Seven lessons from multi pitch climbing that also apply to cross-functional teaming
Brb. Getting my MBA in the mountains.
Welcome to The Overlap! Two weeks ago, I published how I was wrong about best practices. And I’ve heard from a lot of you that you missed this newsletter! That’s fueled my stoke to write here again.
This week, I’m sharing seven lessons I’ve learned in climbing that also apply to cross-functional teaming. I typically don’t like to use sports metaphors. But as I keep coming back to my work desk from the mountains, I keep coming back to these lessons. This newsletter has always been about overlaps between disciplines… so here goes!
The more I multi pitch climb, the more I relearn the same lessons I’ve coached product teams and cross-functional teams on.
Multipitch climbing is when you climb something tall with at least another climber. So you’re working in a team (as opposed to alone).
Seven lessons from multi pitch climbing that also apply to cross-functional teaming
1️⃣ Have a shared goal that's clear, ambitious, yet achievable.
“We’re going to get to Pitch 9 on Levitation 29 by 2pm and rappel down then. That way we’re hiking back as sunset hits.”
2️⃣ Create a strategy.
“To do this, I’ll lead this pitch while you lead this pitch. Here’s the gear we need. Some watch outs on Pitch 5: it’s a hard pitch that requires two fists.”
3️⃣ Name the risks upfront.
What can go wrong? Any no-fall zones? How can we mitigate these risks? Can we bring 3 black totems to ensure that we’re well-protected throughout the thin finger crack?
4️⃣ Your team needs both technical skills *and* communication skills.
In multi-pitch climbing, we have very specific commands to each other. “You’re on belay!” “Off belay!” “Climbing!” “Climb on!” These commands are almost standard. No matter how good you are individually, communication matters a lot.
5️⃣ Have a broad toolbox.
Yes, best practices are great. And, you'll want to be ready to use other tools/techniques when the situation demands it.
6️⃣ Slow is smooth, smooth is fast.
My former coworker, Spencer Pitman, who’s also a climber, used to say this a lot. As a climber, I get this now. Do not rush. Most accidents happen when you rush. Efficiency comes from being smooth, first.
7️⃣ Reflect, learn, and improve.
Did we achieve our goal? How’d we do today compared to how we expected we’d do? What could we do better if we were to do this route in the future?
🎱 Don’t be afraid to bail.
This one’s added by my friend Katie Mayo from Root to Earth. From her LinkedIn response: “In tech, bailing might be for the sake of opportunity cost, delighting the users, or implementing the Pareto principle. Sunsetting products avoids wasted time and keeps the user experience clean & focused.”
Product heads & consultants — don’t these seven lessons sound familiar?
I used to roll my eyes at using sports analogies in a business setting (because they can be hard to relate to if you’re not into sports). But since getting into multi pitch climbing, I see all the overlaps. I guess I’m getting my MBA on Yosemite’s walls.
Project Updates
I discontinued Unsend It, a newsletter that I started awhile ago.
Last year, I started a podcast called Rock and Rice. It’s more of a passion project than it is business-related, but I’m pretty damn proud of it since it’s spread in the Filipino climbing community.