Matt talks about the ups and downs of working in a user-focused, multi-disciplinary, agile product team. Drawing from his experience in three very different, public service focused organisations, Matt gives key tips and takeaways as to how you and your business can create a culture that makes people want to stay.
16. The work of a team
should always
embrace a great
player but the great
player must always
work.
Alex Ferguson
17. @jukesie
It doesn’t end at the interview.
Give useful feedback to unsuccessful candidates.
Keep communicating with the successful candidate.
Just sending an offer email and a start date is not enough.
#campdigital
18. @jukesie
Introductions over induction.
Plan the first week or two for any new hire carefully with a
mix of the mundane and the interesting.
Don’t overwhelm them but get them involved asap.
Make them feel welcome and wanted.
#campdigital
21. I am here just to
learn, to improve, to
help my team
improve.
Pep Guardiola
22. @jukesie
Culture isn’t imposed it emerges.
You cannot create a postive culture by top down edict.
It can be aspirational and ambitious but it emerges from
behaviours already existing.
#campdigital
23. @jukesie
Have the team prepare principles.
Encourage the team(s) to come up with principles to work
towards. Then reinforce them by making them a part of
how you work every day.
#campdigital
24. @jukesie
Have the team prepare principles.
Encourage the team(s) to come up with principles to work
towards. Then reinforce them by making them a part of
how you work every day.
https://digitalblog.ons.gov.uk/2016/07/27/the-first-xi-ons-digital-publishing-principles/
#campdigital
26. Culture is more
than posters on
walls…but
visibility is vital.
https://gds.blog.gov.uk/2016/05/25/its-ok-to-say-whats-ok/
27. @jukesie
The details matter.
Make sure people have the hardware and software they
need to do their jobs. Make training available. Give staff
time to experiment and learn.
#campdigital
28. @jukesie
The environment is important.
Seat the team together. Speak to the team about desk layout
if possible. Walls, walls, walls. Quiet spaces. Meeting rooms.
#campdigital
29. @jukesie
The maker vs manager schedule.
If you haven’t read this and work in a team with designers,
developers & managers —>
http://www.paulgraham.com/makersschedule.html
#campdigital
30. @jukesie
Trust the team to make decisions.
It is easy to talk about empowering staff but you have to
100% follow through. Read ‘Turn the Ship Around’ about the
leader/leader approach.
#campdigital
31. @jukesie
Leaders need to be umbrellas.
You have to protect the team from the HiPPO sh*t. Give them
the space to do the work but don’t isolate them. Often their
opinions will carry the most weight.
#campdigital
32. @jukesie
Corporate subcultures are hard.
You can spend time building a team culture but your
wider organisation has a culture of its own and they may
not coexist comfortably.
#campdigital
33. @jukesie
Culture can be fragile.
Especially in the early days. You have to be careful not to
damage it with poor behaviours or bad decisions.
#campdigital