21 Things I learnt from listening to Meri Williams and Hywel Carver talk about Empowerment Culture

“I have some feedback for you” is the second scariest phrase in the English language.

(1) Meri Williams has one hell of a CV.

(2) “Engineers don’t hate all process, but they think of good process as culture” (lol)

(3) When hiring, look for values fit, but culture add.

(4) Meri has stolen the “culture add” idea but can’t remember who from — tell us here (hi@skillerwhale.com)!

(5) “Autonomy doesn’t mean you get to wake up in the morning and do whatever the hell you feel like”

(6) Empowerment = autonomy + ownership

(7) Ownership without accountability is nonsensical.

(8) Speaking of accountability, “one throat to choke” is a horrible phrase and we would like to never hear it again, please.

(9) Teal is a nice colour. It was the colour scheme for Hywel’s wedding, and is also the colour of ‘modern organisational structure’ which empowers, apparently. Go teal!

(10) Empowerment is fundamentally about trust.

(11) Trust comes from alignment — that doesn’t mean surrounding yourself with people who have the same social norms and backgrounds as you. It means having a clear set of values that are shared amongst the team.

(12) You’ve heard no micromanaging, but don’t overcorrect by being totally absent.

(13) If you value the outcomes of work rather than the specifics of how it gets done, that makes you way more scalable as a manager and as a leader.

(14) Do you think your way is the One True Way?

(15) Meri is pretty sure that Andy Murray’s tennis coach is not a better tennis player than he is. She’s probably right.

(16) “I have some feedback for you” is the second scariest phrase in the English language. (your partner saying “we need to talk”, still holds the first place title).

(17) Radical Candour does not mean: “say what you think loudly”.

(18) You know you’ve succeeded at building a culture of empowerment when your team brings a plan, rather than a question to you.

(19) Empowerment dies by a thousand cuts. Watch out for rules-lawyering about expenses or holidays or how people book time off.

(20) Lara Hogan has busted some mentoring myths about women in tech and we should all start following her.

(21) Always Be Coaching. while(true) { coach(); }