Unscripted with @jrichlive ft. Deidre Paknad (CEO & Co-founder, Workboard)

TL;DR

In this interview, Workboard CEO Deidre Paknad discusses the importance of aligning goals, creating a culture of ambition, and overcoming challenges in the midst of a pandemic.

Transcript

good morning how are you i'm good i'm good how are you let me just adjust my screen so i'm looking at my camera how's that better yeah um well thanks for coming on i appreciate it um we only have 30 minutes so i want to kind of jump in you you um i mean you and i talk a lot so there's there's a million topics i could cover um and by the way one of ... Read More

Key Insights

• 🧔 Workboard was born out of Deidre Paknad's experience with alignment challenges within large organizations.
• 🪛 The company aims to bring the concept of OKRs to the enterprise market to help drive alignment, results, and momentum.
• 😤 The pandemic presented challenges, but Workboard focused on maintaining energy, optimism, and a sense of purpose within the team.
• 😀 The company's approach includes creating a culture of ambition, rewarding learning, and being fluid in the face of changing circumstances.
• 🙈 Deidre Paknad sees herself as part of the "underground railroad" for female professionals, working to eliminate harassment and provide equal opportunities.
• 🕵️‍♀️ The importance of diversity and representation in leadership positions is acknowledged, and efforts are being made to increase female leadership in the industry.

Questions & Answers

Q: How did Deidre Paknad come up with the idea for Workboard?

After experiencing difficulties with alignment and metric alignment within a large organization, Paknad realized that a software solution could solve this problem. This thought led to the creation of Workboard, a purpose-built software for aligning and achieving results.

Q: What gave Deidre Paknad the conviction to pursue Workboard in a crowded market?

Paknad saw an opportunity to bring the concept of objectives and key results (OKRs) to the enterprise market, which she believed was not effectively utilizing this methodology. She recognized that larger companies' slow pace was due to annual planning and lack of alignment, and she saw potential in helping them iterate on their strategic priorities more frequently.

Q: How did Deidre Paknad help her team address the challenges presented by the pandemic?

Paknad focused on maintaining energy and urgency within her team by creating a culture of optimism and choosing to lean into positivity. The company organized events like a "goodbye 2020" party and sent weekly flowers to employees' homes to bring joy and connection. They also increased mental health support and provided stipends for comfort and well-being.

Q: How does Deidre Paknad manage the balance between ambitious goals and potential failure?

Paknad encourages her team to set ambitious goals and rewards learning rather than just success or failure. She emphasizes the importance of aiming for greatness rather than predictability and views plans as directional rather than precise. Learning from failures and adjusting course is seen as part of the process.

Summary & Key Takeaways

• Deidre Paknad, CEO of Workboard, shares her background and how she came up with the idea for the company.

• She explains the importance of aligning goals and metrics within organizations, especially in larger companies, to drive momentum and results.

• Paknad discusses the challenges presented by the COVID-19 pandemic and how her team has navigated them, focusing on maintaining energy and shifting from a safety mindset to an acceleration mindset.