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Cadence OneFive° Handbook

Manager of One: Universal Foundation

All team members, regardless of role, are expected to develop and demonstrate “Manager of One” competencies. These are the foundation that makes our self-management culture work.

Source for #2-4: Top 4 Characteristics That Make Individual Contributors Indispensable

1. Practice self-awareness and context-awareness

Section titled “1. Practice self-awareness and context-awareness”

“Highly self-aware individuals are able to turn their focus and critiques to themselves, observing their current emotional and mental state. People who are truly self-aware separate their decision-making from their emotions; they control and manage their thoughts, rather than having their thoughts and emotions control them.” Source

Behaviors

Section titled “Behaviors”

  • Regularly and dispassionately assess own successes and failures

  • Ask for, listen to, and accept positive as well as critical feedback

  • Empathize with and take the perspective of others

  • “Read the room” and tailor the message to the audience

2. Communicate clearly and accessibly

Section titled “2. Communicate clearly and accessibly”

Clear, accessible communication is essential in a horizontal organization where everyone needs to understand and contribute to decisions.

Behaviors

Section titled “Behaviors”

  • Writes concise, clear, plain-English documents, missives, and presentations. Cultivates disciplined editing habits honed for disambiguation and accessibility

  • Exercises social awareness and empathy in interpersonal interactions

  • Is highly responsive to both internal and external stakeholders

  • Keenly attuned to emotional dimensions of interactions

  • Uses facilitation and consensus-building tools and techniques to keep forward momentum

3. Support each other to reach team goals

Section titled “3. Support each other to reach team goals”

Complete their own tasks for group projects in a timely and responsible manner and directly contribute to reaching the group goal.

Behaviors

Section titled “Behaviors”

  • Assist others in the completion of their tasks to support the group goals

  • Build and maintain cooperative work relationships with others

  • Effectively collaborate in meeting and in informal interactions

  • Play to each others’ strengths

4. Manage your own work

Section titled “4. Manage your own work”

Assume personal responsibility for achieving outcomes and work effectively with little direction.

Behaviors

Section titled “Behaviors”

  • Work on the right tasks by ensuring they know their top deliverables

  • Finish what they start

  • Assume personal responsibility for achieving outcomes

  • Effectively manage their own time as well as the time of others

  • Develop contingency plans in anticipation of possible problems & adverse consequences

  • Use technology to effectively track & steer their work

  • Effectively manage multiple projects/demands and competing deadlines

5. Handle different contexts

Section titled “5. Handle different contexts”

Take on various tasks and context-switch effectively.

Behaviors

Section titled “Behaviors”

  • Flexible in taking on various tasks

  • Context-switches effectively

  • Juggles multiple responsibilities

  • Adapts to different team dynamics

  • Builds things from 0 to 1

6. Help everyone succeed

Section titled “6. Help everyone succeed”

Ensure every team member succeeds and thrives.

Behaviors

Section titled “Behaviors”

  • Wants every team member to succeed

  • Understands shared and unique needs

  • Attuned to emotional dimensions

  • Creates supportive environment