johnmaconline

If the org chart, micromanagement, and compliance are out as effective leadership tactics in the new work paradigm, then what is in?

How will we get stuff done on time and on budget? Even though we’ve deemphasized machine-like productivity in favor of significance, we still need to produce something.

We use agreements, standards, and interfaces.

We agree (even if we disagree). We agree to deliver. We agree to take responsibility for this and you for that. We agree to work together. We agree that when the shit hits the fan, we’ll dig in.

Standards set the quality, the bar that we collectively aim to meet or exceed. They give us a shared understanding of what ‘good’ looks like and motivate us to bring our best to the table. We rise to the standards.

Interfaces define the interaction between teams and individuals. Interfaces aren’t just about technology; they’re about communication, about how we exchange information, ideas, and feedback. Effective interfaces streamline collaboration and ensure that everyone stays in sync.

Agreements, standards, and interfaces fit perfectly into the new work paradigm built on trust, empowerment, and commitment.

We leverage the unique strengths of each individual, fostering a culture of shared responsibility and collective success.

The beginner digs in.
The beginner observes.
The beginner is curious.
The beginner applies focus.
The beginner sets aside her ego.
The beginner approaches with humility.
The beginner knows it will be a journey.
The beginner learns from those before him.
The beginner tries things that might not work.
The beginner understands there will be setbacks.
The beginner combines apprehension with excitement.

All masters started as a beginner.

Lunch break.
Evening chill.
The weekend.
A week on holiday.
An earned sabbatical.

Cyclical — work and rest. Micro and macro. Do and do not. Flow and wander.

Connect and disconnect. Balance plus integration.

Two rhythms in the same dance. Together, they create a sustainable, satisfying work-life symphony.

Respect the effort and honor the rest.

The two most important people in the symphony performance don’t even play an instrument.

First, the composer. She’s the one who writes the music. She may play some of the instruments for which she is writing, but not all. And she doesn’t play anything on the night of the performance. Her job is to create the framework for the feeling; the roadmap for taking the audience from point A to point B.

She’s the original gig worker, entrepreneur, and intrapraneur. She creates and then lets it go into the ether. She’s the visionary.

Then, the conductor. He’s the one who drives the audience from point A to point B on that particular night. He makes the decisions on who needs to give more or less, which part requires emphasis, who must do what, and how to adjust the flow to create that emotional journey. His role is to unite individual performances into a harmonious collective that meets the composer’s vision and his interpretation, even if those individuals are machines.

He’s the leader in the new work paradigm. He gathers his team around the stage, and they’re all better than him at their individual roles. But he’s the one that turns the musicians into the symphony.

Both of these roles have been around since the dawn of work, but now more than ever, the new work paradigm emphasizes these roles.

Find your place.

Trust is hard.

I don’t necessarily mean trusting another, although that may be hard as well. I mean trusting in the unknowable future.

God asks us to trust. Smart people tell us to trust. We tell our kids to trust. We ask our partners to trust. We ask our team to trust. We’re told to trust the process.

But it’s hard.

Maybe that’s what makes it so important.

Building a team isn’t a lottery. It’s a chess match.

Within the ranks of sprouts and warriors, search for your essential generals, gatherers, and snipers.

The industrial machine hierarchy is out the window. When you get your team around the table, each member has their place. Each better than you at what they do. This ain’t your grandfather’s org structure. You’re building a team for the new work paradigm. 

Generals are your torchbearers, leaders, and the stalwarts holding your mission high. Commanders in competence, visionaries in ambition, they help you steer the ship, even through storms. Since not all eyes are on you, you need others who can also lead, if even just themselves. 

Next are your gatherers. More than just hard workers; they are the heart and soul of your team. They see the patterns others miss, collect the knowledge others overlook, and build the bridges others cannot. They are the glue holding your team together, the unassuming heroes fostering relationships, strengthening bonds, and fueling operations.

Then come the snipers. Your secret weapon and game-changers. They dive deep, deliver big. These are your experts. 

Building a great team is about pinpointing these roles, and then positioning them to maximize their potential. 

Choose right, and watch your team soar.

Should you consider hiring someone who has many years of contractor experience to be an employee?

This one is more of a yellow flag than a red one. It can work, but you should understand the risks.

Long-time contractors are typically specialists with depth in their niche. Hired guns. Snipers. Delivering specifics on time and with precision.

However, when you transition them to employees, the landscape shifts. You’re need team members who are invested and show up every day with curiosity and conviction. Your contractor ace swimmers may flounder on dry land.

Employees need a different skill set. They require breadth. Versatility is their secret weapon. They juggle tasks, pivot quickly, adapt to new roles. Their playground is vast. Their utility, manifold. They care. You want them to care.

A contractor turned employee might struggle to broaden their horizon and to invest the way you need them to. The singular focus that once was a strength may now be a constraint. Plus, they’re used to filling a role for time period, and then moving on.

Hiring a long-time contractor as an employee is an exercise in balance. It’s about finding that sweet spot where a contractor’s laser-focused expertise and an employee’s diverse skill set intersect. It’s also about finding someone who’s willing to invest — in the mission, the team, and themselves.

So, look before you leap. Transitioning a contractor to an employee might sound like a logical move, but it’s not always the winning move. Beware.

Not all that glitters is gold.

You’re on the hunt for craftsmen, meticulous in their method and knowledgable of their craft, yet agile in their approach.

Masters have their cherished tools, languages, and methods. That’s good. It means they care. You need your team to care. But there’s a fine line. When this affection hardens into dogma, it’s damaging. Productivity stumbles. Teamwork suffers. A single inflexible developer can grind your project to a halt, fracturing your team in the process.

Religious wars work against progress.

Then there’s the fluff. Buzzwords. Jargon. Overcomplicated explanations. This fluff hides gaps in understanding or skill. The true professional and master can simplify the complex and communicate it clearly. Even the sprouts you’re looking for know when to speak up about their current limitations.

Talking a good game isn’t the same as playing a good game. You need the players.

Remember, hiring the right people starts by eliminating the wrong ones.