the executive level, your accomplishments only account for about 20% of the decision criteria.   Aceing your role is a requirement before you level up, but it is just the starting point.   That means focusing solely on doing a good job reduces your chances of getting promoted by 80%.   It took me 15 years of trial and error and gaining 10 promotions to put together the full strategy and turn it into a habit.   It will take you about 7 minutes to learn, and you can start implementing it tomorrow.   I call it the STARTAP methodology.   To create the perfect promotion storm and take your promotion conversations from “maybe” to “how soon can you start,” you need to have 5 elements in place:

1. Skills and requirements To become a senior executive, you need to know what it means and takes to be one.   The skills, the experience, the qualifications, and the mindset. How will you qualify yourself if you don’t know what your next role requires?   Some companies do a good job teaching you what it takes, but for the most part, you’ll need to figure it out on your own.   The best way to do that is to talk to people in the job you want—the title, the industry, the profession. These people are living the career you want to have, so what better way to get the inside information?   Get absolutely clear on what is essential and nice to have, and spend your time developing the most valuable skills.   2. Advocates   When was the last time you needed a service provider? How did you find them?   Did you open your phone book and randomly choose someone? Hell no. You asked your friends, family, or neighbors. You got a referral or a recommendation because we trust people we know more than anything else. It’s called social proof.   So imagine how hard it would be for your manager to approve your promotion if they are the only ones vouching for you.    People promote people. And people need social proof to get reassurance before making big decisions.   You need to build a network of advocates who will advocate for you when your manager mentions your name. It’s like getting reviews on Amazon. The more 5-star reviews you have, the easier it will be to become the number one choice.   Randomly hitting an executive 2 weeks before a performance review is not how you enlist advocates. This guide will show you what to do instead.    3. Reputation   This is a harsh truth, but you need to hear it.   When it comes to the corporate world, perception is reality.   What I mean is that it doesn’t matter who you really are or what you do. What matters is what people think and how they perceive you.   It’s unfair, but it is human nature. We all form opinions based on our actions, interactions, and information. So you have two options.   You can do your best work and hope that it speaks for itself and sends the right message (it won’t) or actively shape how people perceive you.   You can control the narrative and position yourself as executive material. However, before you are ready, you will need to start thinking and acting at the next level.   Demonstrate the impact of your work and tie your success to the company’s success. Think more strategically and learn to communicate clearly and with confidence.   4. Achievements   How well you do the work you were hired to do is the baseline for a promotion. If you are not hitting or exceeding expectations, why should anyone believe you are ready for the next level?   But that is just the prerequisite. The real game changer is taking it a step further and doing next-level work before you get the promotion.    It’s not about doing free work and working more hours; it’s about reducing risk. When you are promoted internally, the company takes a chance on you. They give you responsibilities you’ve never had before and trust that you’ll figure it out.   When you do next-level work in advance, you show them you have what it takes and reduce the risk of taking a bet on you.   5. Presenting a Business Case   It may sound counterintuitive, but YOUR promotion is not about YOU. It’s about the company.   If you want to make your promotion inevitable, you need to convince stakeholders that they will be better off when you level up. You need your promotion to make sense from a business perspective, so it’s a win-win.    Presenting a business case is an opportunity to showcase your past achievements and envision a compelling future.   Not to mention, your manager or stakeholders do not remember everything you do. They’re too busy fighting their own battles.   A business case is a great way to make it easy for them to advocate for you. They’ll have the data they need to sing your praise without scratching their head trying to remember why you rock.

9 lessons which worked for Eugene Shulga who got promoted from Engineer to VP - can i explore it?

 

Lesson 1: Become a domain expert 

Lesson 2: Learn how to handle stress

Lesson 3: Avoid complacency

Lesson 4: Scale yourself

Lesson 5: Take initiative

Lesson 6: Get the job done

Lesson 7: Your growth is not a sprint, it's a marathon

Lesson 8: Build a track record

Lesson 9: Say yes to every opportunity

Leading Effective Engineering Teams by ADDY OSMANI

Google found that psychological safety is the most important dynamic for an effective team. This was alongside other dynamics like dependability, role clarity, meaningful work and impact.

The following is a write-up on effective teams based on Google's Project Aristotle. I will be covering this topic more in the upcoming Leading Effective Engineering Teams O’Reilly book.

At the heart of Google's productivity are teams. Teams are where ideas take shape, work unfolds, and team members engage with their tasks. Yet, they're also a breeding ground for interpersonal challenges and ambiguous objectives, all of which can disrupt your team's workflow.

In the wake of Google's Project Oxygen research insights on managerial excellence, Google embarked on another large research effort - Project Aristotle - to understand the makeup of an effective team. Named after Aristotle's adage that "the whole is greater than the sum of its parts," this initiative aimed to harness the collective prowess of Google's workforce.

"What Google Learned From Its Quest to Build the Perfect Team" goes into more detail on the study.

Defining a "Team"

To understand what elevates a team at Google, we must first define what a "team" is. This is about understanding the roles, relationships, and responsibilities that characterize a team's effectiveness.

A "work group" and a "team" may seem interchangeable, but they differ fundamentally in their degree of interdependence:

Work Groups: Operate with minimal interdependence and are often a product of organizational hierarchies. Their interactions are typically limited to information sharing during occasional meetings.

Teams: Thrive on interdependence. They collaborate intensively - planning, solving problems, making decisions, and evaluating progress - to achieve specific project goals.

Recognizing that organizational charts don't capture the full picture, Google's researchers focused on entities with genuine interdependent connections, as identified by the teams themselves.

Defining "Effectiveness"

What metrics determine a team's effectiveness? Traditional measures - like lines of code or bug fixes - proved insufficient. Leaders realized these metrics could be misleading; more code isn't inherently better, and more bug fixes might indicate more initial errors.

Thus, Google combined qualitative assessments from executives, team leads, and team members with quantitative data, such as:

1. Executive evaluation of the team

2. Team leader evaluation of the team

3. Team member evaluation of the team

4. Sales performance relative to quarterly goals

Executives focused on tangible outcomes, such as revenue figures or product rollouts. In contrast, team members highlighted the significance of a positive team environment as the true gauge of effectiveness. Bridging these viewpoints, team leads emphasized the importance of ownership, clarity of vision, and clearly set objectives.

These evaluations allowed for a richer, albeit subjective, picture of effectiveness, balancing out the concrete but context-blind quantitative data.

Collecting Data and Measuring Effectiveness

The Project Aristotle study encompassed 180 diverse teams, aiming to parse out how team composition and dynamics influence effectiveness.

Researchers drew from existing studies and Google's own data, probing variables like:

• Group Dynamics: Openness to divergent opinions

• Skill Sets: Ability to overcome obstacles

• Personality Traits: Reliability

• Emotional Intelligence: Empathy

Alongside, demographic details such as tenure and location were also considered.

Identifying Dynamics of Effective Teams

Data analysis illuminated that a team's success hinged less on who was in it and more on how its members interacted. The Google researchers found that individuals on teams with higher psychological safety are less likely to leave, they’re more likely to harness the power of diverse ideas from their teammates, they bring in more revenue, and they’re rated as effective twice as often by executives.

Key factors included:

• Psychological Safety: The team's comfort with taking risks without fear of negative repercussions.

• Dependability: Team members' ability to reliably deliver quality work on schedule.

• Structure and Clarity: Clear understanding of job roles, processes, and performance consequences.

• Meaning: The personal significance found in the work or its outcomes.

• Impact: The belief that one's work meaningfully contributes to the organization's goals.

Let's dive into this in more detail. Upon analyzing a large number of data points, the investigative team employed more than 35 distinct statistical models to parse through hundreds of variables. Their aim was to discern patterns that influenced team effectiveness in manifold ways. They looked for factors that:

1. Affected multiple outcome metrics, encompassing both qualitative perceptions and quantitative results.

2. Were prevalent across diverse teams, regardless of their functions within the organization.

3. Demonstrated a strong and consistent pattern of statistical significance, suggesting a reliable influence on team effectiveness.

The insight derived from this comprehensive analysis indicated that team effectiveness was fundamentally influenced not by the identities of team members but by the nature of their collaboration. Highlighted below are the critical dynamics, ranked by their impact:

Psychological Safety

Psychological safety emerged as the cornerstone of effective team dynamics.

This pertains to a team's collective comfort in embracing vulnerability - where members feel insulated against ridicule or retribution for voicing their ideas, questions, or concerns. High psychological safety enables individuals to propose innovative solutions or admit errors without fear, fostering an environment ripe for growth and learning.

Dependability

Teams that were marked by dependability consistently delivered high-quality work within established timelines. This dynamic hinges on the reliable performance of each member, contributing to the team's collective success and sidestepping the pitfalls of missed deadlines or unmet obligations.

Structure and Clarity

A team's understanding of job roles, processes, and performance consequences underpins its ability to function effectively. Clarity about what is expected, how one should proceed, and the implications of one's work contributes to efficient goal attainment.

Google harnesses Objectives and Key Results (OKRs) to demarcate and communicate objectives, emphasizing specific, challenging, and achievable goals.

Meaning

Team members who find their work meaningful are more likely to contribute to a team's success. This meaning can take various forms: financial stability, familial support, the success of the team, or personal expression. When team members perceive their tasks as significant, their engagement and productivity soar.

Impact

Recognizing the significance of one's contributions to the broader organizational goals underlines the importance of impact. The acknowledgment that one's efforts are not in vain but instead play a crucial role in the organization's triumphs is a powerful motivator for team members.

Factors With Minimal Impact at Google

Interestingly, certain variables that might intuitively seem linked to team effectiveness did not hold statistical significance within Google's framework:

• Colocation: Physical proximity of team members.

• Consensus-driven decision-making: Teams that strive for unanimous agreement.

• Extroversion of team members: The outward sociability of individuals.

• Individual performance: Assessing team members on isolated accomplishments.

• Workload size: The amount of work assigned to a team.

• Seniority: The tenure or rank of team members within the organization.

• Team size: The number of individuals comprising a team.

• Tenure: The length of time team members have spent within the team or company.

While these factors did not heavily influence team effectiveness at Google, their significance may vary in different contexts. For instance, literature suggests that smaller teams, generally those with fewer than ten members, can outperform larger ones, potentially offering better work-life balance, outcomes, communication, and cohesion, which are essential components of team success in numerous studies outside of Google's specific environment.

Survey: How Teams Can Identify Their Unique Dynamics

The Google research team knew that sharing their findings wasn't enough; they wanted each team to have the tools to explore their particular dynamics and improve upon them. To do this, they developed a reflective survey rooted in the five pillars of team effectiveness. The idea was simple yet powerful: create a conversation starter that allows teams to self-assess and spark dialogue about their collective practices and behaviors.

Here's what that looked like:

• Psychological Safety: "On our team, making a mistake is seen as an opportunity to learn rather than a blunder to be penalized."

• Dependability: "I can count on my teammates to deliver on their promises and commitments."

• Structure and Clarity: "We have a clear and effective roadmap for decision-making within our team."

• Meaning: "The work I contribute to the team holds personal significance for me."

• Impact: "I can clearly see how our team's efforts make a difference to the broader goals of the organization."

Upon completing this survey, team leads would receive scores that, while anonymous, provided a clear snapshot of where the team stood on these pillars. With these insights, teams could come together, led by a facilitator or guided by a carefully designed discussion framework, to have open, honest conversations.

A Google Doc copy of the discussion guide can be found here

These discussions weren't about pinpointing flaws but were designed to celebrate strengths and identify opportunities for growth - the kind of conversation that leads to real, tangible improvements in how a team functions. It's about giving teams the lens to look at themselves critically, understand where they excel, and where they have room to evolve.

Building a Culture of Psychological Safety

In a psychologically safe environment, team members feel comfortable taking risks and expressing their thoughts without the fear of ridicule or rejection. This mindset isn't just about keeping team members content and productive; it helps drive the company forward too. When teams feel safe, they may stay longer, tap into a diverse pool of ideas, boost revenue, and double their odds of being recognized for their effectiveness by leadership.

Amy Edmondson, a renowned Harvard scholar, originally coined "team psychological safety" and described it as the collective confidence of a team to take interpersonal risks without fear of embarrassment or punishment. The reality is that asking a seemingly basic question or admitting a mistake can be daunting – the kind of daunting that can lead to critical misunderstandings or missed opportunities.

To get a real pulse on psychological safety within a team, Edmondson crafted statements that asked team members to reflect on their experiences:

• "Making mistakes here is often held against you."

• "We can talk about tough issues."

• "Being different isn't fully accepted."

• "It's safe to take risks."

• "Asking for help is difficult."

• "No one will undermine my efforts."

• "My unique skills are valued."

In her TEDx talk, Edmondson shares three actionable steps anyone can take to cultivate this safety:

1. Treat work as a learning process, where problems are solved through trial and error, not just by executing on known procedures.

2. Admit your own mistakes – it's a powerful way to open doors for others to contribute and take risks.

3. Be inquisitive. Ask questions to spur a culture of exploration and discovery.

To bring these concepts to life within Google, the research team hosted interactive workshops. They use anonymized, real-world examples to dissect and understand behaviors that promote or undermine psychological safety.

Here’s a scenario they might have used:

Scenario: Uli, a seasoned manager with a technical edge, has led team XYZ for two years. Renowned for his high standards, Uli's tolerance for errors and new ideas has waned. Recently, he openly criticized a team member's suggestion, which was otherwise seen as innovative by the rest of the team. Since then, the flow of ideas has stopped. Uli's concepts dominated the latest project proposal, which was turned down by the executives for its lack of creativity.

Debriefing Points:

• Identify actions that either support or hinder psychological safety.

• Discuss the impact of psychological safety on team performance.

• Share personal observations or experiences related to psychological safety in your own teams.

For managers, embracing these principles is paramount. Your approach to leadership can either build a fortress of trust and innovation or erect walls of hesitancy and silence. Remember, fostering psychological safety is not about lowering standards, but rather creating an environment where people can meet those standards through collaboration, openness, and mutual respect.

Manager actions for psychological safety can be found here

Conclusions: Actionable Insights from Google's Project Aristotle

Understanding Team Dynamics

Project Aristotle delved into the core of what elevates a team's performance. Your team's formula for success may diverge from Google's findings, but these principles can guide any organization in enhancing team effectiveness:

1. Establish a Common Language - Create Definitions: Craft clear definitions for the team behaviors and standards you aspire to achieve within your company.

2. Foster Open Dialogue - Encourage Conversations: Facilitate discussions on team dynamics in a secure and positive environment. Bringing in an HR Business Partner or a seasoned facilitator can add value.

3. Engage Leadership - Model Behaviors: Secure commitment from the top. When leaders exemplify and constantly refine these behaviors, it cements the organizational culture.

Strategies for Leaders and Managers

The following strategies, informed by Google's findings and corroborated by external research, can support managers in cultivating these five critical team behaviors:

For Psychological Safety:

• Encourage participation by asking for everyone’s ideas and opinions.

• Share your personal work styles and encourage your team to do the same.

• Watch and discuss Amy Edmondson's TED Talk on psychological safety with your team.

For Dependability:

• Clearly outline who is responsible for what.

• Create detailed project timelines to give visibility into each person’s contributions.

• Dive into the research on conscientiousness and its impact on team performance.

For Structure and Clarity:

• Keep everyone aligned on team objectives and review the progress regularly.

• Run meetings with a clear agenda and appoint a facilitator.

• Implement Objectives & Key Results (OKRs) to streamline the team's targets and tasks.

For Meaning:

• Recognize individual contributions and offer support where it's needed.

• Show gratitude publicly for team members who lend a hand.

• Explore the KPMG case study on cultivating a sense of purpose at work.

For Impact:

• Co-develop a vision that connects individual efforts to the team's and organization's goals.

• Reflect regularly on the direct impact of your team's work on customers or clients and the organization.

• Adopt a user-centered approach to evaluating success, focusing on the people you're serving.

By integrating these approaches, you can steer your teams toward a culture of collaboration and excellence that resonates with Google's findings yet is uniquely tailored to your organization's ethos. The book “Leading effective eng. teams” will cover this topic in a lot more detail. I can’t wait to share it with you :)