Anne Raimondi, Asana COO, discusses pressure, decision-making, and impact on her team. Topics include returning to the office, tech leaders with children, time management, staying curious, co-founding startups, feedback for founders, and the challenges of transitioning to a startup venture.
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Quick takeaways
Embracing pressure to perform as a leader while balancing privilege and impact.
Adapting to hybrid work policies post-COVID for enhanced collaboration and innovation.
Navigating career transitions and personal responsibilities for enduring professional growth.
Deep dives
Challenging Yet Rewarding Aspects of Building a Company
Building an enduring company involves hard work and responsibility, similar to raising kids or being a good partner. While the challenges are significant, the impact and rewards can be substantial. The speaker reflects on the importance of doing hard things and highlights the value of enduring efforts in creating successful organizations.
Work Environment Adaptations During COVID
The discussion delves into the adaptation of work environments during COVID, focusing on the implementation of a hybrid policy at Asana. The flexibility in workdays, protecting specific days for focused work, and the challenges faced in transitioning employees back to in-person work are explored, emphasizing the importance of collaboration and innovation.
Balancing Flexibility and Productivity in a Hybrid Work Model
The company's decision to maintain a hybrid work model post-COVID receives attention, with a spotlight on the value of in-person collaboration for enhanced innovation. Despite facing initial criticism for the policy, the benefits of balancing flexibility with team dynamics and growth opportunities are emphasized.
Experience and Insight into Team Management and Company Growth
The speaker shares insights into interacting with leaders and building high-functioning teams, drawing from experiences at Blue Nile, eBay, and other ventures. The focus on developing resilience, navigating challenges, and fostering enduring businesses during downturns is highlighted as a key aspect of effective team leadership.
Personal Growth and Prioritization Amid Career Transitions
The conversation evolves into the speaker's personal reflections on career transitions, the impact of taking time off, and reconsidering roles post-retirement. The decision-making process around returning to operational roles, balancing teamwork, and personal responsibilities is explored, showcasing a blend of professional growth and personal fulfillment.
Guest: Anne Raimondi, COO and Head of Business at Asana
Asana COO Anne Raimondi feels pressure to perform in her job “every day, all the time.” But that pressure doesn’t come from her fellow executives; she imposes it on herself, trying to think carefully about how much each of her decisions will impact her team. “I have a lot of privilege and choice,” Anne says, “of how I spend my time, the resources available to me, and am I doing enough? ... Am I doing the most with the opportunities I have, and making as positive an impact as I can?”
In this episode, Anne and Joubin discuss returning to the office, Scott McNealy, the dotcom bust, Myers-Briggs, Star Trek: The Next Generation, empowering leaders, Blue Nile, Robert, Chatwani, tech leaders with children, Bain Capital, time management, being “in the moment,” Dave Goldberg, Dustin Moskovitz, staying curious, and being prescriptive.