Leading with humanity is one of my highest priorities. I want my staff to know I am a person just like they are, with similar dreams, fears, and practices. I want us to understand each other so we can work better together.
I also want to show them my humanity, so I’ve developed what might seem like an extreme open-door policy. It’s a tradition we have with our new hires in which I allow them to ask me any question they want about my professional or personal life.
The tradition is a little risky, although the questions I’m asked are rarely awkward or inappropriate. However, it is invaluable for setting a tone of trust and transparency in our organization, which I always want to do from day one of a new hire.
What does extreme transparency accomplish?
The overarching goal of our no-holds-barred Q&A tradition is to establish an open dialogue. If I can convince our new hires that our leadership — from the CEO on down — is approachable and interested in their questions, then I can open the door to an open dialogue that supports clarity, engagement, and innovation.
We conduct the Q&A session in a fun and festive way, which helps establish rapport with our new employees. Building a strong rapport allows us to build trust, which supports healthy communication and establishes a relationship in which everyone feels comfortable offering and receiving feedback.
By welcoming new hires into an environment of transparency, we also attempt to communicate to them how much they are valued and respected. Starting with their onboarding, we want them to know we trust them with whatever information they need to engage and thrive. The Q&A session breaks down the barriers that can often exist in traditional corporate structures, setting the stage for a culture driven by teamwork.
As a company that operates a remote work model, this tradition also helps us to address the isolation remote workers can sometimes feel by creating a sense of closeness and camaraderie as we pull back the curtain that typically separates a CEO from new hires. It also gives our new hires a shared experience that can help them to integrate more quickly into their new teams.
How do we make it happen?
As I mentioned above, we strive to make the Q&A session fun and festive. This is extremely important since new hires can feel anxious when settling into their new positions. By creating an event that allows us to laugh together, we strive to alleviate some of that anxiety.
We also orchestrate the Q&A so new hires can remain anonymous while asking their questions. This is why we make sure their questions are written down and read by another person during the event. Providing this anonymity makes it easier for new hires to ask whatever is on their minds.
What kind of questions are asked?
Offering to answer any question, professional or personal, in front of a group of relative strangers can involve a bit of a fear factor, but after doing it numerous times, I’ve found the questions are rarely uncomfortable. I’ve also found each group of new hires typically has the same (or at least very similar) questions.
For example, new hires will typically ask about my worst failures and embarrassments, which shows me that the people who work for us are more interested in our struggles than in our strengths. I enjoy this question because it allows me to communicate that our company is not led by a group of perfect people but by people who have achieved success through perseverance.
There is also usually a question about decisions I have made that I would go back and change if I could. Answering this question requires admitting you’ve made mistakes, which is a great thing to share if you are seeking transparency because it shows you are fallible and not afraid to admit it.
Another common question focuses on the moments in my life that have been most challenging. Sharing the challenges I’ve faced in my professional and personal life is a big part of leading with humanity. It shows that I understand we are all human and will all encounter things that reveal our weaknesses.
Our Q&A tradition is not only a great way to welcome new hires to the team but also an investment that pays dividends far into the future. By showing how much we value transparency, trust, and clear communication, we can better foster engagement, ownership, and teamwork among our new hires and team members.
