Chief of staff diaries: Culture, clarity, agility

From June 2022-23, in addition to being a product manager I served as Chief of Staff for the Microsoft Education Product team, and drove business rhythm and reporting for the cross-discipline marketing, sales, and product leadership team. This post is part of a series of reflections on my learning from that experience.

My time as Chief of Staff for the Microsoft Education team from June 2022-23 was like embarking on a remarkable climb. Just like any challenging ascent, it had its share of tough moments, changing circumstances, and incredible views. It helped me develop new skills and strengths that I'm still assimilating. These chief of staff diary entries capture reflections and lessons learned along the way.

A healthy culture means everyone is recognized, feels secure, energized, and empowered to take on challenges.

Image credit: MidJourney

In this first entry, I briefly reflect on culture, clarity and agility as bedrocks for innovation.

Culture: When it comes to leadership, I couldn't agree more with Peter Drucker: "Culture eats strategy for breakfast." The culture of an organization is its solid foundation. Culture is created and lived through actions. It is not an idea, it is felt. A healthy culture means everyone is recognized, feels secure, energized, and empowered to take on challenges.
 

Clarity: One thing I've realized is that clarity is key in building confidence and commitment. It's not easy to achieve, but it's vital. It is perhaps the most important act any leader performs on a continual basis. At each key juncture, a clear and concise understanding needs to emerge that is expressed through a crisp and simple core message. This core message can then be tailored with more details for different teams and roles. Team leaders and managers should feel connected to this core message, ready to pass it on to their teams.
 

Agility: Agility is essential for innovation, and curiosity is the fuel for agility. A culture that encourages and values "rethinking" fosters curiosity. Agility doesn't mean making major pivots; it's about continuously adjusting based on what we learn. This ability to adapt is supported by well-functioning operations that promote reflection and stability.