The Two Jobs You’ve Been Hired For

I don’t have a company, but if I did, this letter would be part of our onboarding process.

Let’s call it a dream manifesto for a place where work feels meaningful, and relationships thrive.

So, let’s pretend you’ve just joined TalkFlow.

Hey there

Your first week is behind you. Settling in? Sweet.

As you get your bearings, I want to hit you with two principles that nail what success looks like here. Think of them as your north star for this wild ride.

I’m not about to drop some groundbreaking truth, but sometimes, the basics are worth spelling out.

You were hired to do your job. Lots of folks think their job stops there. That’s not true. In fact, you have two jobs:

Do work that matters.

Be great to work with.

Let’s break these down. 

The first job is pretty obvious. You’re here because we know you’re a rockstar who can deliver. But doing work that matters isn’t about just crossing stuff off your to-do list. It’s about understanding “why” your work is important. It’s about progress over perfection. It’s about the ripple effect you create—not just for the company, but for the people you impact. 

You’ve already proven you’ve got this. That’s why you’re here.

The second job? That’s where most people mess up. It’s not about being the smartest person in the room, it’s about being the kind of person everyone wants on their team. You could be ridiculously talented, but if you’re a pain to work with, that talent won’t take you far. Solving problems or learning new tech – that’s easy with support. Support flows easily to those who are easy to work with. But if you’re difficult? Let’s just say, careers can hit a wall fast.

So, what does “being great to work with” look like? Here’s the playbook:

• Listen more than you talk. Start with curiosity, not judgment. Pause before jumping in. Stay curious a little longer. Seek to understand before trying to be understood.

• Challenge the idea, not the person. Don’t be a yes-man. Disagree respectfully. And once a decision’s made? Commit like your life depends on it—kinda like Amazon’s “disagree and commit” motto.

• Communicate clearly. Don’t assume people can read your mind. Spell it out. When you’re confused, ask. Better questions lead to better answers.

• Honour your commitments—every damn time. If you say you’ll do something, do it. If things change, speak up early, be clear, and share the new plan.

• Build trust. Relationships matter just as much as results. Value them. Invest in them.

• Get comfortable with uncomfortable convos. Saying no, asking for help, selling your idea, giving tough feedback—it’s not easy, but it’s where growth happens. Just handle them with care.

• Act consistently. You’ll achieve much more by being consistently reliable than occasionally extraordinary. Consistency builds trust and makes your team feel safe enough to share—even their wildest ideas. Erratic behaviour? It breeds fear, and fear makes people hide the truth.

• Use role power sparingly, but own it. You’ve got the power to say “You need to do this because I’m your boss.” But that only gets you compliance, not buy-in, and it sure doesn’t build trust. When you must pull rank, be upfront about it. Clarity beats guessing games every time.

• Give feedback a lot, mostly positive People thrive on kind, actionable feedback. Be clear, specific, and thoughtful. Growth flourishes when people know you’re in their corner.

• Take blame easily, give credit freely. When things go well, shine the spotlight on others and fade into the background. If things go south, step up and own it.

You don’t need to follow this list word for word. But you do need to figure out your own way to crush both roles. Just like there are many ways to solve a problem, there are many ways to be an awesome teammate.

Here’s the bottom line: Don’t be an asshole. Period. Kindness, respect, and empathy aren’t just nice-to-haves—they’re the glue that holds everything together.

Most challenges we face aren’t purely technical–they’re human. And the best of us solve both. 

We believe in you. That’s why you’re here. I’m here to back you up and help you nail both jobs.

Let’s make it happen—together.

Semper Fi,

M

PS. Do you struggle to set yourself apart from your competitors? Does your tone of voice lack a little personality? Either way, get in touch and I’ll help you become remarkable. Or get more communication advice that doesn't suck here.