We're using the term "principles" here in the way Ray Dalio uses it.
Principles are smart ways to handle things that are happening over and over again.
An example of principle to make it more concrete: "Always do at least 2 reference calls before hiring a new team member"
What's really powerful about using principles:
It while it takes to decide. It does so because it systemizes the best decisions.
You It does so because we can see the outcome of following a principle consistently over multiple situations.
It And this is essential as our team will evolve rapidly as we grow with new team members joining and other leaving.
Writing principles on a piece of paper or discussing principles creates ZERO VALUE.
Talking does not cook rice.
For principles to be helpful, it is essential they get internalized and practiced.
The real-power of principles comes from stress-testing those in reality and proposing refinements to our principles, creating new ones or discarding old ones when needed. Principles is not a static thing, on the contrary. They evolve as we learn and as our environment changes.
- Apply the principles for yourself in your day-to-day decisions and see how well they work for you.
- Use those principles to communicate with your team mates. Principles give us a common vocabulary that allows us to work together better/faster.
- Reflect on what's working well and what's missing. Offer to refine/add/delete principles.