Numbers in Sheets, updates said out loud
Each person agreed what was expected of them for the month. Numbers for group leads and account executives went into Google Sheets, stand-up notes went into Slack, and progress was reported out loud at monthly meetings. When managers set the goals instead, keeping track of everyone was still stressful, and nothing kept a record of who had committed to what.
Each person gets to know whatever it is that is required of them that month or that quota.
Goals with an end date, check-ins instead of Slack notes
Engage set its goals in Beam and replaced the Slack stand-up notes with check-ins. Goals closed automatically once their end date passed (today that’s a setting each workspace can turn on), so a late update couldn’t rewrite how a goal went.
People should not only be praised for doing what is right, but they should also be held accountable when they do what is wrong. By the time they realize they didn’t update an objective before it ended, they will sit up and realize that they need to do better.
Inioluwa summed up what Beam gave the team in four words: structure, accountability, responsibility and a track record. It changed how she managed, too.
Personally, it has helped me with my managerial skills. It has also helped me in being able to articulate my displeasure when things are not how they are supposed to be.
The number, and the reason behind it
With targets in Beam, a shortfall was easy to see, such as a goal of 400 cold emails in a month that came in short. Inioluwa asked the team to add the story behind each update, not just the figure.
Not just tell me the numbers, but provide specifics. If there was an increase in search impressions and clicks, let us know what caused it: was it regular blog posting or an ad campaign?
