People need to see that you understand their environment before they can trust your proposed changes.
What to look for
- 01
Explain the purpose of each introductory conversation in advance.
- 02
Ask both what should change and what must keep working.
- 03
Reflect what you heard and ask about consequences instead of immediately proposing a solution.
Keep in mind
Listening does not require leaving urgent harm unaddressed. Read the full piece for its exception to the initial listening period.
Try this next
Ask three people from different roles the same two questions. Record where their accounts agree and where the disagreement needs investigation.
Get the CTO role templateNotes and exercises by Awesome CTO. The original work belongs to Lara Hogan.