A very good guide to to being a good people manager in the workplace. I think this is also useful for students about to start in the workplace, it gives them an idea of what organisations and managers in those organisations are optimising for.
1. The Importance of Self-Awareness in Leadership
A core principle of the book is that effective leadership starts with self-awareness. Johnson emphasizes that understanding your own values, work style, and communication preferences is crucial for building trust and leading teams effectively.
- Action Point: Take the time to understand your own leadership style. Johnson suggests using frameworks like Myers-Briggs, DiSC, or simply reflecting on your preferences to identify whether you are more introverted or extroverted, task-oriented or people-oriented. This self-awareness allows you to adapt your approach to better suit your team and the situation.
2. Establishing a Company "Operating System" (OS)
Johnson introduces the concept of a company "Operating System," which is a set of shared systems, processes, and values that guide how the company operates. This OS provides clarity and consistency, which is essential for scaling.
- Action Point: Develop foundational documents for your company, including a clear vision, long-term goals, and core values. Implement a regular cadence for planning and communication, such as annual plans, quarterly goals (OKRs), and regular all-hands meetings. This creates a shared understanding of priorities and how work gets done.
3. Strategic Hiring and Team Building
The book provides a detailed framework for recruiting and hiring, emphasizing that hiring is a core responsibility of every leader.
- Action Point: Create a structured and consistent hiring process. This includes writing clear job descriptions, mapping out stakeholders for each role, and having a defined interview process. Johnson also advises looking for "raw curiosity and signs of pure learning aptitude" in candidates, not just experience. For team building, she highlights the importance of optimally sized teams to avoid under or over-utilization of leadership bandwidth.
4. Effective Feedback and Performance Management
Johnson stresses the importance of open and honest communication, including giving and receiving feedback effectively. She encourages leaders to "say the thing you think you cannot say" in a constructive way.
- Action Point: Implement regular feedback mechanisms, both formal and informal. When giving feedback, focus on the specific action or behavior, not the person. Create a culture where feedback is seen as a gift for growth. For performance management, set clear expectations and have regular check-ins to discuss progress.
5. Distinguishing Between Leadership and Management
A key distinction made in the book is between leadership and management. Leaders inspire with a vision and drive change, while managers focus on execution and stability. Both are essential for a successful organization.
- Action Point: Understand which mode you need to be in at different times. Are you setting a new direction (leadership) or ensuring the team is executing on the current plan (management)? This distinction helps you to be more intentional in your role.
6. Practical Tools and Templates
"Scaling People" is designed to be a practical guide, and it includes numerous worksheets, templates, and examples that leaders can use directly.
- Action Point: Utilize the resources provided in the book. These tools can help you to craft foundational documents, structure your hiring process, and prepare for difficult conversations. The book is intended to be a reference manual that you can return to as you face different challenges in scaling your organization.
Another useful piece for students about to start in the workplace:
- Hard Work Isn't Enough: Gorick Ng, a Harvard career advisor and author, initially believed that putting one's head down and doing hard work was sufficient for career progression. However, he realized that while hard work is part of the equation, it's not enough to get ahead and build a fulfilling career.
- Understanding "Unspoken Rules" is Key: Success and promotion depend not on following spoken or written rules, but on understanding the hidden expectations that managers often don't explicitly communicate. These "unspoken rules" are ways of doing things that go beyond a job description and are practiced by high performers, often unconsciously.
- From Useful to Impactful: Ng initially felt he was "being useful but not impactful". He observed that while he was doing hard work, his successful coworkers were also building relationships, putting themselves out there, being seen, heard, remembered, and ultimately, rewarded.
- Insiders vs. Outsiders: Ng identified a divide between "insiders" and "outsiders." Insiders often have family or mentors who informally pass down these unspoken rules, while outsiders, particularly those from under-resourced or underrepresented backgrounds, must navigate these hidden expectations through trial and error. The workplace is not a level playing field, and outsiders may struggle and quit before they have a chance to prove themselves.
- Identifying Hidden Opportunities: Unspoken rules represent "hidden doors" in the workplace that can unlock opportunities. These include subtle chances to speak up, get invited to meetings, build new relationships, or ask questions. A discerning eye is needed to identify these opportunities.
- Avoiding Wasted Effort: Knowing these hidden expectations can prevent wasted effort, such as "pulling late nights... doing the wrong work and having to redo all of it again". Instead, one can do the work once and do it well. It also means the difference between being recognized by higher-ups for high-profile opportunities versus waiting for a promotion that may never come.
- Mastering Hidden Expectations through Ownership: The key to mastering unspoken rules is navigating the hidden expectations of a new role. Instead of merely checking tasks off a to-do list, high performers take ownership by clarifying four critical things for every assigned task:
- Why: What is the broader objective or purpose of the task?
- What: What is the specific deliverable (e.g., bullet points, a 10-page memo)?
- How: How is the manager expecting the task to be done (e.g., brainstorm, internet research, soliciting feedback)?
- By When: Beyond the formal deadline, what is the unspoken or hidden deadline? Asking these questions ensures doing "the right job, doing it the right way, and doing it on time".
- Leveraging Being an "Outsider" as a Strength: While being an outsider can be nerve-wracking, it's also a strength. Outsiders bring lived experience, unique perspectives, and ideas that others may not have considered. This diversity is "desperately need[ed]" by organizations, teams, and teammates, contributing not just to thriving, but to making a significant impact.