The Privilege Of Keeping Support Weird At Zapier
Below is an article originally written by Pam Dodrill, the VP of Customer Support at PowerToFly Partner Zapier, and published on October 1, 2018. Go to Zapier's page on PowerToFly to see their open positions and learn more.
I'm excited to announce that I'm joining Zapier as VP of Customer Support. Ever since I saw my first Zapier alert in a former role, I've been curious about what the company is building. And as soon as I mentioned to friends and colleagues that I was in discussions for this role, they all had big reactions and told me how much they love what Zapier is doing with integrations and automation. I'm a huge fan and I'm eager to join this fast-growing company and 100% remote team.
The approach this company takes to its customers, employees and overall business impresses me beyond measure. The company culture and values were the first thing I looked at and "Empathy, no Ego" along with "Default to Action" and "Default to Transparency" jumped out at me. This is how I work. During my interview process, I found real-life examples of these values at work, stories that validated what the company was advertising.
The other thing that struck me is how Zapier pushes normal limits. I mean - 100% remote team, not just support team, but the whole team? Anyone that knows me, knows I've been advocating for remote teams for well over a decade - probably more like 2 if I'm honest. This company knows how to do it right - AND they share their lessons learned.
In general, Zapier is a company that wants to learn best practices and then gets focused on how to improve those practices and makes them work for their individual company needs. This is so much better than just running through a prescribed playbook. I'm elated to apply this approach while leading Zapier's Support team.
During my research, I also ran across this post about why everyone at Zapier participates in All Hands Support - written by Wade Foster (one of Zapier's co-founders) that lists 6 really good reasons why this is important. For me, it puts empathy for the customer at the center of how we do business and it guarantees the Support team gets the respect they deserve.
As I met with different members of the Support team I realized there is an inherent passion for Customer Support and an esprit d'coeur that only exists in organizations that are genuinely excited about what they are doing. But what struck me most is they get it. They know what they want to do. They don't need me to come in and tell them what to do or do it for them. They just need help harvesting and implementing their ideas through hyper-growth while maintaining a fabulous customer experience.
It's really hard to pick a favorite thing I learned while interviewing, but I think I'd pick this: Keep Support Weird. I was told on numerous occasions that it is very important to the team, as they choose a new leader, to find someone who will help Keep Support Weird. After stumbling into a Support role at the age of 16 and turning it into a career, I understand this completely. It's one of those things that if I have to explain it, you won't understand.
I feel so privileged to join this team. If you know what it means to Keep Support Weird, check out these jobs and join us.
Culture And Values At Zapier
Below is an article originally written by Wade Foster, the Co-founder and CEO at PowerToFly Partner Zapier, and published on January 26, 2018. Go to Zapier's page on PowerToFly to see their open positions and learn more.
We help people be more efficient at work. We want to help you focus on the work that matters and automate the work that's tedious.
Today we serve two million people. We hope to one day serve everyone at work.
To make that happen, though, we have to invest in each other and invest in our team—especially since we're a small, but fast-growing company. Our culture is the primary way we achieve our organizational goals. And the way we've defined the culture is through a shared set of common values that every team at Zapier uses to help them make decisions, interact with each other and our customers, and get work done.
The Zapier Team Values
Each of these values are fleshed out through a simple good vs. bad comparison:
"A successful Zapier teammate does this"
vs. "A struggling Zapier teammate does that".
1. Default to Action
What this means: Most decisions are changeable. It's better to deliver something real today over something maybe better later.
Tips on how to apply this value:
"When I see a problem, I take action."
vs. "When I see a problem, I ignore it because it's someone else's job."
"If I'm unsure about something, I seek out help from my manager or a teammate."
vs. "I don't like to ask questions or raise issues because I'm afraid I'll look bad."
"I prefer to make a quick, decent decision instead of pursuing perfection."
vs. "I hold myself to making perfect or near-perfect decisions no matter the cost."
"When prioritizing my day, I focus on tasks that align with my team's goals."
vs. "I spin up new projects frequently and get frustrated when no one dedicates time to helping me."
"We tackle big hairy problems and take big bets diligently as team."
vs. "I make big, tough to reverse decisions on my own."
2. Default to Transparency
What this means: When working in a distributed, worldwide team staying on the same page is tough. Sharing context, goals, objectives, and in-progress work in public helps us all achieve a common goal.
Tips on how to apply this value:
"I keep my team members in tune with relevant information as it can be appropriately shared with context so there's rarely surprises."
vs. "I hold back information until the very point it needs to be shared, even if it is a surprise to my teammates, that's OK."
"I share my work with my peers early and often so we can course correct quickly."
vs. "I share my masterpiece at the end in a big grand reveal."
"I make it easy for others to follow my work by summarizing tasks accomplished and decisions made, and providing links to source material (such as a Slack thread) for deeper context."
vs. "I share raw notes and all details of my work and decisions, and expect others have the time to consume it all."
"I distill reporting to what's relevant to my audience, linking out to details that are already understood."
vs. "I share everything out of concern my audience might question my decision-making or productivity."
"When sensitive details come my way, I think twice and consult a manager before sharing publicly."
vs. "I share far and wide just for transparency's sake."
3. Grow Through Feedback
What this means: We all have personal goals and ambitions. Let's work together to help us all achieve our goals.
Tips on how to apply this value:
"When I hear feedback, I improve with it."
vs. "When I hear feedback, I disengage."
"I assume positive intent when receiving feedback."
vs. "I feel attacked when receiving feedback."
"When a teammate's work helps me, I say thanks by sharing how."
vs. "I keep feedback to myself."
"I reflect on and engage with learning opportunities."
vs. "I prefer to gloss over missteps or mistakes because it is more comfortable than addressing them head on."
"I participate in other people's development."
vs. "I stay silent to avoid hurting feelings or feeling uncomfortable."
"I provide feedback directly and compassionately."
vs. "I provide feedback without the ultimate goal of helping the other person."
"When change happens, I embrace new opportunities."
vs. "When change happens, I fear for the worst."
4. Empathy, No Ego
What this means: All of our teammates are smart and talented. When we work together we will be successful.
Tips on how to apply this value:
"I work with others to build on great ideas."
vs. "I work alone because my ideas are the best."
"I take interest in my teammates' and users' well being. I know with strong bonds we can go through any tough time together."
vs. "I treat my team as resources to help me achieve tasks that advance my interests."
"If the floor is dirty, I sweep the floor."
vs. "I wait for the janitor to sweep the floor because some jobs are below me."
Sometimes it's not about a big ego. Sometimes we need guidance on how to handle a bruised ego and learn to be forgiving of ourselves to take the next steps. These rules help give guidance for this set of situations:
"When I fail, I learn."
vs. "When I fail, I'm no good."
"I can learn anything I want to."
vs. "I'm either good at it or I'm not."
"When I'm frustrated I persevere."
vs. "When I'm frustrated I give up."
"If you succeed, I feel inspired."
vs. "If you succeed, I feel threatened."
5. Don't Be a Robot, Build the Robot
What this means: Invest in tools and processes that lead to outsized impact so Zapier can be more productive than a similar sized company.
Tips on how to apply this value:
"If I see repetitive tasks, I find tools, process, or code that can help us grow efficiently."
vs. "I keep doing things they way they've always been done because it's familiar."
"If I find something that works, I continually optimize the process."
vs. "When something works, I don't change it in fear of messing it up."
"I'm eager to find a better way to do my role, even if it works myself out of that role."
vs. "I avoid exploring new ways to do something out of fear that it'll impact my role."
"I prioritize effectiveness and impact over perfection and precision."
vs. "I make sure I achieve perfection in my work."
"I seek alternatives to growing headcount, searching for efficiencies first."
vs. "I default to encouraging hiring to solve the problems in front of us."
