Episode 10: Lessons Learned Leading Big and Small Businesses

Some Goodness

Summary

In this episode, Richard Ellis interviews Justin Barney, the CRO of Thousand Eyes, a Cisco company. The conversation focuses on three key areas: hiring, retention, and performance management. Hiring is emphasized as the most important aspect, with a focus on diversity and creating a diverse interview panel and candidate pool. Retention is discussed in terms of setting clear expectations, maintaining open communication, and celebrating successes. Performance management is highlighted as a necessary but difficult task, with a focus on making tough decisions and holding each other accountable. Other topics include implementing the right processes and having a strong relationship between sales and product teams.

Chapters

00:00 Introduction and Background

02:40 Addressing People, Process, and Products

04:05 Hiring a Diverse Team

06:07 Playback Method to HIring

07:23 Investing in Recruiters

07:40 Keeping the Bench Warm

10:05 Retaining Top Performers

11:50 QBRs or Mid-Year Gatherings

14:40 Making Tough Decisions in Performance Management

17:00 Implementing Effective Processes

20:55 Product-Market Fit

23:05 Roadmap Selling / Relationship Between Sales and Product Teams

24:23 Being Clear on the Markets You Are Going to Enter

27:01 Some Goodness

Keywords

CRO career path, hiring, retention, performance management, diversity, interview panel, candidate pool, clear expectations, open communication, celebrating successes, tough decisions, holding each other accountable, processes, sales and product relationship

Sound Bites

• "People is where it starts and ends."
• "Having a diverse team allows for a better thought process."
• “Retention requires setting clear expectations, maintaining open communication, and celebrating successes.”
• “Performance management involves making tough decisions and holding each other accountable.”
• “Having a strong relationship between sales and product teams is essential for product-market fit and innovation.”