Before your next offsite

The best thing you can do. The magical transformative thing you can do to improve your odds that something amazing will happen. Is to think ahead.

NewsletterJohnathan NightingaleApril 19, 2023Melissa Nightingale, Johnathan Nightingale, Raw Signal Group, RSG, Worlds Best Newsletter, Management, Leadership, Management Training, Leadership Training, reflection, performance, business strategy, goals, startup, connection

Your pencils are sharp enough

We've learned that there are two types of work that are the most prone to getting stuck like this. And there are different tools we've found helpful for getting them unstuck

NewsletterJohnathan NightingaleMarch 22, 2023Melissa Nightingale, Johnathan Nightingale, Raw Signal Group, RSG, Worlds Best Newsletter, Management, Leadership, Management Training, Leadership Training, uncertainty, change, reflection, values, flexibility, startup, vacation

My milkshake brings all the orgs to the yard

Someone else's goals might be eloquently written, but that doesn't mean they matter to you. Someone else's values statement might seem so clear-eyed and attractive, but that doesn't make it yours.

When meetings are outlawed, only outlaws will hold meetings

While collaboration, alignment, decision making, and unit cohesion can all happen outside of meetings, well-run meetings are a very useful and effective place to accomplish those things.

Leadership is not about your good intentions

Managing junior vs senior staff, and why you might be an ass

NewsletterJohnathan NightingaleFebruary 8, 2017Johnathan Nightingale, Raw Signal Group, RSG, Worlds Best Newsletter, Management, Leadership, Management Training, Leadership Training, reflection, startup, uncertainty

You know your product team is failing — do you know why?

Would you believe me if I told you that it’s almost always the same, fixable thing?

NewsletterJohnathan NightingaleJanuary 6, 2017Johnathan Nightingale, Raw Signal Group, RSG, Worlds Best Newsletter, Management, Leadership, Management Training, Leadership Training, reflection, startup, uncertainty, hiring

Co-pour video: 3 minute basics on management in startups

There’s merit in repeating the basics.

NewsletterJohnathan NightingaleDecember 23, 2016Johnathan Nightingale, Raw Signal Group, RSG, Worlds Best Newsletter, Management, Leadership, Management Training, Leadership Training, reflection, startup, psychological safety, uncertainty

The open-faced shit sandwich: improvements on a crappy original

The right way, the only right way, to deliver feedback is to be thoughtful about the context and the individual and the intent of the feedback.

NewsletterJohnathan NightingaleDecember 10, 2016Melissa Nightingale, Johnathan Nightingale, Raw Signal Group, RSG, Worlds Best Newsletter, Management, Leadership, Management Training, Leadership Training, reflection, startup, psychological safety, firing, leading through uncertainty, uncertainty

Obvious to you is not the same as obvious

Without finding its way out into the business, the profound insight you’ve had is the same as the profound insight you haven’t had. It has no bearing on our day to day operations.

NewsletterJohnathan NightingaleDecember 7, 2016Melissa Nightingale, Johnathan Nightingale, Raw Signal Group, RSG, Worlds Best Newsletter, Management, Leadership, Management Training, Leadership Training, reflection, startup, psychological safety

Actionable feedback, why it matters, and how to get better at giving It

As you’re prepping your review, shift the focus of your feedback from the character attribute to the intended outcome.

Some garbage I used to believe about equality

This post is addressed to the one group I feel I can legitimately speak to.

NewsletterJohnathan NightingaleNovember 27, 2016Melissa Nightingale, Johnathan Nightingale, Raw Signal Group, RSG, Worlds Best Newsletter, Management, Leadership, Management Training, Leadership Training, power, reflection, startup, connection, community, uncertainty, change

Immigration, hives, and life under NAFTA

My specific flavor of immigration was entirely on the up and up but it meant I spent a bunch of time between formal government designations. While working on my NAFTA work permit several things happened.

NewsletterJohnathan NightingaleNovember 17, 2016Melissa Nightingale, Johnathan Nightingale, Raw Signal Group, RSG, Worlds Best Newsletter, Management, Leadership, Management Training, Leadership Training, power, reflection, startup, connection, community, uncertainty, change

What to do when it all falls apart

Nothing is obvious in a crisis. It’s not obvious to your team that the company will be around in a month. It’s not obvious that you’ll still be there, either.

What happens in the rooms with no windows

When a coworker starts to cry, it’s natural to freak out. If you’re new to this, and it’s just happened for the first time and you manage this person (and they’re no longer in the room): go ahead.

NewsletterJohnathan NightingaleNovember 2, 2016Melissa Nightingale, Johnathan Nightingale, Raw Signal Group, RSG, Worlds Best Newsletter, Management, Leadership, Management Training, Leadership Training, power, reflection, startup, connection, community, accountability

Why you should never apologize for crying in the office

We have all these hangups and stereotypes about what workplace tears mean. We have this idea that crying is weak, that there is no place for it in an office.

NewsletterJohnathan NightingaleNovember 2, 2016Melissa Nightingale, Johnathan Nightingale, Raw Signal Group, RSG, Worlds Best Newsletter, Management, Leadership, Management Training, Leadership Training, power, change, reflection, startup, women in tech, connection

Family planning while working in a startup

You worry that once they know you’re pregnant or thinking of getting pregnant, they will treat you differently.

NewsletterJohnathan NightingaleOctober 27, 2016Melissa Nightingale, Johnathan Nightingale, Raw Signal Group, RSG, Worlds Best Newsletter, Management, Leadership, Management Training, Leadership Training, power, change, reflection, startup, mat leave, women in tech, uncertainty, leading through uncertainty

You won’t brilliant your way out of this

On the other side of a gut wrenching dose of humility, change can be complete and permanent. You recognize that the only road to high output execution is to bring others along.

NewsletterJohnathan NightingaleOctober 25, 2016Melissa Nightingale, Johnathan Nightingale, Raw Signal Group, RSG, Worlds Best Newsletter, Management, Leadership, Management Training, Leadership Training, power, change, reflection, startup, firing, performance, org chart, hiring

A brief overview of failing, firing, and scotch

If it’s not at your company or it’s not in that role, the kindest thing you can do is give someone a firm nudge toward finding a role where they can do amazing things.