Question 1

What services do you offer?

Accepted Answer

I offer People and Recruiting consulting on an hourly, retainer, and project basis. More here.

Question 2

What's your People leadership style?

Accepted Answer

I’m suppose I’m somewhat of a purist. I believe people join startups to do great work with great people - period! And I think many People practices don’t directly support that goal - mostly because it’s really, really hard work. It’s much easier to build a robust perks program than to figure out how (for example) to meet every Manager where they are, and get them to a place of competence quickly and cheaply. And while it’s easy for a Founder to say they want to build a high-performance culture, it’s not easy to become a leader who consistently models the standard they expect from others (while everyone at your company is watching you!) I help startups understand what it really takes to be both results-first and people-first, identify where they are getting in their own way, and get them on a path towards success.

Question 3

What types of companies are you a fit for?

Accepted Answer

I’m a fit for companies that align with my stick-to-the-basics style (see above), that are between 10-1000 people, and that are in a period of rapid growth. My impact peaks with companies who need to plan, and build for, a 2-4x annual headcount growth scenario, and want to achieve that scale with quality, not chaos.

Question 4

What's your pricing model?

Accepted Answer

It depends on the engagement. For hourly, I’m $500/hr. For projects, pricing is based on the length & depth. As part of an introductory “fit” call, we can talk about what works best for you.

Question 5

How can I contact you?

Accepted Answer

If you’re ready for a quick discovery call, email me at mckenna@theoryz.co to set up a time!

Question 6

What exactly is "Theory Z"?

Accepted Answer

Theory X and Theory Y were introduced by Douglas McGregor, a student of Maslow and Sloan professor, in his 1960 book The Human Side of Enterprise. They became pretty foundational ideas in management philosophy and i/o psychology - most previous theories were purely economic while these looked at human nature and motivation. Theory X says employees need oversight. Theory Y views people as intrinsically motivated. While some thinkers— William Ouchi and even Maslow himself—have attempted to define an optimal “Theory Z,” I see the search for an end-all management philosophy as a dynamic one, based on the company, its people, and the surrounding environment. And I believe the best organizations draw from both theories—pairing trust with clear expectations, autonomy with strong measures of accountability.

FAQs

01What services do you offer?

02What's your People leadership style?

03What types of companies are you a fit for?

04What's your pricing model?

05How can I contact you?

06What exactly is "Theory Z"?