Daily huddles, weekly updates, sleepless nights, emotions stretched to boiling point, adrenaline amped up

When I joined e27 a few weeks shy of Echelon 2018, I had never imagined to walk into a war zone. But step into the war zone I did.

Daily huddles. Weekly updates. Sleepless nights. Emotions stretched to boiling point. Adrenaline amped up. In short, the atmosphere was maddeningly overwhelming.

But I kid you not when I say that through those weeks counting down to crunch time, I had been calmly onboarded (thanks to the buddy assigned to me, Christine!), seamlessly integrated, and immediately welcomed into the team. There wasn’t a crack in their routine; it was as if whoever came in was simply fused into an already well-oiled system.

Oftentimes, we talk about effort in relation to teamwork. And while it’s a vital factor, I’ve also realised that having a smooth-running system funnels that effort into more productive results.

So what does it take to have a well-organised structure? Below are my takeaways thus far:

1. The team understands how each member’s designation fits in the grand scheme of things

The startup framework is special because more often than not, there are team members who work remotely (like I do) and there are those who are frequently in transit to man or join events. In a working environment where people are here and there at any given point, objectives may crumble when there is confusion as to who’s doing what.

Also read: We recently implemented OKRs at e27; This is why every startup should do the same

In this regard, our boss would steadily remind us: when the path ahead grows murky, we should always go back to our OKRs. Then we can trace our objectives back to the team’s OKR. From there, we can map our team’s goals all the way up to the company’s OKR. When things click in place, when each member gets a sense of where he or she should be, even the barest efforts become impactful.

2. Task-related communications are documented

In a flurry of messages throughout any given day, it’s easy for important threads to get buried underneath the chatter. Hence, it’s necessary to select a reliable consolidated app that could document ongoing (project-driven) communications and archive completed ones. In this way, information and discussions are accessible whenever and wherever needed. Deadlines are met. Tasks are not forgotten.

If your company already has such a trusted app, utilise its features well and make sure that the rest of the team knows the essentials.

3. The members believe in flexibility within the bounds of their strengths

Work–especially in a startup setting–occasionally calls for members to wear different hats on different scenarios. Responsibilities may overlap and if no one steps up to bridge the gap, it may lead to a system breakdown. In general, we have our main designation (business development head, programmer, etc.), but we also have individual strengths that can be tapped accordingly.

Abraham Thomas, IBM managing director in Singapore, calls these our “transferable skills”. For instance, you may be a programmes executive by designation, but you also have an eye for excellent design. You could be utilised in this area from time to time. Or you’re the company editor but have a flair for speaking and drawing a crowd. When your company organises an event, you could easily take on the role of a host. Startups whose members believe in flexibility can expect a mostly seamless journey.

Also read: [e27 Tea Talk] Solid teamwork takes effort

4. The company’s mission flows through every project

Any organisation that doesn’t fully comprehend the purpose of its existence is a failure waiting to happen. The deals may bring in the dough and employees may hard workers, but without the mission fueling the process, the system will soon crash and burn.

In addition, it’s easier for startups to align their priorities, resources, and manpower when their mission is at the helm of every venture.

That’s it for today’s Tea Talk! And if you have your own takeaways to share, please do so in the comments section below. Your thoughts are always welcome!

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Photo by Josh Calabrese on Unsplash

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