The Ready

Tis the season for urgency. ?? Except these days, it feels like it's *always* the season for urgency—and never quite the season for slowing down, hitting pause, and reflecting. Exhibit A: In our latest newsletter survey, 77% of respondents said something "urgent" hits their desk at least once a week. That's why we're tackling urgency in our next newsletter series (out in December) and exploring the strategic benefits that come with slaying the hustle culture monster. Because orgs that sacrifice efficiency and effectiveness for urgency miss out on learning from mistakes and making their wins *easier* to win. The survey asked subscribers how urgency is showing up in their teams and organizations. Our main insights ????. #futureofwork #survey #insights #hustleculture #urgency

This week on At Work With The Ready, our AUA episode goes to graduate school. ?? We reached back into the mailbag and holy cow were the questions good. Great even. Tune in to hear co-hosts Rodney Evans and Sam Spurlin tackle questions like… ? "Are great teams and strategies impossible without traditional leadership?" ? "How do you prioritize cross-functional initiatives between leadership and teams that avoids zombie projects and mutual disappointment?" ? "Can project capacity planning be done in a people-positive, complexity-conscious way?" #atworkwiththeready #theready #AUA #podcast

Another At Work With The Ready episode, another chance to get checked in with Rodney Evans and Sam Spurlin ?????? #atworkwiththeready #thefutureofwork #checkingin

Hot take of the week ???: If your end user just “doesn’t get” your product or service, there’s probably something you don’t get about your end user. At Work With The Ready’s latest podcast episode breaks down how to pivot from service-first thinking to product-first thinking. Step 1. Run toward—not away from—your end user. #atworkwiththeready #futureofwork #productmindset #customercentricity #userexperience

It's no small feat to help an individual meeting that's wonky and wobbly go from 1 to 50—from terrible to pretty damn good. But even when that *one* meeting is humming, even when it feels energizing and worthy of high fives ???, teams still have to step back and ask: "Is it really fulfilling its purpose and doing what we need it to do?" In a new AUA video, our colleagues answer a newsletter subscriber question all about where best to begin when you need better, more effective meetings. ??: https://hubs.ly/Q02Y-RH00 #theready #AUA #meetings #effectivemeetings

Nope, you can’t wish for more you know whats. #futureofwork #checkingin

Dear internal support functions: What kind of feedback do you get from your clients? Here’s a better question: What kind of feedback do you invite? Because there’s a big difference between asking “Do you trust me?” and asking “Did I solve your biggest problem this year?” Lurking inside that difference is the gap between service-first and product-first thinking. In our latest podcast episode, Rodney Evans and Sam Spurlin explore the deeper insights organizations can unlock if they shift toward outcome-driven feedback. #atworkwiththeready #futureofwork #productmindset #feedback

We give this take from Whitney Davison’s latest article “Four Myths of Great Collaboration” ?????. Because, and we’ll say this louder for the people in the back, including everyone does not = inclusion—nor does it guarantee meaningful collaboration. If we’re after diversity of thought, we need explicitly designed structures that actually support that outcome. Read more here: https://hubs.la/Q02XTS4w0 #futureofwork #collaboration #teaming #inclusivity

Busy ≠ Valuable. There’s a difference between looking busy and creating a genuine impact. In our latest podcast episode, Sam Spurlin and Rodney Evans explore how teams who’ve adopted a product mindset do more of the latter. #atworkwiththeready #productmindset #productivity #customercentricity

Adopting a product-first mindset is one thing. But if you work in a historically service-first role or function, it can be an even taller mountain to climb. ?? When your role or function has traditionally been rewarded for stop, drop, and roll white-glove service at a moment’s notice—friends in HR, we’re looking at you—it’s hard to walk away from that. Product-first thinking requires new mindsets and practices that move past reactive firefighting. That can mean opening yourself up to different, less-than-awesome critiques, judgments, and even failures. But but but! It can also increase your chances of making a transformative impact. ? #atworkwiththeready #productmindset #hrtransformation #HR