One month post mortem: Have we learned anything?
L: Hi Salma! So it’s been just over a month you’ve been with nuvemXP! I thought it might be a good time to check in and see what’s new!
S: Thanks boss! I see you’re taking a page from the old-school book of management: Checkin!
L: First, I hate when you call me that. Second, who are you calling old school?
S: No offense meant, it’s just that that word conjures the old one-on-ones and checkins from my past employee life. It’s been a pretty wild ride. Nuvem is a bit of a rocket, no?
L: Indeed! So any surprises?
S: I mean it’s still early and I’m sure things will change but the biggest thing is really just how much capacity I have now that I have zero administrative work to do.
L: So if you’re not doing admin and I’m not doing admin… who is doing admin?????
S: Relax, not zero, but waaaaaaayyyyy less. I mean we have one internal meeting a week as Partners, but in general I think Nuvem runs a really tight ship. Everyone knows what needs to get done and is an expert in their field, so we’ve been able to do away with a lot of bloat. It’s pretty liberating! I read once that the problem with organizational theory is that as soon as you get really good at something they make you a manager. What if you’re not a good manager? I’ll never understand why the only path to promotion at most organizations is management. Arguably there should two tracks: Management and Ops. Neither should be on top as both are required for growth. And let me tell you, I am no manager!
L: Paging nuvem HR!
S: My strengths are in delivery and solutioning. No one should ever put me in charge of telling people how to do their jobs. As we grow, I really hope we can stay lean and focused. I’ve seen time and time again that as companies grow so too grows the administrative layer of work. And it can be a tremendous time waster. Maybe that’s why I always hated timesheets. It takes time to enter time which then needs to be processed, billed, reported on, discussed and analyzed. That’s A LOT of time that could be spent, you know, creating value. I’m not saying there is no need for management, just that we have to be really careful about using it only if ABSOLUTELY necessary. We’re all adults here, amirite?
L: That’s totally fair. So what you’re saying is keep people focused on the things they are good at and enjoy. Just typing up nuvem’s employee handbook…
S: That sounds like admin!
L: Any other surprises?
S: I wouldn’t say this was a surprise, but sales is HARD! Finding my voice when describing who we are and what we do is altogether new territory for me. I was recently at a dinner and someone asked “So what do you do?”. I had half a mind to just ask them to read my blog! I’m still working on my elevator pitch. It’s gonna be a journey.
L: Ah so you’re finally starting to appreciate what I do all day! I feel so validated!
S: You really should. Speaking to prospects doesn’t come naturally to me. I’m more of a hide in the back office and get things done kind of person. That needs to change now that I’m a Partner. In fact, let’s switch seats and I’ll ask the questions for a change? Can you give me some pointers?
L: I honestly think you have a really good sales skill, which is... talking! Look at this blog, all about conversations. You love talking to people and understanding their needs. That means you're closer to sales than you think. Maybe it's time to send those chino pants to the dry cleaner. Nut if you’re serious I could talk for hours! Maybe we should leave it for today and do a whole post on this one?
S: Whatever you say boss…