Episode 182 - Lessons from Chief's CPO on building communities & companies: Trey Boynton (Chief Diversity & People Officer, Chief)
Listen to our recent episode with Trey Boynton, Chief Diversity & People Officer at Chief.
We talked about why running a community is similar to HR work, where communities and companies tend to stumble, and the metric she wishes existed for managers.
If you don't have time to listen, read the highlights below. ??
1. Running a community is a lot like HR work ??
?? For Trey, sometimes epiphanies come in like volcanic moments, but other times they are more of a slow edging, like when lava meets the ocean and the shoreline gets extended.
That’s how it felt when she realized that community building is much like HR work.
As the Chief Diversity & People Officer at Chief , a community for female executives, she says that sometimes it’s confusing whether she's talking about Chief members or employees.
Here are some examples she gave:
?? Identity and Infrastructure: Identity matters and shapes our experiences, and they need to build an infrastructure to support people to be seen, be able to talk through, and be skill-built through that intersectional lens. This is relevant whether she's talking about Chief members or employees.
?? Onboarding and Orientation: How you onboard employees is similar to how you orient new members to a huge network like Chief — especially in the first 30 days. Both need to find their way in a potentially intimidating environment.
?? Guidelines and Culture: Guidelines for the community are like policies for employees. Culture is "the way we do things," and it's important to communicate this to both new members and new employees.
?? Value Proposition: The employee value proposition is similar to the value proposition for members. Both need to see the value in being part of the organization.
2. Where communities & companies both tend to stumble ?
She shared some powerful insights about community and company building. “When a community is beautiful, expectations align with reality. But when these elements are out of sync, things can get wonky and crunchy.”
Things can go horribly wrong when you don’t know who you are trying to be or aren’t clear about it.
I think the same can be said when you’re building a company.
In both cases, you need to set the stage with clear expectations by defining who you hope to be and who you’re not going to be.
And as Trey remarked, "Humans are going to human," so stumbles and hiccups are inevitable.
In these moments, remind people who you’re trying to be and that you’re striving to be the best version of yourself.
3. Navigating through the chaos ??
Feeling the heat in this ever-changing world? Chief’s Chief Diversity & People Officer says you're not alone.
Every leader is currently trying to navigate this chaos. Here’s how she does it:
Find the spaces where you can be real, drop the formalities, and ask, "Am I out of pocket here? Is this weird?"’
These are typically the places where you can say, "This is the weirdest idea ever. Who's in?" and have people join in.
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4. The metric for manager attention ???
Here's a thought: What if we could actually measure how much attention managers give to their teams? ??
Imagine being able to say, "Hey, our culture surveys are off the charts because our managers are truly present."
There's some cool stuff out there already, but scaling the ability to coach REAL, authentic attention?
Game-changing.
She's a true believer that the managers who genuinely pay attention have the highest-performing teams. Period.
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What Trey thinks is next for the future of work ??
"More change is coming, and I won't be surprised when it happens. Let me embrace it and practice what I preach by acknowledging that more change is inevitable.
I think we are going to see a balance of the extremes. There is a desire and craving for this balance, and maybe this is more of what I hope to see rather than what will actually come. I'm being aspirational and trying to manifest some beauty in who holds the power.
Oh my gosh, it used to be the employees and the team. Now it's back to the employers, with the pendulum swinging to extremes on both sides. I would love to have conversations about mutuality and collectivism, which are core values. It's about holding both perspectives.
We have a market where employers are trying to figure out how to service and do the best work with teams that fit the economic conditions. Meanwhile, employees are trying to find the right space to do their best work given our current times. The best common good for both the employer and the employee is crucial.
Those who figure this out regularly will be wildly successful. I hope to see thought leaders and best practices around the mutual success of organizations and individuals. The field should focus on outcomes rather than polarization. The theme of 2024 will be polarization, whether we like it or not, due to societal events and the upcoming election. We need to find ways to come together and achieve mutual and collective success."
The career advice Trey would give to her 22-year-old self ??
"It's what I used to tell my students: You are the North Star. The constant is you. It doesn't matter what you do. Your career is like a lattice, and you are the vine. You will go up, down, and sideways, always filling it in. Don't worry. Don't stress about it. Your major didn't matter."
See you next week!
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