In the 2016 film Arrival, Dr. Louise Banks, an anthropologist played by Amy Adams, explores the limits of the human relationship with language by communicating with an extraterrestrial species. Throughout the film, Banks is forced to assert her autonomy in order to carve out the space and time she needs to understand the aliens’ palindromic language and communicate openly with the other landing sites around the world. But as external forces pressure her to change methodologies or influence communication, her mission becomes compromised again and again.
The drama of the film would be greatly reduced if global leaders gave trust and autonomy to the experts working to learn the language, and the same is often true in the workplace. When people are given the opportunity to work in the way that best allows them to pursue their goals, they are frequently able to innovate and succeed at higher levels.
For Amanda Titus, learning and development manager at Foursquare, a flexible approach to leadership is a crucial starting point. “My manager adapts to the specific needs of each member of our team in order to provide us with the time, attention and support we need to show up as our authentic selves and deliver our best work,” Titus said.
Faheem Armanyous, vice president and principal cloud engineer at City National Bank, agreed. “The energy of a team begins with its leader, and City National does its best to create an environment that inspires innovation,” he said.
With flexibility and support, both Titus and Armanyous are empowered to take on big projects that push the traditional boundaries of their roles through a workplace culture that values autonomy and offers opportunities to adapt.
Built In LA learned more about how Foursquare and City National Bank are building low-drama workplaces that allow employees to work in the ways that best suit them.
Foursquare builds the tech behind location-based apps and services and geolocated marketing efforts to better connect brands and consumers.
What does autonomy at work mean to you?
Autonomy at work means being in an environment where my managers and peers not only trust me to do my work — and do it well — but also empower me to step outside my comfort zone. I have the freedom to try something new, and regardless if I fail or succeed, I’m given the opportunity to learn from it. My manager, Eugenie Fanning, director of human resources, hires top talent and relies on her team’s expertise to make important decisions. My manager's confidence in me and my capabilities as an HR professional encourages me to continuously learn and grow.
As Foursquare moves away from traditional performance reviews and towards real-time feedback, Eugenie relies on me to provide a strategy for training employees, promoting positive mindsets and developing the essential processes and tools we will need to implement this culture shift. The autonomy I experience in my role is what enables me to do just that.
Additionally, our organizational leadership principles guide all employees on achieving their best work in innovative ways. Having the freedom to try something new in an environment where it’s okay to fail creates room for growth and allows me to think outside the box.
Autonomy at work means being in an environment where my managers and peers not only trust me to do my work — and do it well — but also empower me to step outside my comfort zone.”
How have you been able to build autonomy at Foursquare?
I use the concept of “managing up” everywhere I work to develop a level of autonomy for myself. You can make your manager’s job easier by anticipating their needs and being receptive to their communication style. Over time, this builds a level of trust as you demonstrate your ability to deliver high quality work and create value for not only them, but for the needs of the business as well.
It is important to deliver on the quick wins that have a big impact. It demonstrates that you recognize what is important to the business and can prioritize accordingly. Within my first two months at Foursquare, we were getting feedback from employees, especially managers, that they were not receiving enough training opportunities. I launched an annual learning stipend program and a manager onboarding program. By taking the initiative to innovate, I showed my manager that I am focused on the needs of the business and can be trusted to make the right decisions autonomously.
How does Foursquare support you in finding the autonomy you need in your career?
Foursquare’s leadership team fosters an environment of innovation. One of our leadership principles — “think bigger” — encapsulates the growth mindset that our executives encourage in all of us. By incorporating that growth mindset in my day-to-day responsibilities, and through the support of my manager, autonomy has become a natural part of my role.
City National Bank is a financial institution operating in partnership with the Royal Bank of Canada.
What does autonomy at work mean to you?
What I love about being a cloud engineer is that I am presented with different projects and challenges every day. At City National, this means that I am often able to choose projects that spark my passion and contribute to my career development and growth, while making a meaningful difference at the bank.
For me, autonomy at work is essential. It means freedom to work at my own pace and on a schedule that suits me so I can think beyond the tasks at hand. This freedom allows me to explore new and creative ways to solve problems, even challenging guardrails and standards, while maintaining the bank's security and risk controls.
Achieving autonomy is a marathon and not a sprint.”
How have you been able to build autonomy at City National?
I am a big believer that the road to achieving autonomy is a marathon and not a sprint. If you are passionate about the work that you do, then there is a certain self-motivation and independence that you bring to your job. My mentors and managers have recognized that in me throughout my career, and I do the same in my role today.
I hire people who are not only passionate about technology but are curious and have an entrepreneurial spirit. I encourage my team to focus on the projects that light them up. My expectations are constantly exceeded not only by their accomplishments, but their sense of fulfillment and pride in the work they do.
How does City National support you in finding the autonomy you need in your career?
The bank allows flexible work schedule options and, with every challenge presented, we are provided guidance and resources to help meet deadlines. To ensure the scalability, reliability and supportability of our infrastructure and cloud footprint we follow enterprise standards and best practices. With respect to the guardrails in place, we are allowed the absolute freedom to choose the right technical tool, programming language and solution. This trust and autonomy creates space for the team to live and breathe our work in a different way. Nothing great in the world has ever been accomplished without passion.
