🤸 Proactive partnerships, “Clear Thinking”, & your kindest self

Hey — it’s Cristina & Jenni.

This week, we’re:

• reflecting on how to create better cross-functional partnerships 🤜 🤛

• reading Shane Parrish’s new book on thinking clearly 💡

• tapping into the best version(s) of ourselves 🎨

Enjoy!

What we’re reflecting on this week

5 years ago, I made the jump from a (very) small startup to a rapidly scaling B2B SaaS business.

As I ramped up in my role, one of the things I realized right away was the sheer number of people I needed to interact with to do my job effectively.

Not that this was a negative - it was exciting!

But coming from working at tiny companies where each of us wore many hats, I was immediately faced with the importance of cross-functional partnerships… both as an IC and eventually as a leader.

At the end of the day, people from different departments working together effectively is what makes a business succeed (or fail).

BUT working with other teams that have their own unique focus areas, incentive structures, workflows, sprint timelines, team dynamics, etc (some of which are at odds with your own) isn’t always easy.

So… what can we do proactively to partner well with other teams and get sh*t done together? 😉

Here are 3 key things you can do to start off on the right foot and find your stride in cross-functional relationships (OR make existing relationships better):

1/ Start by getting to know them as people 💁‍♀️

We often jump right into the deep end of the business stuff without spending any time getting to know each other... or we wait until we need something to reach out. The key is making those initial convos meaningful and conveying that you're excited to be a great partner.

• Set up introductory 1:1s to learn more about them

• Be engaged and fully present during the conversation

• Ask how you can be helpful to them (either immediately or moving forward)

2/ Adopt a beginner's mindset (in both directions) 🧠

It's easy to forget that other people don't stew in our business challenges or experience our day-to-day workflow all day long. Assume positive intent and approach the relationship with your learning hat on.

• Establish upfront how much you know (or don't know) about their org

• Lead with curiosity to get know their side of the business

• Ask how much they know about yours and share freely to fill in the gaps

3/ Go to them in good and bad times 🎢

Things can feel transactional when we try to interact as efficiently as possible (i.e. when a problem needs solving or a project needs completion). Instead: Stop and smell the roses! Celebrate the wins! Show them you actually care!

• Send a quick note when one of their team members does something awesome

• Shoot over a victory gif when the project is done

• Continue to sprinkle in 1:1s (or set up recurrings if necessary) to strengthen each relationship

→ Where are you rocking it with cross-functional collabs? Where could you improve?

What we’re learning this week

• 👀 Reel: Alan Rickman’s mantra on listening – Have we already started rewatching the Harry Potter movies this fall season? Possibly 🧙‍♀️ Regardless, Alan Rickman always has amazing wisdom to share, and this quick video about his active listening mantra is no exception.

• 📚 Book: "Clear Thinking" by Shane Parrish – We’re big fans of Shane so we were excited to get our hands on his latest book. In it, he dives into the art and science of thinking clearly so we can create better odds in our personal and professional life. He argues that by identifying daily moments and creating space for our cognitive abilities, we can truly shape the life we want.

• ✍️ Newsletter: "Learning to make decisions in a new space" – Ami Vora, CPO of Faire, provides a concise yet insightful approach to effective decision-making when navigating a new environment. Instead of jumping to solutions without understanding the context, she breaks down a decision into 3 parts: Listen, Document, and Decide. This trio forms the foundation for improved decision-making moving forward.

What we’re enjoying this week

We found inspiration in this lovely carousel by @newhappyco, and we hope you do, too - click on the link for the full effect, and we’ve included our favorite visual below.

That’s it for this week — thanks for reading.

See you next Thursday! 🤸‍♀️