Hi, and welcome to my Inner Circle. I’m looking forward to kicking off our work together.
On this page, you’ll find information on how we will best handle the day-to-day logistics of collaboration. This includes contact information, calendaring, and documentation.
Designing Our Future
A Values-Driven Business Partnership
Vision
We need innovation that truly supports people so that we can all design ourselves into the future.
Mission
- To ensure early-stage founders sell the right product before building the wrong one.
- To confidently navigate from what customers say to what your business is and your product does
Why
To make sure we use the machines instead of the machines using us.
What
Innovators will be more successful in business and have a greater impact by remaining close to their customers, thereby always designing to truly support people.
Promises
- Give Thoughtful Guidance
- Offer Clear & Simple Strategies
- Create Bridges to Dreams
- Deliver Academic Quality
- Make Valuable Introductions
- Honor Your Individuality
Values
- Anything is Possible with a Plan
- Growth Happens Outside Your Comfort Zone
- Changing the World Requires Action
- Simple Communication Galvanizes People
- Achieve Greatness Thru Learning
Rules of the Game
LEADERS ARE LEARNERS
The future holds for you many new experiences. You’ll have to learn new things on a need-to-know basis. You need to be able to teach yourself. Everything is a learning opportunity in this world.
IN ORDER TO BE OUTSTANDING YOU HAVE TO BE WILLING TO STAND OUT
You have to take initiative; and in some cases act first, apologize later. You must have chutzpah (audacity and validation). Take initiative to solve certain problems quickly. Don’t be shy if the reward is worth it.
NOTHING’S IMPOSSIBLE
Push will get a person almost anywhere, except through a door marked “pull”. Dare to ask questions, challenge assumptions, and look for ways to bypass roadblocks. You can not take “it’s not possible” for an answer until we absolutely understand the “why”.
BE WILLING TO PAINT WALLS
Winston Churchill said “Success is stumbling from failure to failure with no loss of enthusiasm.” Your ability to do whatever it takes to keep your ship moving forward is a constant test of your resilience. You need determination, strong will and fortitude.
Keeping in Touch, Getting Things Done
REAL-TIME / SYNCHRONOUS COMMUNICATION
Please use Text / Chat if you need an answer in < 1 hour
- I can’t access [INSERT NAME OF FILE] on [Dropbox or Google Drive]
- I’m having trouble logging into Zoom
- I just had an AMAZING customer interview
+1 215 280 4333 (direct to Lindsay’s cell)
+1 978-822-2726 (Lindsay’s Google Voice)
DOCUMENTATION
We will create a shared folder between us & my team on both Google Drive & Dropbox. For both, as long as you add shared files to those shared folders, my team and I will have access and be able to comment, collaborate and give you feedback.
Dropbox
I highly recommend you download Dropbox to your desktop. Many of the tools, templates & guides are editable PDFs. It will be easier for you if you can open them directly on your desktop and use Adobe to put your answers in there.
CALENDARING
Rule of Thumb: It’s not happening if it’s not on the calendar. Our Group Sessions and Open Office Hours will be sent to you as recurring invites.
If we have a private set up, or I have verbally agreed to take your phone call, a calendar invitation (sent by you or me) will confirm that.
EMAILING – ASYNCHRONOUS COMMUNICATION
We are the masters of our emails, not the other way around.
Rule #1: Long questions and project updates should be sent via email, and not over text, but…
Rule #2: Do not document your findings and insights via email. That information should be encoded in a document in our shared folders. We do not want to be in a position where we are digging through email to remember what happened or which decisions were made.
Always set expectations:
Rule #3: If you need a response within 2 hours, (1) put “URGENT” in the subject line and (2) cc: team@tabasconsulting.com.
It may feel that you’re thing is not “urgent,” per se, but this will get my attention
If you need a response in < 1-hour, you should send a text message. See above
Rule #4: If you need a response by a specific date and time, put that at the top of your email-body. For example:
“Would like a response by tomorrow around noon.
“Hi Lindsay,
…
Rule #5: If you’re looking for specific feedback, ask for it and highlight it.
