Values Examples

1. Dependability

a. We are always active in communication channels.

• -1: Often unresponsive or requires multiple follow-ups
• 0: Weekday replies <24h. Weekend no reply
• 1: Weekday replies <12h. Weekend <24h

b. We follow through on commitments.

• -1: Most work takes longer than expected
• 0: Consistently delivers work in expected time
• 1: Delivers work early and makes progress in other areas

c. We are consistent and predictable.

• -1: Performance is erratic and others cannot plan around them
• 0: Consistent level of output week to week. Maintains steady, reliable work habits
• 1: Delivers predictable results and helps create consistency in the team

2. Act like an Owner

a. We are self-driven, we don't need nudging in order to perform.

• -1: You are not motivated to work unless someone is checking up on you
• 0: You don't need nudging, but you don't push others or your manager forward
• 1: You nudge other team members and push your work and the whole organization forward

b. We take 120% responsibility for everything we do.

• -1: Completes tasks to 80% (Gets help from others to complete it)
• 0: Completes tasks to 100%
• 1: Completes tasks to 120% (Finds extra problems, fixes some, creates new tasks, and starts tackling the most important ones)

Example: Designer, after designing, checking the development process, checking the user sentiment after release, creating a report and learnings to share with team.

Example: Asking questions like "should I do X or Y" is a sign of -1 ownership. It means they haven't put in the thought. +1 ownership version of this would be "I looked in to all the data, read a few articles online and decided to go with X, here is my game plan, let me know if I'm missing anything, otherwise I'll start execution tomorrow."

Example: "Here is my submission is it good? bad?" is a sign of -1 ownership. It means they are submitting a work. The job is more than the work. "Here is my work and here is my plan. I explored 4 options. I'll go with option X. Next, I will create issues, create dashboard for analytics, create reminder to check and give a weekly update on the success of the feature. Write learnings in 3 weeks and share with the team. I'll start executing tomorrow unless I'm told something missing." is a sign of +1 ownership.

c. We improve the company beyond the scope of our job.

• -1: Completes assigned tasks
• 0: Upgrades systems around their assigned tasks
• 1: Upgrades & creates systems extending their tasks (seeking ways to create value extending their role)

Example: Goku had the time to go through dozens of github issues that he needed to review and found that all of them had already been reviewed better than he could've by Juan.

Example: Jeff was working on backend game development, decided we needed better analytics, learned and setup Metabase which now became the default analytics tool of the company.

Bad Example: Doing their assigned job 80% and jumping around to help out other parts is -1 ownership and -1 efficient execution.

Example: Doing their assigned job 120% and tackling the first degree problems is +1 ownership.

d. We make sure others live up to our standards.

• -1: Doesn't review others work
• 0: Reviews others work
• 1: Trains others to level up

Example: Struggling to provide feedback to others is a sign of -1.

e. We build for players.

• -1: Implement without interacting with players
• 0: Asks if players want A or B
• 1: Talks with players during implementation, staging, after release, optimization

3. Clear Communication

a. We communicate openly.

• -1: Doesn't speak up, lacks transparency, avoids conversations
• 0: Withholds information, avoids tough conversations
• 1: Proactive communicator, embraces tough conversations, expresses thoughts honestly and completely

b. We are direct and concise. Read this.

• -1: Uses +30% filler words
• 0: Uses ~0% filler words
• 1: Doesn't write full sentences

Example:

• -1: We need to approve the version because after we approve it the QA team needs to go over it for final checks
• 0: Pls approve version because QA team will go over for final checks
• 1: You -> Approve version, QA team -> Final checks

c. We communicate clearly & well structured.

• -1: Needs multiple reads to understand basics
• 0: Basics are understood on a single glance. Needs multiple reads to understand complex ideas
• 1: Complex ideas are understood on a single glance

Example: Long message with several components that is clear and well structured.

d. We align expectations.

• -1: Doesn't update status of tasks and changes
• 0: Sometimes updates status of tasks and changes
• 1: Clearly and consistently updates status of tasks and changes. Everyone knows where they stand

e. We are easy to work with.

• -1: Selfish or nitpicks or unresponsive or uncooperative or annoying
• 0: Does some work towards being easy to work with
• 1: Tries to understand where other party is coming from and finds win-wins in situations

4. Efficient Execution

a. We deliver results.

• -1: Delivers less or slower than expected
• 0: Delivers expected results
• 1: Over delivers

b. We execute quickly.

• -1: Has resistance and cannot execute
• 0: Executes decently
• 1: Executes so fast that others have a hard time catching up

c. We focus on high impact.

• -1: Can't gauge impact
• 0: Sometimes identifies impact
• 1: Prioritizes impactful tasks

d. We don't get stuck. We have a way forward.

• -1: Will get stuck and ask questions in low tier problems
• 0: Will slowly figure things out occasionally asks questions on how to move forward
• 1: Always has a sound plan on what to do next

Example:

• -1: No progress for more than 30 minutes, asks basic questions to other people
• 0: Does some research but sometimes in an unstructured manner
• 1: Has a plan, e.g. Check Docs -> Google -> ChatGPT -> Stack Overflow -> Ask the right person -> Create thread to ask team

e. We are pragmatic and value simple solutions.

• -1: Uses custom solutions that have lots of moving parts
• 0: Uses a few libraries that achieve the goal
• 1: Discards the whole project or creates a simple solution a level above getting rid of all such problems

5. Continuous Learning

a. We are curious.

• -1: When asked, they don't know how it works or why the actions were taken
• 0: They know their work inside and out
• 1: They know the extension of their work inside and out

b. We introduce new tools & methods to the team.

• -1: They don't learn outside of Colonist
• 0: They rarely try out new tools and methods, and when they do, they apply them at Colonist
• 1: They actively try out new tools and methods and introduce them to Colonist

Examples: Devs follow npm blogs and attend hackathons. Ops join Deel meetups. Everyone reads related books and bring in methods to optimize processes in Colonist.

c. We unlearn wrong methods.

• -1: Struggles to let go of wrong methods from previous experiences
• 0: Is able to update wrong methods when identified
• 1: Self identifies wrong methods and takes ownership of adapting

d. We take feedback and improve.

• -1: Must be told same feedback multiple times
• 0: Never told same feedback twice
• 1: Seeks out feedback

e. We overcome challenging problems.

• -1: Consistently chooses easy tasks, avoiding or postponing difficult ones. Read this.
• 0: Tackles difficult problems but struggles to solve them
• 1: Overcomes difficult and complex problems, learning and growing in the process