Macromanaging

The CEO of Shopify recently sent a memo on AI, which included the mandate: “Using AI effectively is now a fundamental expectation of everyone at Shopify.”

Reading the piece, I was reminded how rarely leaders give clear guidance on working methods. Too many view this as a taboo subject – the realm of micromanagers. But I think it’s critical for building productive teams, especially when facing such a game-changing technology as AI.

No matter how experienced a team member is, there’s value in talking about working habits periodically. I often discover my best performers are doing well despite a weird collection of habits that slow them down or cause them more stress. Once these are resolved, they are usually even more productive or at least a bit less anxious.

It’s great to see a CEO doing this on a company-wide scale.