Guy Kawasaki: How to Enchant Your Boss and Employees

Transcript

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Summary

In this video, the speaker discusses how to enchant both your boss and the people who work for you. To enchant your boss, the speaker emphasizes the importance of dropping everything and doing what your boss asks, regardless of your own priorities. They also stress the value of prototyping quickly and providing bad news early, along with potential solutions. To enchant the people who work for you, the speaker recommends offering MAP (mastery, autonomy, and purpose) to help them improve themselves and work towards a higher purpose. They also emphasize the importance of empowering action and being willing to do the same tasks as those you delegate.

Questions & Answers

Q: How can you enchant your boss?

One way to enchant your boss is to prioritize their requests above all else. Even if you believe that another task is more important, dropping everything and fulfilling their requests shows that you are reliable and dedicated. Additionally, quickly creating and presenting a prototype for projects can increase the likelihood of doing the right thing, impressing your boss with your initiative and efficiency. Lastly, when things go wrong, it is essential to deliver bad news early and provide potential solutions to the problem. This transparency and problem-solving approach can strengthen your relationship with your boss.

Q: What does it mean to prototype fast?

Prototyping fast means creating a preliminary version or demonstration of a project in a short amount of time. When your boss gives you a week to complete a task, coming back with a prototype the very next day demonstrates your commitment and ability to work efficiently. A prototype doesn't have to be a final product but should serve as a tangible representation of your ideas and progress. By providing a prototype early on, you can gather feedback, make necessary adjustments, and ensure that you are on the right track.

Q: What is the significance of delivering bad news early?

Delivering bad news early is a crucial aspect of being an enchanter. It means sharing any problems or setbacks with your boss as soon as they arise, rather than hiding or delaying the information. This open communication allows your boss to address the issue promptly and work towards a solution. However, simply delivering bad news is not enough. To truly enchant your boss, it is essential to provide suggestions or proposed ways to fix the problem. This shows that you are proactive and committed to finding solutions, building trust and confidence in your abilities.

Q: How can you enchant the people who work for you?

To enchant those who work for you, it is essential to offer MAP, which stands for mastery, autonomy, and purpose. Mastery means providing opportunities for individuals to acquire new skills and improve themselves within the organization. Autonomy involves trusting and empowering employees to make decisions independently, without excessive micromanagement. Lastly, purpose refers to having a higher overarching goal or purpose within the organization beyond mere productivity or profit. By providing MAP, you can create a fulfilling and engaging work environment that motivates and enchants your employees.

Q: What does it mean to empower action?

Empowering action means giving your employees the trust and authority to take action and make decisions in their roles. It involves providing them with the confidence to use their judgment and make choices within their responsibilities. By empowering action, you are showing your employees that you believe in their capabilities, which can lead to increased productivity, creativity, and job satisfaction. It is crucial to strike a balance between providing guidance and allowing autonomy to create a sense of empowerment among your team.

Q: Why is it important to be willing to do the same tasks as those you delegate?

Being willing to do the same tasks as those you delegate is essential for enchanting the people who work for you. By participating in the tasks and responsibilities you assign to others, you demonstrate that you are not expecting them to do something that you would not do yourself. This leads to increased respect, morale, and camaraderie within the team. When you are willing to "suck it up" and get your hands dirty, just like Mike Rowe in Dirty Jobs, you show your commitment and dedication, setting an example for others to follow.

Takeaways

To enchant your boss, it is crucial to prioritize their requests and deliver on them promptly, prototype quickly to demonstrate your efficiency and initiative, and deliver bad news early while providing potential solutions. To enchant the people who work for you, offer MAP (mastery, autonomy, and purpose) to empower them to improve themselves and work towards a higher purpose. Empower action by trusting and allowing your employees to make decisions, and be willing to do the same tasks as those you delegate to foster respect and teamwork.