🤸 Proposals = better decisions, Finding Nemo, & MasterChef team bonding

Hey — it’s Cristina & Jenni.

Each week, we share leadership reflections, resources, and laughs to help you excel in your role (+ have fun along the way).

As two tech leaders, we’re here to “lead in public” by sharing what we’re learning in our day-to-day roles, encouraging others to do the same, and learning and growing as leaders together.

Enjoy!

What we’re reflecting on this week

In the fast-paced remote work environment that many of us operate in, discussions about issues and ideas often take place on platforms like Slack or Zoom.

And while there's nothing inherently wrong with this fast, on-the-fly approach, I've discovered a more productive and effective tool at Bags that saves a lot of time and facilitates better-informed, more robust decisions.

Enter proposals.

Before joining Bags, I'd never written a proposal.

However, I soon learned that crafting proposals was essential to our modus operandi - these documents became our secret sauce for building consensus, encouraging collaboration, developing ideas, and driving informed decisions.

Implemented by our Head of Product, who adopted the approach during his time at Monzo, the proposal process quickly became an integral part of our startup's DNA.

And Monzo and Bags aren’t the only companies that adopt this approach. At Amazon, Jeff Bezos insists on fully written proposals prior to any meeting.

What makes proposals a mechanism for better decision-making?

They require that anyone wanting to tackle an issue, share an idea, or initiate a project must first synthesize their thoughts in writing. This enables us to think more critically, facilitates async collaboration, and creates a greater sense of ownership.

During my time at Bags, I’ve written countless proposals: pitching a new CRM, proposing updates to our onboarding flow, redefining our lead qualification process, and more.

Every proposal covers these key points:

• Existing challenges

• Proposed solution

• Implementation plan

• Team members involved

• Success metrics

• Potential risks and dependencies

That's not to say you need to spend an hour writing a comprehensive analysis.

Quite the contrary.

The process to turn a proposal into an action plan with widespread buy-in is:

• Develop it to a 50% draft-like state

• Share it with the broader team or relevant stakeholders for their input and questions

• Refine the proposal based on feedback

• Discuss the proposal in a decision-making meeting for further refinement and approval

The beauty of this process is that it promotes a better > perfect approach, encourages proactive communication, and ensures that everyone is on the same page before formal decision-making.

As a leader, a proposal-based approach allows you to tap into the collective intelligence of your team, nurture an inclusive decision-making culture, and ultimately, drive your business forward with stronger, more well-rounded decisions.

It's about time we rethink how we bring ideas to the table.

→ Reflect on how decisions are made in your workplace: Is it effective and efficient, or do you often find yourself stuck in meetings with no clear outcomes? Could you take an existing issue or project, write a proposal, and apply the principles we’ve discussed?

What we’re learning this week

• ✍️ Reimagine Finding Nemo: Not just a kids’ movie - Check out how the movie is an unexpected masterclass in breaking free from self-limiting beliefs.

• 📄 Dive deeper than ‘how’s it going’: Questions for meaningful connections - Go beyond small talk with Dave Kline’s 17 unorthodox questions designed to build trust and spark rich conversations.

• 👀 Master difficult conversations with Mel Robbins - As always, Mel has a way with words. In this 2-min video, she provides powerful insights for handling challenging discussions, whether with customers or in your personal life. Bookmark for your next tough talk.

What we’re enjoying this week

One of the highlights from my team's offsite in NYC last week was a ‘MasterChef’ inspired cooking event. We were each tasked with preparing a dish representative of our culture or upbringing. While some chose to assume the role of sous chefs, others transformed into top chefs in the kitchen. The result was a diverse array of flavors and an amazing bonding experience. The standout dish was a Brazilian Moqueca stew - traditionally a fish dish, but innovatively veganized (with banana!) by one of our engineers. I am still dreaming about it 🤤 

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

See you next Thursday! 🤸‍♀️

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