Roopak’s New Year 2017 Internal Mail

To:          all@the120mediacollective.com, all@sooperfly.com

From:     roopak@the120mediacollective.com

Subject:  2017

Good people of 120 & Sooperfly!

As is customary on the first working day of the year, I have some thoughts to share with you. I say it’s customary but I’m reasonably certain that for some reason, I didn’t do it last year. Whatever! It’s a new year and the tradition is back. As I am already writing for our blog on a weekly basis, this one should be rather quick and effortless.

I say a lot of stuff repeatedly. Primarily because I consider these things to be important. As we begin 2017, I’d like to emphasize three things that some of you may already have heard me say:

1. Eliminate complacency

This company has seen great success at different points in its ten plus years of existence. So we know what we’re capable of. Once a company tastes success, a general sense of complacency has a way of setting in. At our last townhall, I called out the fact that we’re a victim of our own past success. And that past success has, in the recent past, prevented us from doing better.

But we’re at the beginning of a new era. Both Sniper and JITB have new leaders at the helm. And Sooperfly is anyway at the start of its journey. Let’s seize the opportunity presented by this moment in time, coupled with the beginning of a new year, to rewire our collective organizational psyche. Act like we have something to prove. Like we have no past history of success. Like we’re complete newbies.

But the trick is to do this while, somewhat schizophrenically, knowing at the back of our minds that we do have pedigree and stature as a company. And the world we operate in, more often than not, knows and remembers that.

Do what it takes. Eliminate complacency.

2. Feedback

Remember the power of feedback. Especially if you manage one or more people, regular one-on-one conversations with your direct reports is one of the most powerful tools at our disposal to achieve effective output as an organization. I strongly encourage each one of you, whether you manage people or are managed by someone (many, if not most, of us fall into both categories) to spend a few minutes at some point in the day today to think about how you’re going to get the most out of this tool this year.

I want to reiterate what I said at the last townhall. Let’s make a conscious choice to encourage radical candour. Allow people to give you feedback without reacting defensively.

The rules are simple. The person giving feedback is to play the part of a sports coach and the recipient of feedback plays the role of the athlete. This role play creates a context conducive to constructive conversation. Allow it to do just that. Course correct. Improve. Change. Grow.

3. Meetings

Each and every internal meeting must have an ‘Owner’.

At the beginning of each meeting, the Owner must state what they want to achieve by the end of the meeting. Take a minute to establish that objective, inviting input from others when necessary. Then dive into the meeting.

At the end, the Owner must summarize what was achieved and sync up with what was intended. Next steps must be agreed. The Owner is also responsible for keeping the meeting on track and ensuring it doesn’t meander off course. Don’t let people digress from the matter at hand. Do have a few laughs and some fun in the process but not at the cost of arriving at a meaningful outcome within the allocated time.

All present at the meeting must hold the Owner responsible to fulfil his/her responsibilities.

Let’s make meetings have an impact.

That’s all folks! May 2017 be our best year yet. Happy New Year!