BlockFi Chief People Officer Laura Cooper
Today on Talk Talent To Me, we are joined by the Chief People Officer over at BlockFi, Laura Cooper. From big corporations to small startups, Laura has seen it all and has insights into the world of talent acquisition from every angle. Laura fills us in on the different approaches she\u2019s been able to take in smaller organizations and the effectiveness and agility of a small, carefully composed team. We learn about social contracts and how to set the stage for high intellectual friction and ensure low social friction, before going on to consider the need for a balance of potential and experience within a team. Laura generously shares BlockFi\u2019s recruitment process and cultural ethos, as well as her personal emphasis on the importance of being surrounded by people who are willing to challenge her.
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Key Points From This Episode:
- Introducing Laura Cooper, Chief People Officer at BlockFi.
- Laura explains what BlockFi does and what\u2019s unique about it.
- BlockFi\u2019s mission to make cryptocurrency accessible to everyone.
- The benefits of crypto being in the blockchain and outside of governmental control.
- Why BlockFi is poised to work with regulatory bodies.
- What appealed to Laura about working with BlockFi.
- Laura\u2019s professional background from practicing law to her current position at BlockFi.
- Why she moved to a small startup from a large corporation and how her role differed.
- How a small team can be far more agile and effective than a big team with a big budget.
- Laura\u2019s most difficult transition moving from a big corporate into a small organization.
- Laura breaks down the concept of social contracts in small organizations.
- The role of the recruiters at BlockFi and how they carefully discern new hires.
- BlockFi\u2019s ethos and how the company abides by and emphasizes its social contract.
- What Bonusly is and how it inspires the right behaviors in employees.
- How to ensure that a hire for potential is supported to succeed in a new position.
- Why there needs to be a balance of potential and experience within a team.
- The importance of being surrounded by people who are willing to challenge you.
- The two primary things psychological safety is comprised of.
- How to set the stage for high intellectual friction.
- What low social friction means.
- How to manage your teammates\u2019 failures.
- How setting boundaries creates a positive culture.
- Laura\u2019s final advice: Don\u2019t be afraid to learn and don\u2019t be afraid to unlearn!
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Tweetables:
\u201cOne of the things that\u2019s most exciting about BlockFi is it\u2019s also for the individual, like you, me, grandma, grandpa, and everyone has the opportunity to buy and sell and trade in crypto through BlockFi.\u201d \u2014 Laura Cooper [0:02:04]
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\u201cI like the idea that money is in the hands of people versus under control of government.\u201d \u2014 Laura Cooper [0:05:06]
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\u201cThere is and there should be an expectation between the organization and the people who work for it about how we treat one another.\u201d \u2014 Laura Cooper [0:20:45]
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\u201cUnfortunately, recruiters get a bad rap in a lot of ways but they really are the guardians of the culture.\u201d \u2014 Laura Cooper [0:23:15]
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\u201cYou can\u2019t have everybody be a commander and you can\u2019t have everybody be a scout. You need a combination of the two.\u201d \u2014 Laura Cooper [0:30:04]
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\u201cThe greatest thing is constantly learning. Don\u2019t be afraid to learn, don\u2019t be afraid to throw yourself out there if you don\u2019t know how to do something.\u201d \u2014 Laura Cooper [0:37:26]
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\u201cDon\u2019t be afraid to unlearn, take the best of what you know how to do and tailor it for the climate in which you\u2019re in.\u201d \u2014 Laura Cooper [0:37:54]
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Links Mentioned in Today\u2019s Episode:
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BlockFi\xa0