When I’m hiring, no matter the role and no matter the seniority of the position, there are four traits that matter above all else.
Transparency: Are they open about what they’re doing, what they know and what they don’t?
Curiosity: Are they driven to learn, frustrated when they don’t know what caused an issue and excited to share their newfound knowledge?
Collaboration: Will they naturally jump in to solve a challenge, will they shift into different roles depending on the need (leader vs. follower) and will they promote the best solution over their solution?
Communication: Will they raise a flag when they need help, or when they can help; will they let others know what to expect?
This collection, which I think of as T-Triple-C (or ’T-Trip-C’), is critical for any team functioning at a high level. Three of the four (Transparency, Collaboration & Communication) actively counteract one of the most hated aspects of professional life – office politics. While we cannot escape politics altogether (yay humans), we can mitigate them and nudge what remains toward a positive, open path.
T-Trip-C is just as critical when I’m looking for my next challenge and interviewing my potential team and boss. As I’ve learned over the years, being on a team that embodies T-Trip-C is the only way that I can consistently execute at a high level while maintaining my wellbeing.
Because at the end of the day, products and companies are powered by people, not code.