Workshop presented at SD Expo Americas in Portland, OR July 2019

1. GROWTH RUBRICS
AND HOW TO MAKE 'EM

2. STORY TIME!
▸ Think of an embarrassing story
▸ Share 3 word summary with your table
▸ Best word combo gets shared with the room

3. THE WHY…
▸ Clearly communicates priorities and expectations
▸ Promotes self-directed improvement
▸ Fosters team unity

4. TODAY, FOCUSING ON THE HOW…
▸ What is it?
▸ How do we use it?
▸ How you make your own?
▸ Create some building blocks together!

5. Solves Tickets Efficiently
Level 1
Provides clear answers to surface level questions
Asks specific clarifying questions to understand customer’s needs
Level 2
Can read into subtext and address underlying issues not specified by
customer
Knows what questions to ask to find a solution in all team apps
knows when it’s better to spend time investigating an issue and when to
ask clarifying questions
Level 3
Easily understands full customer issue
Provides solutions with minimal ticket touches
Level 4
Coaches teammates on how to identify underlying issues and
understand solutions
Informative
Level 1
Tactfully and warmly can communicate customers when we don’t have a
feature/process for all team apps
Level 2
Clearly communicates with customers and team reasons why we won’t
have a feature or process
Level 3
Shares with team and customers informed reasons why it’s better we
don’t offer a feature or process, or why we haven’t created a feature yet
Level 4
Helps the team understand why we don’t have a feature or process
Bugs
Level 1
Recognizes bugs in mini team’s apps
Gets all the info we need to reproduce a bug early on in communicating
with a customer
Level 2
Writes clear, comprehensive bug tickets for all team apps
Level 3
Distinguishes between bugs and product design in all team apps
Bug descriptions are very thorough
Tests bug fixes efficiently
Effectively communicates with dev team
Specialists can fill in for other specialists when needed
Level 4
Good follow up with customers and PMs
Clearly communicates how to replicate elusive bugs
Prevents stale bug cards and tickets by proactively communicating if a
bug isn’t going to be fixed or if a bug isn’t going to be fixed soon
Communication
Level 1
Transparent and proactive about what you need to learn
Asks clarifying questions, seeking understanding
Retains important info (or uses tools to help a failing memory. ha!)
Approachable
Teachable
Level 2
Offers help to teammates through correct channels
(ie redirects to skip ticket process, uses threads appropriately, minimizes
distractions)
Level 3
Proactively shares info to the right people (docs, PMs, teammates)
through the right channels (Basecamp, Slack, Zendesk, Trello, email)
Level 4
Generates information people need
Communicates succinctly

6. Bugs
Level 1
Recognizes bugs in mini team’s apps
Gets all the info we need to reproduce a bug early on in communicating
with a customer
Level 2
Writes clear, comprehensive bug tickets for all team apps
Level 3
Distinguishes between bugs and product design in all team apps
Bug descriptions are very thorough
Tests bug fixes efficiently
Effectively communicates with dev team
Specialists can fill in for other specialists when needed
Level 4
Good follow up with customers and PMs
Clearly communicates how to replicate elusive bugs
Prevents stale bug cards and tickets by proactively communicating if a
bug isn’t going to be fixed or if a bug isn’t going to be fixed soon

7. Category Level
Bugs 4
Efficient 2
Informative 3
Fantastic Five 1
Communication 4
Follows Processes 2
Product Knowledge 1
Ranges
Level 1: 7-12
Level 2: 13-18
Level 3: 19-24
Level 4: 25+

8. Informative
Level 1
Tactfully and warmly can communicate customers when we don’t have a
feature/process for all team apps
Level 2
Clearly communicates with customers and team reasons why we won’t
have a feature or process
Level 3
Shares with team and customers informed reasons why it’s better we don’t
offer a feature or process, or why we haven’t created a feature yet
Level 4
Helps the team understand why we don’t have a feature or process

9. Category Level
Bugs 4
Efficient 2
Informative 3
Fantastic Five 1
Communication 4
Follows Processes 2
Product Knowledge 1
Ranges
Level 1: 7-12
Level 2: 13-18
Level 3: 19-24
Level 4: 25+

10. Solves Tickets Efficiently Communication
InformativeBugs
LINEAR THINKING…
1. Recognizes bugs, gets all info we
need early on
2. Writes clear, comprehensive bugs
tickets
3. Knows bug vs. feature, bugs
descriptions are through, tests fixes well
4. Good followup with customers &
PMs, clear comm to replicate bugs,
1. Tactfully and warmly communicates
when we can’t do something
2. Clearly communicates with
customers why we won’t build a feature
3. Shares why it is better to not have the
feature / why we haven’t built it
4. Helps the team understand why we
don’t have a feature or process
1. Clear answers to surface level
questions, asks clarifying questions
2. Can read into subtext, knows what to
ask, knows when to investigate
3. Easily understands full issue,
provides solutions with low touches
4. Coaches teammates on how to
identify underlying issues
1. Recognizes bugs, gets all info we
need early on
2. Writes clear, comprehensive bugs
tickets
3. Knows bug vs. feature, bugs
descriptions are through, tests fixes well
4. Good followup with customers &
PMs, clear comm to replicate bugs,

11. Solves Tickets Efficiently Communication
InformativeBugs
MIND DUMP THINKING…
Writes clear, comprehensive bugs
tickets
Good followup with customers & PMs,
clear comm to replicate bugs,
Recognizes bugs, gets all info we need
early on
Knows bug vs. feature, bugs
descriptions are through, tests fixes well
Shares why it is better to not have the
feature / why we haven’t built it
Tactfully and warmly communicates
when we can’t do something
Clearly communicates with customers
why we won’t build a feature
Helps the team understand why we
don’t have a feature or process
Easily understands full issue, provides
solutions with low touches
Clear answers to surface level
questions, asks clarifying questions
Can read into subtext, knows what to
ask, knows when to investigate
Coaches teammates on how to identify
underlying issues
Good followup with customers & PMs,
clear comm to replicate bugs,
Recognizes bugs, gets all info we need
early on
Writes clear, comprehensive bugs
tickets
Knows bug vs. feature, bugs
descriptions are through, tests fixes well

12. LET’S CREATE SOME CATEGORIES!
‣ Take the time it takes to do it right
‣ Simplify your goal so it’s exactly 1 thing
(create a rubric VS write down 10 categories)
‣ Mind Dump
‣ Focus on categories, not requirements
(but jot em down if an idea pops up)

13. LET’S FILL IN SOME REQUIREMENTS!
‣ Focus on one category at a time
‣ Write do everything that comes to mind
‣ Our goal is to focus on a single category, but we don’t
want to stop our flow of thinking

14. LET’S PRIORITIZE!
‣ Number your requirements in order of importance
Communication
Offers help to teammates through correct
channels
Generates information people need,
communicates succinctly
Proactively shares info to the right people
through the right channels
Generates information people need,
communicates succinctly
1
2
3
4

15. HOMEWORK!
‣ Take the time it takes to do it right
‣ Clarify, simplify, and define each category and their contents
‣ Get feedback from your team
‣ Adjust rubric based on the feedback
‣ Rate your agents (without them)
‣ Have agents rate themselves in each category
‣ Talk about how you rated them vs how they rated themselves