We were thrilled to welcome back Jessica Neal, for our second Scale Up talk of the year. Jessica is not only a renowned culture builder and advisor to BenchSci, but she also played an instrumental role in shaping Netflix’s high-performing culture, completing two tours at Netflix as their Vice President of Talent and Chief Talent Officer. While Jessica first joined us in 2022, it felt like the right time to welcome her back, as so much has changed since that conversation. At BenchSci, we’ve undergone significant growth and evolution as a company, while the world around us has also experienced immense change—from an ongoing debate about the future of work—remote, in-office, or hybrid to a fluctuating job market.
Having recently stepped into my new role as VP of Talent at BenchSci, I was eager to discuss with Jessica the intricacies of fostering a thriving culture while scaling and navigating the current macro environment. Here are some of the key points that resonated with me.
If nothing changes, you’re in trouble
Change is a constant in the dynamic environment of startups, yet it's often met with resistance in the workplace. Jessica had a different take, though, reminding us that change is actually a good thing.
"We're evolving; if we weren't changing, that would be a problem."
As startups grow, there’s often this thought of nostalgia amongst employees that makes them reluctant to embrace change. Jessica shared that at Netflix, they tried to shift this mentality by getting people to look forward. “A company with 500 employees is better than it was with 100 employees, you have more revenue and more customers, which means you can continue to invest in your innovation and team”.
Jessica’s advice for leaders navigating change? Take the time to explain why things are changing, walk your team through what's different, and make sure they get why this new way is better than the old. Transparency and communication are key.
Build your high-performing team like a professional sports team
Netflix is known for its high-performing culture, and Jessica shared that the secret to this is their approach: they treat their team like a professional sports team, not a family.
“This means building the best team possible, even if it requires difficult changes over time.”
Jessica emphasized that Netflix’s success was built on this philosophy, recognizing that in order for them to win, they needed to have the best team.
While this work environment isn’t for everyone, and many people criticize Netflix for it, Jessica emphasized that these changes are not personal. Like a professional athlete whose time with a team has ended, employees may simply move on to other opportunities. Jessica also pointed out that even with difficult changes, Netflix always strived to handle transitions with grace and empathy, making sure to recognize the contributions of everyone who's been a part of their team.
The concept of a team and what makes a high-performing team is something I’ve been thinking a lot about lately. If you’re interested in diving deeper, check out Jessica’s recent Truth Works podcast episode featuring John Mackey from Whole Foods where they dig into this deeper.
Think of feedback as giving love
The challenge with feedback is people immediately think it’s negative, and their walls go up, but Jessica has reframed feedback to ‘give love’.
“I like to think about feedback as love. It’s not always being critical. If I love working with this person and I care about them, shouldn’t I tell them the truth? Both when they do something really great, and when they could do better.”
Giving and receiving feedback is an art that takes practice. At Netflix, this is ingrained in the culture. CEO Reed Hastings set the tone by giving or asking for feedback in every meeting. This behaviour was adopted throughout the company, as Jessica remembers asking her VPs for feedback during team meetings to model the behavior. She also emphasized the importance of not only receiving feedback well but actually implementing it and making changes as a result.
Be intentional with how time together is spent
There is a constant debate about whether in-person or remote work drives better outcomes, but instead, Jessica says we should focus on being intentional about how we spend time together. Whether you’re getting your team together remotely or for an in-person meetup, this time should be focused on inspiring, brainstorming, building trust, and having hard conversations.
“If you’re going to be together, it needs to be used wisely. Everyone should walk away with more context, more connection, and hopefully feeling inspired.”
At BenchSci, we are a remote-first workplace. We find ways to bring our teams together in person through company-wide meetings and team on-sites, but like Jessica, we agree that how we spend our time together, whether virtually or in person, is most important.
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