When we were considering guests to invite onto the podcast, Adam Chicktong immediately came to mind. Adam is the head of sales for Asana (APAC) and has been tasked with the challenge of growing the Asana team and business here in Australia.

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Asana - a simple project management platform, created by Facebook co-founder Dustin Moskovitz and ex-Google-and-Facebook engineer Justin Rosenstein in the US in 2008 - now boasts eight offices dotted around the globe.

At the end of 2018, Adam became the first member of the Asana team in Australia and quickly began recruiting: something he’s done many times, and thoroughly enjoys.

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During our chat with Adam, we discuss what it takes to be a great manager and the importance of establishing a diverse workplace.

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Play to your strengths but don’t forget about your weaknesses

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There’s no shame in getting familiar with your weaknesses, after all, you’ve got to be self-aware if you want to improve. For hiring managers, this is doubly important; understanding where you fall short could help you fill the knowledge gaps when constructing your A-team.

Adam believes that in order to put a great team together, you’ve got to look for people who have skills that you yourself may lack.

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Be yourself, and let others be themselves too

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Trying to be someone you’re not is hard work and could be counterproductive to a happy work environment. Being your authentic self leads to better relationships, in and outside of the workplace. There’s a power in being honest about who you are, especially if you hold a leadership position; you invite others to do the same. When everyone’s being authentic the end result is a more close-knit company culture.

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Success is not a one size fits all; there are lots of different ways to achieve it. Like everyone has unique goals and personalities, the definition of success is different for everyone - and so is route each person takes. Acknowledging that we all work in unique ways, and using that to the advantage of the team is vital for a good manager. The pay off: one big ‘success cocktail’!

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Our chat with Adam reminded us that it’s great to take inspiration from others, but we can’t forget to be true to ourselves, and that’s definitely advice that we’re going to apply to podcast hosting.

If you’re interested in working with Adam you can check out asana.com/jobs to see a full list of open positions. To learn more about the Asana product just visit asana.com or reach out to Adam directly at adamchicktong@asana.com.