Hustling Days
With the pace of experiments, projects, and sprints going on within a startup, we often start enjoying the hustle. I too have loved being a hustler. Especially while working in a fast-paced startup where metrics evolved every passing minute, there was a high satisfaction to play around with variables – a lot like instant gratification. But, ‘hustle-porn’, didn’t last. There was mind block, fatigue and it clouded the ability to identify problems.
Perspectives
One of the big influences that changed my mindset was the Book ‘Catalyst’ written by Late Chandramouli Venkatesan. I had picked this up from a tiny bookstore at the Ranchi Airport and till the time I landed, I couldn’t put it down. It had a profound influence on the very way I approached projects and problems. One of the most simple reads with practical techniques makes it a must-book on your work desk.
Converting time into experience
One of the game-changing frameworks that we have adopted at Wizikey is the TMRR technique (Target- Measure-Review-Reflection). This talks about a four-step process.
- Target – Set a target for an activity – What is it that you aim to achieve?
- Measure – Measure your performance – What is happening? (The actuals)
- Review – Review your actual performance against the set target – How did you fare?
- Reflect – Reflect on questions like What worked? What didn’t? What can I do differently next time?
Implementation as a company habit
We started practising TMRR while writing project documents, or new plans. No matter how large or small, long or short the experiment is, setting measurable objectives was key. This pushed us to be more output-driven. Something which also aligned with our ethos as an OKR driven company.
From the strategy to the tech team, the TMRR model started seeing positive feedback across. It spread from some peers to the whole company. As much as that, ‘Catalyst’ is part of the new joinee’s Welcome Kit. That is how much we live by it.
Reflection is non-negotiable
Typically, companies have business review meetings. At Wizikey, we have monthly, quarterly, and annual Reflection sessions. Reviews typically focus on what happened, but with reflections, the teams go beyond problem identification and start coming forth with actionable solutions. It is amazing to see how young minds come forth with insights – backed by data and not gut. This is indeed skill-building.
Such models go a long way in building a company’s foundation. I strongly recommend giving TMRR a shot and there would be no going back.