Building A Culture of Compassionate Accountability at Adobe: With Jeff Jacobs

Compassionate Accountability Podcast

Dr. Nathan Regier, your host, welcomes Jeff Jacobs to today’s episode. Jeff has a 30-plus year career in Human Resources spanning numerous Global Leadership roles. He is currently the Senior Director of Organizational Effectiveness at Adobe. In that capacity, he serves as an executive coach and internal consultant to senior leadership teams across the company.

Dr. Nate and Jeff discuss the particularities of his position at Adobe; they explore the features of a healthy team and the challenges a team must confront to achieve its best performance. Jeff shares his vast knowledge of psychological safety, vulnerability, diversity, and inclusiveness based on his extensive experience in leading high-performing teams.

Key Takeaways:

[3:40] Jeff talks about a conference both he and Dr. Nate recently participated in.

[5:15] Jeff shares some of his background and journey that led him to his current position at Adobe.

[6:57] What about Jeff’s Senior Director of Organizational Effectiveness position at Adobe is unique?

[9:26] What makes a team healthy?

[11:00] Jeff addresses compassion and inclusivity as crucial features of a healthy team.

[12:40] Where does conflict come in for high-performing teams?

[15:13] What is psychological safety? How does it contribute to high-performing teams?

[18:50] What does “radical candor” really mean?

[21:15] Jeff expands on the key to effective feedback.

[22:20] How does vulnerability contribute to high-performing teams?

[24:57] Why do so many leaders perceive vulnerability as a weakness?

[27:27] What are some of the systems and processes that can support high-performing cultures?

[31:32] How does Jeff measure the impact of what he does?

[33:13] What is the difference between people liking you, and benefiting an organization?

[35:44] Jeff talks about the book he is about to release.

[39:13] Jeff shares how he keeps himself vulnerable and open.

[42:35] Dr. Nate shares his top takeaways from a fantastic conversation with Jeff Jacobs.

Mentioned in this episode:

The Compassion Mindset

Compassionate Accountability: How Leaders Build Connection and Get Results, Nate Regier

Visit Next-Element

The Right Kind of Wrong: The Science of Failing Well, Amy Edmondson

Radical Candor: How to Get What You Want by Saying What You Mean, Tim Scott

Learn more about Jeff Jacobs’ book Still Coming of Age.

Tweetables:

“A healthy team starts with trust and psychological safety.” #oncompassion

“Leveraging diversity is not just about accepting and valuing differences; there is an inherent conflict in diversity and also an inherent opportunity.” #oncompassion

“Psychological safety is the foundation that enables someone to lean into the discomfort.” #oncompassion

“Culture is to build one relationship at a time.” #oncompassion

“Vulnerability is one of the most profound leadership strengths that exists.” #oncompassion