Notes on the book titled Empowered

Chapter 10: One-o-One

The purpose: reach competence, then, reach her potential

The relationship: trust

The onboarding: to get up to speed ( reach competence) (usually 2–3 months)

The frequencies: never cancel!

Sharing context: comparing vision, quarter focus

Homework: onboarding. Guide on materials

Thinking and acting like a Product Person: focussing on outcome

Providing feedback:

• actionable
• praise publicly criticize privately
• timely

Anti-patterns:

1. Manager does not care
2. Manager reverts to micromanagement (giving instructions instead of problem and space)
3. spend time talking and not listening
4. Not providing difficult feedback

5. providing feedback only during performance review (so there can be some surprise)

Chapter 37 — Product vision

A good product vision

• keeps us focused on customers
• serves as the North Star( as a common understanding)
• inspires ordinary people
• produces meaning work
• gives clarity on what’s coming in the next several years
• customer centric, should be from customer perspective

North Start: reminds us the larger purpose across the company

Chapter 27 Staffing

• mistake: trying to hire exceptional people
• hire competent people and coach them
• 10x performer → the danger of toxic behaviour
• hire on competence, or sometimes on potential
• looking for cultural fit may damage the diversity, narrow the pool of people, so the number of difference perspectives