Helpful article on setting boundaries

Works for me! I was never CEO, but I managed at several levels in a large company, and my ‘rules’ were a lot like hers. In general: minimize the BS, and be open and communicative. Most of the problems I had were (I think) due to the highly competitive environment: lots of passive-aggressive BS from people who felt they should be in charge, or they simply didn’t care about the work. I hate to say it, but sometimes it seemed like people would perceive “openness and communication” as “weakness”, and (for whatever reason) they’d use it as an excuse to cause problems.

It maybe helps to be CEO and have the authority to fire people. Not to be a jerk about it. I’m sure it varies a lot, but IME it is usually not easy to ‘remove’ a problem person. I’m a fan of Robert Sutton’s No A**hole Rule - but actual implementation of such a scheme can be challenging. In a perfect world you could build your team from scratch - in reality it is very rare to have the time and resources to operate that way.

My biggest current challenge is dealing with our PMC/PM - who is non-responsive to a degree that approaches comedy. I just need to be patient while the 3 new Board members realize just how poorly we’re being served, and then we can - I hope - present a united front to either the PM or their boss, emphasizing the need for Real Change.

BillD

Thanks! *fingers crossed* Patience is tough.

Oh - this is out of left field: anybody watch this new show on cable teevee called The Bear? One thing that I really like is how they call each other “Chef”. I’ve never worked in a kitchen that does that, I don’t know how it would work in practice. But I really like the concept: everyone gets the same ‘title’ (and as titles go, “Chef” is in the top 50%), maybe it’s not subtle but it really brings home that everyone is working together together on a team with a common goal.

I’m not sure it would work outside of a restaurant - not sure what title could be used in the software biz, say - but I’ve worked as a line cook in my youth, and I totally get how such a small thing - a very minor token of respect that lets everyone know they’re on the team - could be amazingly effective in helping a person get through the day.

(If you’ve never worked as a line cook or in a restaurant - it’s challenging work)

BillD