Why we’re building this
We want managers to go into 1:1’s fully aware that a big part of what they’re doing is making their direct reports ready for the next role they have, here or somewhere else.
You hear the phrase “fake it til you make it” a lot these days not just in business, but everywhere. And there is something to be said for how putting on a costume really does change one’s behavior. Telling yourself you’re going to do great, even when things feel a little shakey; buying the $12 coffee at the meeting where you might land an important deal, even though you’re sort of broke—all ways to make confidence happen when it might otherwise be in short supply.
All this changes when the thing you want to “make it” at is managing other people. Your teammates know when you’re faking it. Some of them might even call you on it to your face. Entire industries have emerged to try and teach people how to be leaders. They’ll lead you to some cave and make you walk on hot coals, or make you read about samurais or whatever. We know all of it is junk, but when you don’t have any answers it’s easy to sub in someone else’s.
I’ve spoken before on my feelings about being a people manager. I’ve mostly avoided it in my career for various reasons (imposter syndrome being one). The times I’ve led teams have been rewarding but exhausting. Those leadership roles were never hired as such, and the “leadership” was under-advertised. I was a producer of work first who just happened to do 1:1’s and yearly reviews. This is the thing about the workplace: a lot of the rituals we rely on are blunt instruments. Yearly merit cycle reviews get messy because you can’t remember past ninety days ago. One on one meetings go sideways for lack of an agenda. Getting promoted to manager can feel good, but if you’ve never done it before it can be terrifying. No one really tells you how to do it, and so much of it depends on how you have been managed in your own career.
Mora as a product and a business is based on the idea that leadership is just actually caring about the people that answer to you when they’re at work. (That part is important: when they’re at work.) The best managers Anita and I have ever had spent so little time talking about deliverables and KPIs, and lots of time getting to know us as people. The rest, as it turned out, took care of itself. Those managers made us feel comfortable with being ourselves at work—instead of performing a character; we brought all of our skills and then some to these roles, because these managers made a point of treating us like whole people.
We want managers to go into 1:1’s fully aware that a big part of what they’re doing is making their direct reports ready for the next role they have, here or somewhere else. You are co-navigating someone’s career, and that’s a big responsibility. The least we can do to help is make sure you have good notes to work from, useful goals that help chart a path from here to there, and a body of knowledge you can use when reviews come around. (You’re helping to decide people’s compensation! That should feel like a big deal!) These are skills you can learn, and Mora can help you do that and more.
When we launch in a few weeks, we hope that you find your life as a manager is changed for the better. We want to hear from you, and look forward to building a community of people leading humanely with a tiny bit of help.